SMC Announces Remote Instruction for Winter and Spring 2021
Santa Monica College (SMC) announced it will continue conducting all classes, support services, and activities online for the Winter and Spring 2021 semesters as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement came via email from SMC president Dr. Kathryn Jeffery today, Sept. 21, to all students and faculty.
Santa Monica College’s (SMC) campuses have been desolate in comparison to the thousands of students and faculty that spent days on campus before the COVID-19 pandemic. Main CampusThere were no cars in sight on SMC’s Main Campus on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Los Angeles, Calif. (Alex Ramirez Canales | The Corsair)
In the email, Dr. Jeffery said the decision was based off of current and projected trends and guidelines from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the State of California’s four-tiered risk assessment system.
“The public health emergency persists nationally and locally; it is unlikely that a safe, widely available vaccine will appear this academic year,” Dr. Jeffery said in her email. “The safety, health and wellbeing of SMC colleagues and students is the highest priority.”
SMC officially went online on March 18, and the majority of students and faculty have not been permitted to return since. The only students currently allowed on campus are those taking part in the Nursing program, Respiratory Care program, and students who have gained permission from their professors to access the very limited number of computers located at the Center for Media and Design campus. These students will still have access during the Winter and Spring 2021 semesters.
The email also stated that the school will only grant further permission to any departments to return on-ground if L.A. County Public Health guidelines begin to permit their return.
“Additional college personnel and essential practicum tools/courses may transition to an on-ground environment, if conditions and LA County Public Health guidelines permit,” Dr. Jeffery said. “Employees who work at their college workplaces are determined by their departmental safety plans; this process will continue during Winter and Spring 2021.”
Dr. Jeffery’s email also detailed the support services currently offered to students and employees by SMC. This includes a free Chromebook lending program for both students and faculty, as well as free Wi-Fi access for students at Bundy Campus.
The California State University system was the first in the state to extend virtual learning through the Spring semester. California State Chancellor Timothy White announced the decision on September 10, citing pandemic models that predict a new wave of cases in the Spring. He also said the California State system don’t have the capacity for mass testing to prevent a potential outbreak. The school system was also the first in the nation to announce remote instruction back in May for the Fall 2020 semester.
The University of California system has yet to make an announcement regarding its plans for the Spring semester.
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Health, 261,446 positive cases and 6,366 deaths have been reported within the county as of Sept. 21.
“Santa Monica College upholds the highest level of dedication to access, equity, and excellence in these challenging times,” said Dr. Jeffery. “I remain deeply grateful for your understanding, flexibility, and wholehearted service to the college’s students throughout these uncertain times.”
