News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2020-23-13-firstday
March 23, 2020

Instruction and Services Resume Remotely

After a weeklong pause for most classes and services, College of the Canyons resumed instruction and the delivery of student services in remote formats today.

The unprecedented move was taken to reduce the exposure of coronavirus and to facilitate the transition of all in-person classes to remote learning.

"The gargantuan task of transitioning our courses and student services into a remote delivery format has never been done before in our college's 50-year history," College of the Canyons Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook said. "In just a matter of days, we went from having 25 percent of our classes online to almost 100 percent, as well as our critical support services. That was no small feat, but we did it thanks to the coordinated efforts of our dedicated faculty, classified staff and administrators, who have been working tirelessly to make this change as seamless as possible for our students. This has truly been a collective effort on the part of our entire college, and a reflection of the commitment and quality for which we are known."

College of the Canyons expects classes to continue in remote delivery formats for the remainder of the spring semester, including late-start courses.

Student services will be provided remotely at least until April 13. The decision on when to re-open campus offices for in-person services will be made based on recommendations provided by public health officials in the coming weeks.

Student services that have transitioned to remote delivery include:

• Admission & Records - Students with questions should send an email to admissions@canyons.edu. Some services, such as transcript requests and enrollment verifications, continue to be self-service via MyCanyons.
• Canvas - For help with the Canvas online learning platform, students can visit the Online Education website for video tutorials, tips and tricks. Support can also be reached via email at cvsupport@canyons.edu.
• Counseling - Students can schedule an online appointment with counselors. Counselors will contact students through MyCanyons with instructions on how to access online appointments.
• Financial Aid - Financial aid staff can be reached via email at finaid@canyons.edu.
• The Learning Center (TLC) - TLC is offering online tutoring in math, science, and writing during normal hours of operation. Canvas support for students continues to be available. Remote tutoring is available through the TLC website.
• Library - Students can access full-text article databases, streaming media and e-books on the Library website. Students can also receive reference support via Zoom, chat, and email. Students can also participate in recorded workshops to understand how to use the remote Library services and how to conduct research.
• Peer Advising - COC student peer advisors are available to help through email, Zoom, Google Hangout. Connect with the team by sending an email to peeradvisor@canyons.edu.
• Student Health & Wellness Center - The Student Health & Wellness Center still offers many resources on its website. It will continue to provide six free sessions a semester of personal counseling via 50-minute phone appointments to currently enrolled students. Appointments can be scheduled by emailing StudentHealthCenter@canyons.edu.
• Veterans Resource Center - Students can email veterans@canyons.edu with any questions or to schedule an appointment with an academic counselor.

Thanks to emergency legislation, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will be authorized to continue GI Bill® payments without interruption during this national emergency.

"We are committed to doing everything we can to prevent or minimize a disruption to benefit for our students," said Renard Thomas, director of Veteran Affairs at the college. "We know that they need the benefit for living expenses and all the more right now. We moved most of our operations online and students can contact us through email and we created a Canvas Course to provide them additional services."

College of the Canyons will continue to follow the direction of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.