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 the 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 the 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. As one of the largest of California’s 73 community college districts, the San Diego Community College District serves approximately 100,000 students annually through three two-year colleges and San Diego Continuing Education. The three colleges, San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, and San Diego Miramar College, offer associate degrees and certificates in occupational programs that prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and entry-level jobs. Mesa College also offers a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management. Continuing Education offers noncredit adult education at seven campuses throughout San Diego. Photo Caption: To assist with the transition to online classes, hundreds of laptops and webcams have been loaned to district students at events such as this one held March 19 at San Diego Mesa College. Still, additional donations are requested from the public.
