Cerritos College Set to Re-Open Campus with In-Person and Hybrid Classes for the Fall 2021 Semester
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2021
Media Contact: Aya Abelon; Public Affairs
NORWALK, Calif. – June 7, 2021 – After operating for over a year almost entirely online, Cerritos College will re-open its physical campus for the fall 2021 semester. The College will offer a combination of in-person and online instruction, and student services will also return to campus in a reduced capacity beginning August 2, 2021.
The College conducted two student surveys in April 2021 to gauge student readiness and willingness to return to campus. Overall, a majority of students indicated that, for the fall 2021 semester, they prefer to learn via 1) a mix of in-person and remote instruction or 2) in-person instruction only. Respondents also indicated that they prefer to receive a variety of student services both in-person and online.
To best meet the needs of its students, the College will resume on-campus operations with 50 percent of all class offerings for each department in a hybrid format (combination of on-site and virtual/online course). To ensure COVID-19 safety controls, College leadership conducted extensive safety walk checks of each building to review classrooms, workspaces, common areas, restrooms, among other high-traffic areas. The team determined appropriate placement for sanitizing stations and protective plexiglass locations for added safety, and implemented strict COVID-19 pre-screening and temperature checks for all students and employees who enter the campus.
The College also established five Return to Campus Task Force workgroups to develop recommendations on safe campus policies and procedures. The workgroups consist of faculty, managers, staff, and students, and focus on specialized areas of the campus reopening.
Campus operations during summer session will continue in the same format as in spring 2021 with mostly online classes. A limited number of career technical program labs will be open during summer for courses that could not be fully transitioned online, including culinary arts, woodworking, nursing, among other classes.
Beginning Monday, August 2, campus offices will be available for in-person services Monday through Thursday for at least eight hours each day. On Fridays, all campus offices will be open online only. Hybrid instruction in fall 2021 includes a combination of on-site classes and online instruction. On-site classes will adhere to capacity limits defined for the current Tier with strict adherence to mask requirements and social distancing. The remaining course offerings will be offered in an online format.
To address vaccine equity and access, the College hosted two on-campus COVID-19 vaccine clinics in partnership with Coast Plaza Hospital and Pico Care Pharmacy, and is a regional vaccine site in partnership with the City of Hawaiian Gardens. The College also offers students and employees free Moderna vaccines on campus through its Student Health Services by appointment.
“As we return to campus, the District will continue to comply with mandates and guidelines from the state and local health officials. We continue to ensure that student, staff, and faculty health and safety remain the top priority as we collaboratively make decisions for our return to campus,” said Dr. Jose Fierro, president/superintendent, Cerritos College.
The fall 2021 semester at Cerritos College will begin August 16. Cerritos College’s COVID-19 resources and updates can be found at www.cerritos.edu/covid-19/.
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