2020 Fall Term at Assiniboine

The  past  two months have presented  evolving  uncertainty for individuals and families around the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. At Assiniboine, one of our  earliest  priorities was shifting quickly to alternative forms of course delivery to transition students off-campus, while still allowing them to complete their courses on time. College faculty and staff did an incredible job responding to this challenge. We are fortunate to have a community filled with passionate people who put students first. 

In the past several weeks, our focus has been primarily on planning for the fall 2020 term. We know new and returning students are seeking information about their program arrangements  so they can begin making decisions over the summer months and plan for a successful academic year.  

The health and safety of our college community and the communities we serve continues to be at the forefront  of  our planning and decision-making. Our plan  for the fall anticipates continued social and physical distancing requirements established by public health orders.

Fall Term Will Feature a Blended Delivery Model

The  majority of  programs  will be  structured in a  blended delivery model. Students will study at a distance or online for portions of their program and be on campus (in-person) for other portions of their coursework that require access to  college facilities and equipment. 

Why Blended?

• Campus Capacity – Some program curriculum lends itself well to online, distance, or alternative delivery methods. As such, taking advantage of this will help to limit students’ time on campus, as well as the number of students on campuses and in spaces at any given time.
• Learn by Doing – College programs require hands-on learning. When students graduate, they need to be prepared and confident to work in their chosen occupation.
• Preparing for Industry – For the portions of each program that will be delivered in-person, environments will be designed to conform with personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety requirements in those industries, thus replicating the conditions for post-graduation employment.
• Physical Distancing Practices – Assiniboine is fortunate to benefit from small class sizes and multiple campuses across communities. In addition to fewer total hours on campus, the college expects to make use of alternative times and days of delivery to accommodate physical and social distancing requirements for each program and the campus as a whole.

It’s a Program-by-Program Approach

The delivery model will vary program by program. At this time, there are four broad categories for this blended approach:

1. Delivered entirely at a distance (off-campus)
2. Blended learning with low on-campus attendance and only for essential shops, labs, skills
3. Blended learning with low on-campus attendance scheduled in less than 50% of a program
4. Blended learning with higher on-campus attendance scheduled in 50% or greater in that program

We will be in touch with every new and returning student  before the end of June  with information about their specific program and its blended delivery format.

Fall Program Starts are Proceeding

To date, no programs scheduled to start in September have been cancelled as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  Most  classes will  commence  as previously scheduled. Any changes to planned start dates of a program will be communicated directly to the student prior to the end of June.

Prospective students are still welcome to apply to programs,  and there have been no substantive changes to this process or the associated timelines. Attend a  free information session  to learn more about Assiniboine programs and supports for students or  apply online  today.