Opening for Spring Course Completion & Graduation Revisited

It has been two months since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. And yet, as we end the spring term, I am continually reminded of the resiliency of everyone at Blackhawk. Thank you all for your patience as we navigate this pandemic together.

Monday, May 26 will mark another milestone of this journey. On that date, we will take another step in bringing learning back to our campuses.

• Lab-based/hands-on classes in our Manufacturing, Apprenticeship, Transportation, and Technology Division will resume. Students in those programs will receive more information directly from their instructors.
• The Testing Center will begin scheduling appointment-only testing in the Student Success Center on Central Campus.
• Only students who have been approved for the completion of spring courses will be allowed on our campuses.
• Information Technology Services will schedule a time for laptops to be returned to Central Campus, unless they are needed for summer classes. Students impacted will be contacted directly.

Your safety remains a top priority for the College. Therefore, we will continue screening everyone coming to our campuses. Further, everyone on campus must wear protective eyewear and facemasks in shared spaces. Our facilities team will continue to use advanced cleaning and sanitization procedures.

As we monitor the public health crisis closely, we continue to be faced with difficult decisions regarding operations. We want nothing more than to resume business as usual. Unfortunately, we do not yet know when that will be.

Today, I also bring some news that is hard to deliver. The College has made the difficult decision to move the 2020 Commencement Ceremony to a virtual format. The Virtual Commencement Ceremony will take place on August 1.  Around here, Commencement is our favorite event of the year – we love the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of our students. We know that is it disappointing to lose the opportunity to walk across the stage. Therefore, in the time leading up to the virtual ceremony, we have some special surprises planned just for our graduates. If you have applied to graduate, please watch your Blackhawk email for more information. 

Please know that we are here for you. Members of our many support services teams are just a call or email away. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or need assistance.

Tracy Pierner, Ph.D.

President, Blackhawk Technical College