Rochester — Monroe Community College is helping students who face financial barriers stay on top of their studies this semester amid the coronavirus outbreak, handing out hundreds of laptops at no cost to encourage undergraduates to continue their distance learning efforts.
Several CSEA members are assisting in the delivery program, which is complicated somewhat by the new coronavirus safety and policy protocols instituted by the college.
With social distancing in mind, the college said it will hand the laptops out on a staggered schedule until the computers are all distributed. April 2 was the second phase of the operation, with more sessions to follow in the coming weeks.
At the Brighton Campus, an outdoor table station is set up in front of the Wolk Center Building to identify the students by camera and with their school ID. After the identification process is completed and their financial aid status is verified, a college staff member places a laptop computer on an adjoining table which is then quickly retrieved by the student.
Thomas Asenato
“When students and staff are on campus, there is no doubt our new safety protocols take some getting used to,” said CSEA member Thomas Asenato. “There is a small learning curve but people usually catch on to it real quick,” he said.
Asenato, who works as a Public Safety Officer who focuses on parking and traffic issues, also admits keeping everyone safe and informed while monitoring the laptop giveaway program requires extra attention to detail.
“We have to make sure vehicles and students have plenty of distance between them. We also need them to respond to all the audio voice prompts when they are issued,” said Asenato. He added, “So far, things have gone rather well.”
Monroe Community College, as well as most SUNY and CUNY campuses, ended all of its in-person instruction and began limiting access to all of its locations and facilities mid-March.
John Delate, MCC Associate VP of Student Services commended the ongoing efforts and cooperation of several different departments that employ CSEA represented workers. He said, “CSEA members at MCC have been terrific partners– especially when we develop programs like the laptop giveaway effort. It’s so important our students have all the tools and resources they need to be successful.”
Tony Perez, Monroe Community College’s Chief of Public Safety, said the college has been preparing for a change in policy for quite some time due to the viral pandemic. He said the college already uses the video conferencing platform Zoom and online learning site Blackboard for many classes. The college is already training more CSEA staff to use those tools as well.
Some laptops are being provided free of charge thanks to the MCC Foundation. Others are loaners that need to be returned after the semester is over.
More than 500 students responded to an online survey about their technology needs.
-Story & photos Ove Overmyer, ©2020
