UACCM Announces Plans to Reopen Campus, In-Person Fall Classes

The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton will reopen its campus to the public on a limited/appointment only basis on Monday, June 15. UACCM will bring back students on campus for the fall semester with several safety measures that include both online and in-person classes, while summer classes will remain online.

“I am excited at bringing each of you back to campus and more importantly as we begin readying campus for the return of students this fall,” Chancellor Lisa Willenberg stated in a letter to college employees.

The reopening plan — conceived for students, faculty and staff — is a phased approach that gradually allows more people to be on campus over the next several months, with the ultimate goal of full in-person operations at the start of the fall semester. This includes UACCM Adult Education, which will reopen some facilities for testing by appointment; the Earle Love Child Study Center, the daycare on campus, will allow a limited number of children to enroll.  

To ensure the health and safety of the campus community, the plan includes multiple guidelines for social distancing and enhanced cleaning of all campus spaces. Employees will wear masks when social distancing is not possible, and sanitizing stations will be positioned near entrances and operational spaces around campus. While students and visitors are not required to wear a mask on campus, the new guidelines encourages them to wear one when entering a building.

The June 15 phase of the reopening plan includes:

• Student support services that will reopen on an appointment-only basis includes the Academic Commons, Academic Advising, Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, and the Testing Center. Virtual services will also continue to be available to current and prospective students.

• The Student Union and the Fitness Center will remain closed during the summer. 

• UACCM Adult Education facilities in Conway County and Van Buren County will reopen by appointment for testing only. Virtual instruction will continue. Students who attend the sites in Faulkner County and Perry County are encouraged to test at other UACCM facilities if possible. For the health and safety of students and staff, students will be required to wear masks at UACCM Adult Education facilities.

• The Earle Love Child Study Center will reopen with limited space for parents wishing to enroll their children.

Fall classes will begin as scheduled on August 19. Due to the pandemic, the college postponed an in-person commencement for graduates of the spring 2020 semester. A virtual graduation celebration took place for those graduates, who will also be invited to attend an in-person commencement during the fall semester. A date for this commencement is pending.

In reaching the decision to resume in-person classes on campus, college administration were guided by two principles: the safety of all students, faculty, staff and their families; and maintaining a robust educational environment that supports students.

According to the reopening plan:

“Our knowledge of the novel Coronavirus continues to evolve each day. Equally dynamic, our campus leaders will be required to continuously monitor and analyze the guidance we receive and modify our plans accordingly.”

The college encourages every member of the campus community to be flexible and adopt social distancing practices in order to protect the health of every member of the community. UACCM will provide updates on the college COVID-19 page as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves.