Citing the “rapidly evolving public health emergency and the need for continued social distancing” due to the coronavirus, Santa Barbara City College will be moving all credit lecture classes to an online format.
Superintendent and President Dr. Utpal Goswami sent a message to the campus Friday announcing the transition, while informing students that non-credit and fee-based courses that are offered primarily at the college’s Wake and Shott campuses are not ready to be offered online. Those courses have been cancelled for the week of March 16 to 20 and some courses will open in online format on March 30.
“At this time, lab classes that cannot be offered online will continue to meet in-person,” Dr. Goswami wrote. “All SBCC campuses will remain open. All business, administrative, and student services offices will remain open. Employees with health vulnerabilities are being given options to telecommute with the approval of their manager.”
Instructors will post instructions on class details before March 16. Students are advised to check their email and Canvas, the college’s web-based learning management system.
Computer labs on campus and the Luria Library will remain open and students can voluntarily choose to come to campus to utilize computer or other support services. Other campus services are also expected to remain open, Dr. Goswami wrote.
The college will be on spring break from March 23 to March 29 and students are advised that the remote arrangement will remain in place until April 3.
“We will continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation with local health agencies and educational partners and will take appropriate actions as circumstances demand,” Dr. Goswami said.
email: mwhite@newspress.com
