Santa Monica College Remains Open After COVID-19 is Declared a Pandemic; Most of the Classes Transfer Online, Resources Remain Available to Students
On Tuesday, March 10, Sergio Mechoulam, 25, a fourth-year SMC animation student from Mexico City is the sole student in a 76-workstation lab at the SMC CMD campus. (Glenn Zucman / The Corsair)
Santa Monica College (SMC) took drastic measures on Wed. March 11 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of the students, by moving most classes to remote learning, while still keeping the campuses open to make available their resources.
“The decision to remain open—that is, for classes to go on/meet in ways as regularly scheduled—in prior days was made after weighing the health risk...and the college’s educational mission to be a beacon of access and equity.” said Superintendent Dr. Kathryn Jeffery.
SMC is following the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as being in communication with the City of Santa Monica in order to maintain its educational mission, without compromising student’s health.
World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom declared COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, as it has “been assessing this outbreak around the clock and [WHO is] deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction.”
Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCO) “strongly encouraged community colleges to move online as quickly, and wherever, possible” per guidance of the CDC, after “two or more of community transmission cases,” according to Dr. Jeffrey.
In order to facilitate a smoother transition from on-campus to online classes, SMC has released a survey that gathers information about students’ accessibility to technology and the internet. SMC students are being called to participate in this survey.
Many classes are transitioning online, however, SMC will still remain open for students to use computer labs, the library, counseling, as well as Student and Enrollment Services etc. Courses such as performing arts, or that require laboratory work will remain on campus.
The Center for Media and Design (CMD) Campus and Bundy Campus will also remain open for students to use supporting services such as the library, counseling, tutoring labs, and computers. Therefore, students who are enrolled in classes that are non-transferable to a digital classroom are expected to physically attend these classes on-campus.
“Most lab classes will continue to meet in person as scheduled. The college is taking the highest level of precautions and preventive measures in keeping with guidance from Public Health to limit and prevent potential transmission,” said Dr. Jeffery
In addition, Federal Work Study students will continue to work and receive federal funding; however, all events and extracurricular gatherings are cancelled until further notice.
The impact of these safety measures is already significant on students who are concerned about their classes transitioning into the online forum.
“My classes are transitioning online now and I just think it may be difficult for my interpersonal communication class which is based on talking face to face,” said Journalism major Morgan Spillman.
“I think it’s good to be prepared and shutting down overpopulated areas is necessary to contain the virus, avoid spreading and find a cure,” said Spillman. However, she has been concerned regarding her income that supports her studies.
“I am currently working as a canvasser for the Humane Society and it’s been harder and harder to communicate with people face to face and get people to sign up,” said Spillman. “This decreases my income because I am on a quota based income, in addition to hourly pay, so if I don’t get enough people to sign up I could get fired.”
"The measures taken were out of an abundance of caution, and to prepare the college community to continue to provide educational and student services access in a remote environment should this pandemic continue to escalate," said Dr. Jeffery.
Santa Monica College has established a dedicated webpage with valuable resources for students and employees: www.smc.edu/coronavirus