Weatherford College to reopen campus this fall with mix of in-person, online classes

Weatherford College will be reopening with face-to-face classes in the fall 2020 semester, officials have announced.

Of course, the many online classes that have been offered before and during the coronavirus pandemic will also remain available, President Dr. Tod Allen Farmer said.

“Weatherford College is currently experiencing record high summer enrollment, and we are actively preparing for a busy fall semester. We are following safety guidelines from health authorities and offering students unprecedented choice in the form of fully online, hybrid, or face-to-face courses,” Farmer said.

Farmer noted that, due to COVID-19 uncertainties, many students who were university-bound in the fall are giving Weatherford College a second look.

“Collectively, we are going to overcome COVID-19 challenges and have a great fall semester,” he said.

The college moved all spring classes online March 13 in response to COVID-19 concerns, and nearly all summer courses are currently being conducted online. Weatherford College plans to have students on all of its campuses (Weatherford, Wise County, Granbury, Mineral Wells) when fall classes begin Aug. 24 with numerous safety measures in place and a greater number of online options available. Farmer said more than 1,000 courses have been transferred to a fully online format.

Mike Endy, the vice president of Instruction and Student Services, said faculty members have been preparing for more online offerings, along with traditional classroom sections.

“As we look to the fall, we are doing all we can to provide safe and effective learning environments for our online, hybrid and face-to-face classes,” Endy said. “Our online course presence is tremendously strong, and our data tell us students who take our online classes typically perform as well or better than in face-to-face classes.

“Our hybridized courses work well for those who like the flexibility of online but want some face-to-face contact with other students and their faculty members.”

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is recommending multiple health protocols for reopening campus operations.

Weatherford College is utilizing $2.56 million in federal funds from the CARES Act, including direct financial support to affected students, technology upgrades for increased online offerings, retooling classrooms for social distancing, frequent sanitizing of facilities, and many other related expenses.