Sinclair students return today to downtown campus

Return means increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic on Fourth and Fifth streets near campus.
Sinclair College on Third Street in Dayton. CONTRIBUTED

Sinclair College on Third Street in Dayton. CONTRIBUTED

Sinclair College students return today for fall classes at the campus and that means increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the downtown area.

Sinclair has increased the number of in-person classes this fall and that means there will be more people on campus, the school said. The college said it has added 550 in-person courses while maintaining COVID-19 safety measures including mandatory face coverings and social distancing protocols.

New traffic features have been added on Fourth and Fifth streets around the downtown campus. The speed limit is now 25 miles per hour in those areas and there are multiple raised pedestrian crossings that also serve as speed bumps, according to Sinclair’s Department of Public Safety.

New electronic speed signs and flashing pedestrian crosswalk signs have been installed on Fourth and Fifth streets. Sinclair’s Public Safety Officers will also monitor traffic and will be performing speed limit radar checks on motorists.

“The men and women of Sinclair’s Department of Public Safety are dedicated to maintaining a safe environment and we rely on the public to help us do that,” said Chief John Huber, director of Sinclair College Department of Public Safety.

Sinclair said student services remain a priority as the college continues to distribute an additional $16 million in emergency relief funding. More than 1,000 laptops and other electronics have been distributed to students. Sinclair now has a full-time social worker to connect students to community resources, and students now have access to 24/7 counseling services, an on-campus food pantry, mobile grocery and health clinic, financial counseling, legal assistance, identity theft services, and medical advocacy.

In addition, Sinclair College is introducing 20 new degrees and certificates for fall term.

“Sinclair’s new programs remain true to our mission of finding the need and endeavoring to meet it,” said Dr. Steve Johnson, Sinclair Community College president and CEO. “Our new degrees and certificates continue our tradition of providing the exceptional education and training students need to succeed in high-demand, well-paying jobs while supporting the workforce needs of employers.”