April showers may bring May flowers, but we are also looking for April to bring us more of a sense of normalcy as more and more COVID-19 vaccines become available to all of us.
As the number of San Diego County residents receiving the vaccine continues to increase, we become more hopeful on re-opening Southwestern College classes to in-person instruction. Yet, we must remain vigilant of infection rates, as South County continues to be more greatly impacted by this deadly virus.
For the last several months, Southwestern College has been convening a re-opening committee that consists of members from throughout the college—from maintenance to faculty—to play out scenarios for re-opening. We have created a webpage—www.swccd.edu/SWCreturns—dedicated to informing our students and community about the most up-to-date information on decisions and data that drive those decisions.
We have created a four-tier system that outlines the circumstances for moving from one tier to the other. Understanding that South County infection rates are nearly double the rest of the county, Southwestern College is currently in the Essential Campus phase, meaning only essential workers are allowed on campus, and there are only drive-through special events.
While our public safety and allied health classes–dental hygiene, nursing, EMT/paramedic, police academy and medical lab technicians–returned to in-person instruction last June, our spring and summer classes remain in remote/online instruction. Beginning next month, we hope to implement antigen and self-testing for our student athletes, coaches and trainers to allow them to begin play. Come fall, we are planning to welcome back 20 percent of our classes to in-person instruction.
That 20 percent will include such classes as science labs, performing arts and exercise classes because those are the most difficult to continue with purely online instruction. What does that mean for community events and the Health First Fitness Center?
We are planning for our commencement ceremony on Friday, May 28, to be another virtual and drive-through event, as it was last year. We will continue to review events for the support of our community–such as immunization clinics or food distribution events–on a case-by-case basis.
As for the re-opening of the Health First Fitness Club, we consider it first to be a district operation in support of students and their classes. As such, as the majority of the college remains closed for in-person instruction, the fitness center will currently remained closed until we have established a protocol for its re-opening.
I have heard from many students that online learning has been a challenge. As I mentioned in last month’s column, there are many support services we provide for all students. From providing food and housing assistance to providing free academic tutoring, we are here to help.
An added bonus is federal funding earmarked specifically for students. Southwestern College has more than $21 million to give to students in the form of grants. These grants do not have to be repaid and can be used for anything students need–housing, child care, transportation, technology, books and fees. Southwestern College will be able to provide these grants through 2023, or until all the money has been granted.
We hope that by providing these funds, we are able to take away one more worry in our students fulfilling their goals of earning a college degree or certificate.
Just as they were more than two decades ago when I attended Southwestern, our faculty, classified professionals, administrators and student workers are all focused on improving the lives of students. We encourage you to take a look at our summer classes at www.swccd.edu/summer and apply for the grants that can help you achieve your goals. We look forward to welcoming you back.
Dr. Mark Sanchez is Superintendent/President of Southwestern College.
