Lakeshore Technical College, based in Manitowoc County, has guaranteed that students who sign-up for in-person classes this fall will receive in-person classes.
The college offers training in essential fields, noted Ryan Skabroud, who chairs Lakeshore’s incident management team.
“We need to make sure that the first time a paramedic starts an IV isn’t their first day on the job,” Skabroud said.
NBC 26 asked other local colleges and universities whether they guarantee that in-person classes will remain in-person for the fall.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, based in Green Bay, will remain in-person absent a government mandate, said Kathryn Rogalski, the school’s vice president of learning.
“I would say… it's hard to provide a guarantee in life of anything, but we're pretty certain that we will be here on campus,” Rogalski said.
Asked about the idea of a state mandate, a statement from Lakeshore Tech said that Lakeshore would follow a state mandate.
“However, past mandates have put in exemptions and altered guidance for educational institutions as compared to the general public which is why we have been able to deliver in-person courses for the past 14 months uninterrupted,” Lakeshore’s statement read, in part.
A representative for Fox Valley Technical College, based near Appleton, did not have a response to the guarantee question by deadline.
Representatives from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh did not offer a “yes,” or “no,” to the guarantee question.
A University of Wisconsin-Green Bay representative responded, in part:
“At this time, we certainly plan to be back to face-to-face classes and activities in fall.”
A University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh representative pointed a reporter to a school website that said in-person classes this fall will not have an online option.