Community Colleges Responses to COVID 19 in Alabama

Alabama has a comprehensive system of community colleges throughout the state that are the backbone of the state’s structure for higher education.  These institutions have been key to training and educating residents of Alabama in professional careers as well as technical training.  Community colleges’ responses to COVID 19 in Alabama have been critical in the state’s ability to safely fight the coronavirus while healthcare workers and first responders have needed more PPE than what the state has. Those professional nurses and first responders nearly all began their careers at one of these many community colleges.  Faculty and staff at these institutions have decided to step up and help their communities in this time of need during an unprecedented crisis in a manner only they can.

Here are Community Colleges Responses to COVID 19 in Alabama!

1. Reid State Technical College

While the campus has been closed and the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe Reid State Technical College has stepped up to do their part in providing for their local community.  Reid State has gathered all the personal protective equipment from each department on campus to donate to local hospitals and first responders that need it at this time as they respond to the current pandemic.  They have gathered unused and unopened items such as gloves, masks, isolation gowns, head, and shoe coverings, and more.  These items are typically used in labs and nursing simulation labs while students are attending courses on campus, but while they have transitioned to an online delivery method these items were not being used.

2. Central Alabama Community College

Central Alabama Community College has closed to in-person courses for spring and summer terms during the COVID 19 pandemic.  As a result, they are not holding courses that require them to use the PPE they have on campus for labs.  Faculty and staff have gathered gloves, masks, isolation gowns, N95 masks, head, and shoe coverings, and more.  These items were donated to the Alabama Department of Public Health for them to distribute where it is needed most within the state.

3. Bishop State Community College

As the shortage of PPE continues to grow with the spread of COVID 19 across the globe many communities are coming together to solve the challenges that have occurred during this crisis.  Bishop State Community College has been closed to on-campus education for spring and summer courses but they have still stepped up to aid those in need during the pandemic.  Many community colleges have PPE on campus for labs and nursing simulation labs, Bishop State gathered and donated all the PPE from their campus to Alabama Department of Health for them to distribute to local hospitals and first responders.

4. Wallace State Community College

Wallace State Community College has joined the rest of the community colleges in the Alabama Community College System by gathering and donating necessary PPE to the Alabama Department of Public Health.  They gathered gloves, isolation gowns, masks, and more.  These items are usually used in labs and nursing simulation labs but while students are continuing their education remotely these times are not needed by the college right now.  Wallace has also set aside designated parking lots with free WiFi for students needing reliable high-speed internet during this time.

5. Calhoun Community College

Calhoun Community College has stepped up in numerous ways to aid their community in the fight of COVID 19. Calhoun has joined many other community colleges in gathering and donating all the PPE they had on campus. Items that were gathered from various departments included masks, isolation gowns, gloves, head, and shoe coverings, and more.  They also gathered sanitizer and wipes to donate to the Alabama Department of Public Health. Calhoun has utilized its 3-D printers on campus to design and print face shields.  They have printed hundreds of face shields to donate to healthcare workers as a means of protection while they care for patients of COVID 19.

6. Beville State Community College

While the campus has been closed and the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe Beville State Technical College has stepped up to do their part in providing for their local community.  Reid State has gathered all the personal protective equipment from each department on campus to donate to local hospitals and first responders that require it at this time as they respond to the current pandemic.  They have gathered unused and unopened items such as gloves, masks, isolation gowns, head, and shoe coverings, and more.  These items are typically used in labs and nursing simulation labs while students are attending courses on campus, but while they have transitioned to an online delivery method these items were not being used.

7. Enterprise State Community College

Enterprise State Community College has closed to in-person courses for spring and summer terms during the COVID 19 pandemic.  As a result, they are not holding courses that require them to use the PPE they have on campus for labs.  Faculty and staff have gathered gloves, masks, isolation gowns, N95 masks, head, and shoe coverings, and more.  These items were donated to the Alabama Department of Public Health for them to distribute where it is needed most within the state.

8. Lawson State Community College

As the PPE supply shortage is felt across the country, Alabama has also experienced this shortage of necessary supplies to keep first responders safe during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Lawson State Community College has gathered and donated all the personal protective equipment that could be found on their campus. Faculty and staff gathered gloves, gowns, masks, face shields, and more from their nursing and health training programs.

Every community college in Alabama has stepped up in one way or another to help during this crisis, many donating necessary PPE for first responders and frontline healthcare workers.

The Community Colleges Responses to COVID 19 in Alabama has been nothing short of heroic.  They donated thousands of PPE items, ventilators, provide free or very affordable educational courses for the community, and the list goes on for what these institutions have accomplished in their response to COVID 19.  Community Colleges are essential to every community they serve, not only as institutions for higher learning but also as institutions that help mobilize and gather people and supplies during a global crisis.

Know of a great Alabama college response to COVID-19?  Let us know! We love to recognize schools for their amazing efforts.