Santa Rosa Junior College will offer 806 in–person sections this Fall 2021 semester after offering about 100 in spring, according to SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong.
The remaining 1,635 sections will take place online, some with mandatory synchronous Zoom meetings and others independently paced.
Classes begin on Aug. 17. Check the list of important deadlines and the schedule of classes for more information.
SRJC published a detailed plan for safely returning to campus amidst the ongoing pandemic. Most student services will continue to operate remotely or on campus by appointment only.
COVID-19 vaccines are strongly recommended but are not required for students, faculty or staff. Students can make an appointment with the Student Health Center to receive a free vaccine.
Sections with in-person components include classes from health sciences and public safety, which were previously offered on-campus during the pandemic, as well as classes from a wider variety of departments listed in a recent college press release:
“Art, history, English, math, career education, agriculture and natural resources, communications, culinary, biological sciences, anatomy, physiology, administration of justice, microbiology, chemistry, music, theatre arts, physics, floristry, horticulture, auto tech, machine tech, welding, counseling, kinesiology/dance, astronomy, anthropology, animal health, business administration and sociology.”
“Seats are widely available and our faculty are ready to meet students in whatever way best suits their needs,” said Dr. Jane Saldaña-Talley, vice president of Academic Affairs, in the press release.
Other COVID-19 safety plans include mandatory indoor masking regardless of vaccination status, daily symptom checks, limited in-person class sizes, frequent disinfection of shared spaces and improved air filtration.
Dr. Chong said about 50 safety monitors, mostly students, will help guide people through new protocols, such as signing in before entering a building for contact tracing and completing symptom checks.
“We’re trying to create a safe campus and we’re doing everything the Centers for Disease Control has advised in order to open safely,” Dr. Chong said.
“People need to realize we’re over COVID, but COVID’s not over us. We thought the light was at the end of the tunnel; now the tunnel seems like it’s been a little elongated,” he said.
Dr. Chong asks students to be patient with SRJC and encourages everyone to lead with kindness.
“Know the people at the JC care deeply about providing educational opportunities, but we can’t be so-called ‘COVID-proof.’ It would be less than honest to say if you come to campus you’re not going to get COVID,” he said. “The best way [to prevent that], based on science, is to get vaccinated.”
Students taking classes in-person or online can attend Virtual Welcome Week Aug. 12–23 featuring workshops about transferring, financial aid, health services and how to get involved on campus. There will be a free food giveaway featuring Shone Farm produce from 9–11 a.m. Aug. 23 at the Santa Rosa Campus’s Emeritus parking lot.
