Coronavirus Update
June 5, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
The purpose of this email is to update you on the status of campus operations as we move into the summer and look ahead to the fall semester.
We indicated in an April 7 communication that the college would operate remotely until the end of the spring 2020 semester (June 5). In the ensuing weeks, we expected to receive detailed parameters from state and county health officials to guide our reopening efforts.
Since that information is not yet available, our current operational status will continue as follows:
- The Valencia and Canyon Country campuses will remain closed to the public.
- Instruction for summer and fall courses will mostly remain in online and distance learning formats because current social distancing requirements do not accommodate face-to-face instruction in our classrooms.
- College offices and services will remain primarily in remote operations for now.
We do not know how long this status will continue, so we will continue to update you regularly.
At the same time, we are working now to develop plans that will enable us to reopen the campus with minimal delay. Our goal is to resume in-person services for the benefit of our students as soon as it is safe to do so. As those details become available, we will share them with all employees.
We expect that guidance to come sooner rather than later, since the county Board of Supervisors has formed an Economic Resiliency Task Force to gather feedback and recommendations on reopening from leaders across a wide range of industries, including higher education. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Santa Clarita, invited me to serve on the task force’s Education Sector Working Group, which will provide recommendations by June 16 to the Board of Supervisors on resuming in-person operations at higher education institutions.
Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate these challenges together. We know it has not always been easy. But I am inspired by the flexibility, patience, and resilience that embody our Cougar spirit. Your efforts have enabled us to continue operating to the best of our ability and serving our students and the community with the same high standards we have established during our college’s 50-year history.
Sincerely,
Dr. Dianne Van Hook
Chancellor
Distributed June 5, 2020