Northern Essex Community College: 90% Of Spring Courses Online

PEABODY, MA — While many New England colleges pushed to bring students back to campuses this fall with extensive testing and contact tracing programs, as well as strict social gathering restrictions, Northern Essex Community College has is planning to stay nearly all remote through the spring.

The school announced that its spring semester, which begins on Jan. 22, will be 90 percent online. Only classes "that require a face-to-face component — primarily Health and STEM courses — will be offered on campus.

School leaders said the decision was made after a review of current information and an expectation about what conditions will be in the region in January.

"We will continue to monitor those conditions carefully, and, if it is possible to offer additional courses on campus, we will do that,” said Bill Heineman, vice president of academic and
student affairs, said in a statement on the school's webpage.

The school is offering a primarily online fall semester after the campus shut down at the onset of the coronavirus health crisis in March.

Registration for the spring begins Nov 2 with additional information on enrollment available by calling 978-556-3700 or admissions@necc.mass.edu.