News Update

Most community college classes to be fully online this fall, chancellor says

Most community colleges across California will not be able to offer in-person classes this fall, the community college system’s chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said Monday, pointing to a surge in coronavirus cases in many parts of the state.

He added, however, that colleges in counties where the virus is not spreading as rapidly may be able to offer some in-person courses.

“It is highly unlikely that the majority of our colleges will have in person learning this fall. We are going to approach this county by county and certainly there will be some counties where more in-person instruction can be accommodated,” he said at a Board of Governors meeting. “But by and large, the communities throughout California that are experiencing a surge in Covid-19 will have a significant ability to offer in-person instruction.”

Monday was not the first time Oakley has predicted that most classes across the system will be held online this fall. In May, he encouraged colleges to plan for an online-only fall, saying that conducting courses virtually would be “the most relevant way for us to continue to reach our students.”