Miami Dade College’s hybrid learning model that calls for a transition from remote learning to blended/face-to-face instruction on or after September 28 during the Fall 2020 semester potentially jeopardizes the health and safety of the community and it is educationally unsound.

South Florida is an international epicenter of COVID-19. With the number of positive cases approaching 100,000 and the number of confirmed deaths over 1,300, Miami Dade County is among the worst of the hotspots in a state where community spread is not yet under control.

Miami Dade College is home to about 120,000 students and over 9,000 employees. MDC’s decisions affect hundreds of thousands of people in the broader community. Students and faculty should not be placed in enclosed classrooms and workspaces that would make the spread of virus more likely. MDC should be among the institutions serving to stop the spread of COVID-19, not exacerbate it.

The administration’s proposed hybrid instructional model is educationally unsound. A shift in teaching mode from online to blended/face-to-face at an unspecified point mid-semester creates an unstable and inconsistent learning environment, which would be antithetical to best teaching and learning practices.

Sign this petition to support remote learning for all 16-week Fall 2020 classes at MDC that are not already designated as MDC Online or authorized as specialized face-to-face courses.