SMCC to expand in-person class offerings for fall semester

Southern Maine Community College is expanding its in-person class sizes and course offerings for the fall semester, opening up new opportunities for students to take more classes on campus.

Southern Maine Community College will host a Family and Friends Weekend, Oct. 1-3. Courtesy image

The college will allow full capacity in hundreds of in-person classes that previously had capacity limits to allow for physical distancing. The college is also looking to convert some online classes to on-campus courses to open up even more options for students seeking face-to-face learning in the classroom.

“We are ecstatic that we can allow more students to take in-person classes as we gradually return to normal operations,” said Joe Cassidy, Southern Maine Community College president, in a June 23 news release. “We know that many students thrive in a classroom environment, and we are making plans to make that a reality for as many students as possible.”

The college had placed class-size limits for in-person courses for the fall semester, in keeping with protocols aimed at protecting the health and safety of employees and students. But with COVID-19 vaccination rates continuing to rise and physical distancing protocols being relaxed, the college has decided to open up in-person classes to more students. The changes could affect up to 400 classes, potentially opening up thousands of new slots for students to receive in-person instruction.

The expanded classes are the latest indicator that the college is slowly returning to normal for the 2021-22 academic year.

Southern Maine Community College is opening its three residence halls — two on the South Portland campus and one on the Midcoast campus in Brunswick — this fall. The college’s sports teams are also planning on full schedules for the fall season.

The SMCC Campus Center, the hub of the South Portland campus, will also reopen on July 1. The Campus Center houses the advising, admissions and other offices, as well as the SMCC bookstore.

For more information about SMCC and to apply, visit www.smccme.edu.

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