Coronavirus Update

Message #6 from the Chancellor

Dear Colleagues,

College of the Canyons continues to monitor the latest developments on the fast-moving coronavirus health emergency. As of today, health authorities confirmed three cases in the Santa Clarita Valley, none of which are known to be connected to College of the Canyons.

Based on the response guidelines for higher education institutions issued by the California Department of Public Health, and direction from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, we have updated our plans to continue instruction for the benefit of students, and to protect the health and safety of our campus community. The new plans outlined below are in effect through April 10. They are rooted in the ongoing conversations of the college’s Coronavirus Task Force and guided by the district’s policies and emergency operations plans. We will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as new information becomes available.

We are converting in-person college services to remote delivery, which means employees are able to work from home. This process began Monday, will continue through this week, and will be completed by 6 p.m. Friday, March 20. We plan to operate remotely until at least April 10.

Below is an overview of what we have planned for Instruction, Student Services, and other campus operations. More detail will be shared via email, and posted on the college’s website.

Instruction

In-person instruction remains suspended this week and is expected to resume in remote delivery formats no later than Monday, March 23. We expect classes to continue in this format for the remainder of the semester, including late-start classes.
Classes that were already online/hybrid, or previously transitioned to remote delivery, will continue.
Efforts are under way to provide students with technology and information about free internet options to facilitate their remote learning.
The CIO will approve a very limited number of CTE lab classes to meet in person. These are classes needed for external accreditation, or other requirements, and will be held with social distancing modifications to ensure the safety of students, staff and instructors.
Training to support faculty teaching remotely will continue indefinitely online; on-campus training will continue through Wednesday, March 18.

Student Services

Student Services offices, which have been closed Monday and Tuesday, will not resume in-person services after today. They are transitioning to online delivery now, and will finish by March 20.
We will send a message to students today explaining what services will be available and how they can access them.

Other Campus Services

All other campus offices will be closed to the public effective immediately, and will remain closed through April 10. Services will be moved online to the extent possible.

Classified, Short-Term Employees, College Assistants, Administration

For the remainder of the week, employees involved in transitioning to remote learning and working may continue to work from campus utilizing social distancing measures.
Employees may work from home beginning tomorrow. They should check with their supervisor for additional instructions before doing so.
Employees whose job functions cannot be completed remotely will be expected to engage in online professional development. More details will be provided via email this week.
If employees become ill at any time, they should notify their supervisor and submit a sick leave absence request.
If employees are unable to work remotely, or engage in remote professional development, because they need to care for children who are home, they should use Personal Necessity leave to do so.

In closing, I want to thank you for your continued patience and engagement as we work together to respond to this unprecedented emergency. The feedback, information, and suggestions we have received are helpful and informative as we continue to develop and refine our plans to ensure continued high-quality education for our students and protect the health and safety of all employees.

In particular, I want to recognize the extraordinary efforts of our faculty to quickly move their classes to remote learning. This work would also not be possible without the support of classified staff, and so I want to highlight their contributions as well. It is clear everyone involved in this effort is motivated by a shared commitment to serving our students.

What I have seen these past weeks is truly inspiring. In the face of continued uncertainty, our college community continues to meet the challenges we face with the determination, collegiality and professionalism that characterize College of the Canyons and its five decade legacy of service to our community.

I am appreciative and proud of the work you have done to care for our students and preserve their ability to achieve their goals in these ever-changing and uncertain times.

Sincerely,

Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook
Chancellor

Distributed March 17, 2020