Student hoping for CCC welding facility's reopening

CLOVIS — Christopher Rousseau came to Portales four years ago with his family, and he hopes he can move to Fort Worth with his family again with a new welding career lined up.

However, the Clovis Community College student is finding his plans upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, and every day of uncertainty just turns up the heat a little bit more.

Rousseau is working toward an advanced level certificate in welding, and is on the final semester of the three-semester program.

“We learn how to do specific welds,” Rousseau said. “We show our instructor, and he visually inspects them to make sure they’re up to code. We’ve done all of the bookwork.”

The rest of the work lies in CCC’s welding facility on the southern edge of the campus. The facility has been closed since March 16, along with the rest of CCC.

The school has converted most classes to an online format, but it’s obviously not feasible with Rousseau’s class. He lacks the equipment at home, and an instructor can’t inspect a pipe in a Zoom conference call.

Rousseau said he has around 300 welds to perform, but estimates about 30 or 40 could be done in the average class, which normally runs 7 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday.

Melissa Reed, who oversees the welding program as CCC’s division chair of occupational technology, said students like Rousseau in the last semester of their programs will receive priority, since they likely have employment opportunities waiting.

“The instructor who oversees the welding program at CCC has many years of experience as a welder and an educator,” Reed said. “I have every confidence our instructor will adequately prepare students to enter into the work force and complete their degrees in the shortest amount of times possible. We, much like our students, are very anxious to get back to campus and we hope to do that soon.”

Rousseau has no doubt that he and the other last-semester students could do their work and keep enough space from each other in a facility he guessed was 10,000 square feet, but he acknowledges it wouldn’t be so easy with the entire class of 21 there. While he has his own helmet and other gear, he noted that high schools and hobby classes also use the facility and share equipment and, “we touch almost everything everybody else would touch.”

He’s heard there’s a chance at reopening around May 25, but he’s gotten no guarantees.

CCC President Charles Nwankwo was sympathetic to Rousseau’s plight, but noted he has to follow public health orders and wasn’t sure if a May opening would be feasible.

“I understand the student may have a job lined up, and I’m so sorry for that,” Nwankwo said. “Nobody saw this coming. Our plan is to get them in, and get their practicum as soon as possible. We’re trying to accommodate everybody. The health of our students, the health of our faculty and staff is paramount. The way things are looking, (I’m optimistic) things are going to ease up by the first of June.”

The family, however, is planning a late May move. Rousseau is hoping he can get the work done as quickly as possible so he can avoid the expense of staying by himself in the area for a few weeks, and so he can have a place to work whenever he joins them.

“I’ve had a couple of job offers where I’m moving to, but I keep telling them I have to push it back because of the pandemic,” Rousseau said. “They’re understanding, for the most part.”