February 2, 2021 Update:

Dear Harper College Community,

In light of recent state guidance and our ongoing commitment to supporting community partnerships, we will begin a gradual reopening of the indoor pool beginning February 8. I am hopeful this will be among the first of many steps we’re able to take in upcoming months to work toward our eventual return to campus.

Foglia Foundation Health and Recreation Center (Building M) Limited Reopening:

Northwest Community Healthcare reopened its Outpatient Care Center in November without issue. With the Illinois Department of Public Health and other state agencies issuing updated guidance on January 22 that categorized swimming as “lower risk,” we have been working with Palatine Park District to reopen the indoor pool.

The plan prioritizes the health and safety of visitors and staff and pays careful consideration to indoor traffic flow, staff training, signage, screening stations/temperature checks, and scheduling to ensure physical distancing and safety procedures are practiced in and out of the pool. Cleaning will take place in between groups of swimmers.

Incrementally reopening the pool and parts of Building M – a contained building not connected to the rest of campus – will afford us the opportunity to monitor the effectiveness of our procedures and make necessary adjustments. Two weeks after the park district swim team returns to the pool, and barring any issues, we will begin allowing lap swim for Health and Recreation Center members and pool pass holders.

In early March, we plan to welcome back Harper coaches and student athletes to begin training for the spring sports season. Athletics will have access to the gymnasium and fitness center for indoor practice and conditioning if weather is bad; we hope to open these to membership later this spring with limited capacity scheduling.

Campus Limited Reopening, March 15:

We remain on track to reopen the main campus to select lab classes on March 15. We will continue to monitor this ever-evolving situation and are developing plans for reopening other facilities such as computer labs.

Throughout this pandemic, we’ve made every effort to provide a sense of stability and minimize disruption, recognizing that we may need to adapt our plans as we learn more. Thank you for your patience and for understanding that we will always act in the best interest of our community’s health and safety.

Forward together,

Dr. Avis Proctor
President, Harper College

Winter Athletics Update: Harper has canceled 2021 winter sports competition to help protect the health and safety of our student athletes. Read more.