The Prince Albert campus of Saskatchewan Polytechnic will see around 90 per cent of its students learning by distance simulation or conventional online courses as the new school year gets underway. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

back to school

Fewer than 10 per cent of students expected on P.A. Sask Poly campus

Aug 27, 2020 | 4:00 PM

Not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic will mean a much quieter start to the academic year at the Prince Albert campus of Saskatchewan Polytechnic in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the student body is still hoping to create a sense of community despite the obvious challenges.

Officials say only eight to 10 per cent of students are expected to be physically present for hands-on lab or clinic learning, but health protocols will be in place.

“We have some mandatory training for all staff and students, and every student will be provided with two cloth reusable face masks,” Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Dr. Has Malik, told paNOW. “Even though the campus is closed as a whole, we’re really excited to be able to offer a number of our programs back on our campus in a limited capacity and we can assure students we’re putting all the safety protocols in place.”

Programming across the usual array of courses starts on Monday including the likes of Practical Nursing, Industrial Mechanics, Hairstyling and Professional Cooking, although the Saskatchewan Polytechnic website noted the dates for an actual return to campus were labelled as ‘tentative’ in some cases.

Malik said enrolment numbers across all courses was “where we’d expect it to be,” but also noted there had been an uptick in some online learning options because of people’s inactivity during the pandemic.

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“We’ve had a rise in students who are in the professional domain – adults who are working and are taking opportunities to re-skill because they have time on their hands,” he said.

Malik explained while he was looking forward to the day when the campus could be a vibrant place again, the pandemic had made them rethink their whole business of instruction and student experience and he expected “more hi-tech use of technology and digitization” to become part of the future, even on campus.

A new type of student community

Meanwhile, a student who is very familiar with the Prince Albert site is still hoping to foster a sense of community among his peers and offer support despite the challenges of the pandemic.

Jesse White is president of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Students’ Association and spent two years in P.A. before continuing his studies in Regina.

“The P.A. campus is one of the most community-driven campuses and it’s a very community-driven city, and these times are even more difficult for a community that relies on interaction,” he told paNOW. “Being a student is hard, it’s a struggle… and to do it alone can seem like an insurmountable task.”

White said the association would be working on organizing online events to keep people connected and hoped the extraordinary times could help bring people across all the various Saskatchewan campuses more together.

Another focus for the association is to ensure students are getting value for money with all the changes that have been necessary and the lack of hands-on, direct instruction amid the pandemic.

“We want to make sure students are being assessed proper fees and getting the value that they’re paying for in their education,” he said. “Sask Polytech has been very receptive to our comments and questions… and those conversations are still ongoing.”

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow