Masks Required For Students, Staff At Howard Community College

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — School starts Aug. 28 for Howard Community College students and classes will be offered in four different course formats: face-to-face, hybrid, scheduled remote and flexible online. Masks also will be required for everyone in all school buildings for the upcoming fall semester, leaders said.

Everyone:

• Face coverings continue to be required indoors. Masks can be removed in outdoor spaces.
• The COVID-19 vaccination is highly encouraged, but will not be required at HCC.
• Everyone is expected to conduct their own daily health assessment.
• Physical distancing requirements will be reduced to three feet, following CDC guidance.
• The college will continue to evaluate operational status using established COVID-19 metrics and critical indicators to determine if a return to a remote environment is needed.

Students:

• Face coverings will be required while indoors on campus. Noncompliance by students during class or inside building common areas could result in disciplinary action.
• Each office, department and division will be setting hours to ensure coverage to assist students. Appointments are preferred, check hours and specific information here.

Employees:

• Circumstances that may prevent employees from returning to work in-person should be discussed with human resources.
• Teleworking will be determined in consultation with supervisors and with the expectation that offices, departments and divisions will provide accessibility and availability to students, other employees and the public.

Lynn Coleman, vice president of administration and finance at Howard Community College, "strongly encourages" all students to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

"To aid students in getting their vaccine, HCC has partnered with the Howard County Health Department to hold a vaccination clinic during the college's upcoming Summer Bash for new and returning students on Thursday, Aug. 12. Additionally, HCC is now offering the incentive of a $50 one-time bookstore credit for eligible students who are fully vaccinated," Coleman said.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and other leaders gathered this week to impress upon parents to get their eligible children vaccinated and for college kids to be vaccinated, too.

“I’m so proud and encouraged by the more than 86 percent of our residents who have already gotten at least one shot. Whatever your motivations or reasons – thank you,” Ball said. “Now we need your help now to convince and support the remaining 38,000 of friends, family and neighbors who haven’t gotten their vaccine, to get one. The more of our children, students and educators that head back to school buildings fully vaccinated, the safer in-person learning will be for everyone.”

Currently, 86.1 percent of Howard County residents ages 12 and older have received at least one dose and 80.8 percent are fully vaccinated. Howard County continues to lead the state in vaccination uptake with nearly 70 percent of the entire population fully vaccinated.

“As the Delta variant takes hold in Maryland, vaccination remains the most effective tool to combat the virus,” Howard County Health Officer Dr. Maura Rossman said. “For those waiting for the right time to become vaccinated, now is the time. Delaying vaccination will only increase the risk of becoming ill, increase time away from work, increase time away from school and increase your chance of being hospitalized or dying. Becoming vaccinated also protects those in the community who are either unable to receive vaccine because of medical issues or are too young yet to receive the vaccine.”

A universal masking policy also has been implemented for Howard County Public School System staff and students.