FINE Mortuary College (FMC) announced the start of a new semester in February, providing a hybrid teaching environment with both in-person and virtual learning opportunities for students.

An on-campus institution since 1996, the college had to adapt and quickly meet the challenges of the pandemic. Significant investment has been made in state-of-the-art software and hardware to allow flexibility among students and faculty to continue educating future professionals.

Using Zoom to create an online virtual classroom, FMC uses Logitech’s HyFlex technology to support teaching and learning in a remote environment that allows interaction among students, faculty and staff. With the addition of Samsung 65-inch monitors in each classroom, FMC is prepared for online and on-campus learning simultaneously.

The school uses Examplify by ExamSoft, one of the leading assessment platforms to maximize student outcomes, Canvas Learning Management System for course content and student communication, and Populi Student Information System to administer and manage student data.

FMC President Kevin Koch explains the school’s strategy to meet the requirements of the new educational environment: “The COVID-19 pandemic presented some unique and challenging opportunities. We quickly adapted to a remote environment that needed technology to keep the program going during unprecedented times. With the support of the FMC Board of Trustees, led by Chairman John Finlay of Legacy Tribute Solutions, we quickly engaged in setting up classrooms that allow us to educate students in an actual classroom and a virtual classroom concurrently. The students now have the option to attend class on campus or online…”

While the pandemic has allowed all universities and colleges to provide educational content online, FMC went the next step by applying for membership in SARA, the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has approved its application (see onlinelearningconsortium.org/understanding-state-authorization-reciprocity-agreement-sara). The agreement will allow the school to offer its funeral service program to any student across the United States. Final ABFSE approval was anticipated by April 2022. fmc.edu