Page 20 - BusinessWest December 21, 2020

North Adams
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We went nine for 10 on properties we put up for auction.”
The Old College Try
Another success story took place at Massa- chusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) — simply because it made it through a semester of on-cam- pus learning with no major COVID-19 outbreaks.
“We heard loud and clear that the campus
“People want to get the most bang for their buck without sacrificing quality, without sacrificing engagement, without sacrificing the memories they make. In that sense, North Adams continues to be attractive, and the Berkshires continue to be attractive.”
experience is important,” said Gina Puc, vice president for Strategic Initiatives, noting, of course, that it’s a somewhat different experience than usual, with students alternating between the classroom and online learning in their resi- dence halls, while only 550 of the 1,225 enrolled students this fall were on campus, all in single
rooms.
“And it worked — our
positivity rate was 10 times lower than the state’s,” she said. “We made it through the entire semester without having to alter our plans. The students were the main reason we were able to stay the course. We had incredible adherence to all the social-distancing and health and safety guidelines in place.”
The testing program was so successful, in fact, that MCLA was able to donate 130 leftover COVID tests to the city’s public schools, to per- form asymptomatic test- ing on teachers and staff.
“They did such a great
job with their testing pro-
gram,” Bernard added.
“Their positivity stayed
low, contact tracing was good, and it helped that they were out before the holidays, so Thanksgiv- ing didn’t play into it.”
Enrollment was down about 20%, but mostly among first-year students, reflecting a nationwide trend. “The 2020 high-school graduates didn’t even get their own graduation ceremonies, and it certainly disrupted their college plans,” Puc said.
But she’s confident the college will build off its unusual, but encouraging, fall semester and
Tom Bernard says myriad entities in North Adams, from restaurants to municipal offices to MCLA, have had to do business differently this year.
continue to attract students to North Adams. “We have an incredible combination of beauty and the kinds of cultural amenities usually found in urban areas,” she said.
Students studying the arts have plenty of local institutions at which to intern, but the college’s STEM center and the addition of a radiologic technology program in the health sciences reflect the
regional growth
North Adams
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Eat in comfort with our outdoor heaters!
Join the FUN and experience dining in a whole new way!
84 CENTER SQUARE, EAST LONGMEADOW, MA • (413) 525-0055 • www.centersquaregrill.com
20 DECEMBER 21, 2020
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
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