Lane College announces reopening plans amid COVID-19
JACKSON, Tenn. — A local college president has many ideas on how to reopen safely.
“Lane College will be open in the fall of 2020. The question is how we will be open,” said Lane College President Logan Hampton.
Dr. Hampton is a part of a senate committee. He testified Thursday to Congress on the topic of reopening campuses with new safety measures amid COVID-19. Dr. Hampton explains three ways the college can reopen.
“We’re looking at, first of all, Lane Fast Start, which is Lane face-to-face. That is having students here on campus with the COVID-19 protocols,” Dr. Hampton said.
The two other options are online learning and a combination of both on-and-off campus learning. Hampton is helping create a pandemic-proof team to be ready if COVID-19 problems arise in later months.
Hampton also is asking Congress to invest more into higher education, including historically black colleges, adding many students are struggling with expenses or college funding in this economy.
“Our country is yet dependent on developing a cohort of scholars and leaders. The best place to do that is in higher education,” Dr. Hampton said. “Our mission is to develop the whole student but we can’t do that unless the student is safe and healthy.”
The campus was closed and had limited access to faculty. Hampton says they plan to allow people back on campus by July 1 and will have their spring commencement exercises on July 18.
