The Coast Community College District has announced that most classes will remain online during the Spring 2021 semester. Orange Coast College is the largest college in the three-college Coast District, with nearly 20,000 students enrolled each semester.
The decision was announced to students, faculty and staff on Oct. 1, with the intention of providing clarity and allowing for plans to be finalized amid ongoing uncertainty related to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
“Preparing for a new College semester takes the work of hundreds of faculty and staff members operating in unison,” said Coast District Chancellor John Weispfenning in a released statement. “In a time of continued uncertainty, this announcement is intended to provide clarity as we prepare for a strong academic start to the year 2021.”
Student support services also will remain mostly online, with only a limited number of staff and faculty allowed on campus for ongoing public safety, maintenance, and operations work alongside limited socially-distant instruction and a few activities permitted by state and local health authorities.
“During this pandemic, our primary focus continues to be keeping our students and employees safe, while also balancing the educational needs of our students as they continue to work toward their goals,” says OCC President Angelica Suarez. “We believe that remaining mostly online during the Spring 2021 semester, with some limited lab coursework and student services, in addition to our student residential community, allowed onsite and in-person is the best way to achieve this balance.”
Currently, the Coast District is gathering input from faculty, classified and confidential staff, management, and executives in preparation for an eventual post-pandemic return to normal operations.
“The steps we take toward returning to the campuses will be measured and deliberate,” Weispfenning said in a video message to the District. “Each day we are one step closer to getting back to a lasting normal.”
To read more about the Coast Community College District’s COVID-19 response, visit the Coast District website.