Seth Root/ The Broadside

Last week, Central Oregon Community College announced that it would open its campus up for the summer term.

Laurie Chelsey, president of COCC, said in an email to all her colleagues that all COCC employees that are currently working from home are expected to work on campus for the summer term.

“All COCC employees who currently telework are expected to return to their on-campus workplace beginning Monday, June 14, ” wrote Chelsey.

According to Zak Boone, the chief advancement officer at COCC, the employees returning in the summer are classified and administrative employees, not instructors or faculty.

Chesley also wrote in the email that they would follow all CDC and OSHA protocols to make sure all COCC employees are healthy and safe.

“As the College has done throughout the pandemic, we will remain flexible and continue to follow all OHA, CDC, and OSHA guidelines to promote a safe and healthy environment,” wrote Chelsey. “We will also closely monitor county health risk levels, regional COVID-19 vaccination, hospitalization rates and use these metrics to inform whether we need to change our reopening date. In other words, these plans are —like all pandemic-era plans — subject to change.”

Not only will all campuses be open on June 14, but the college will also reopen its track, field, and trails for the public.

However, this announcement does not change COCC’s academic choice offerings in the summer term, which will be about 75 percent online. However, the plan is for COCC to be fully operational by the fall term.

Andrew Fegette, the computer lab coordinator, expressed his excitement that staff and administrative employees will be coming back on campus.

“I am looking forward to having my colleagues and peers back on campus,” said Fegette. “For those of us who have been working on campus this whole time, it will be nice to see everyone again.”

Andrew Davis, COCC’s director of student life, is also looking forward to seeing his colleagues again on the campus.

“Being able to see colleagues face to face and have side conversations that happen organically will be amazing,” said Davis. “We can hear laughter and have fun banter in the office again.”