(pr) The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD), which transitioned 60,000 students to all online classes on March 23, announced it expects to continue with online classes through the remainder of the spring semester. In addition, the district — which includes San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges as well as San Diego Continuing Education — will offer all online classes this summer.
SDCCD Chancellor Constance M. Carroll says the decision to continue online only classes through the rest of spring and summer will assist with academic planning efforts and is necessary at time of great uncertainty in terms of when the current crisis and social distancing directive will end. She applauded district faculty and staff for a smooth transition to online instruction and remote operations after being given very short notice.
“It was a herculean task to move more than 6,000 class sections to alternative modes of instruction,” said Chancellor Carroll. “But district faculty and staff understand what’s at stake for our students and for our community as we all collectively work to stop the spread of the coronavirus.”
Effective March 23, the district closed all campuses and facilities and instructed its 5,000 employees to begin working remotely. In addition, all district events have been canceled right up to commencement ceremonies in late May and early June. Chancellor Carroll says the district’s colleges and Continuing Education are delaying decisions on commencement ceremonies as long as possible in the hope that the situation in San Diego County improves.
“While our campuses are closed, essential services such as counseling, tutoring, and health services are being provided to students remotely,” said Chancellor Carroll. “In addition, we are working to ensure some of our most vulnerable students are taken care of. This includes meeting their basic needs and ensuring they receive financial aid, even if they don’t have a permanent mailing address.”
This week, the district announced a fundraising effort to assist students who are in need of laptops, Wi-Fi access, and other emergency resources. While hundreds of laptops have been provided to students, resources are limited. Online donations can be made securely at:
sdccd.edu/coronavirus/covid19-how-you-can-help.aspx
For district updates on the COVID-19 situation, visit sdccd.edu/coronavirus or call 619-388-6980.
