In less than two weeks classes at McLennan County Community College will begin, but MCC President Dr. Johnette McKown says they won’t be the same amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s going to be entirely different,” says McKown.

“There is only going to be 3.5% of our students who will actually be here face-to-face all the time,” she says.

MCC begins the fall term on Aug. 24, the same day as Baylor University.

More than 50% of fall classes will be offered online only, and the rest will be hybrid, with limited on-campus interaction, McKown said.

“They may come every other day, they may come Monday and not come Wednesday,” McKown said.

Each student who comes to campus will be asked to fill out a self-assessment form on their health.

If they are feeling unwell, they will be asked to stay home.

“We have taken a lot of steps to make sure everything is going to work,” McKown said.

Other precautions include shutting off water fountains, increased cleaning and mandatory face masks.

The school also plans to use contact tracing should a staff member or student test positive for the virus.

“We are doing everything we can to make sure everyone is safe,” McKown said.

Enrollment for the upcoming term is down slightly from previous years, McKown said.

“People are waiting to make a decision,” says McKown.

“I think it’ll be OK at the end, but we still could be a down a little bit compared to other years,” she says.

—KWTX