Campus Message: May 15, 2020
Office of the President
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Good afternoon colleagues,
These past few weeks has presented all of us with multiple unprecedent challenges. We have faced a global pandemic, derailing all college sports and campus activities, most of our students were forced to finish their semesters totally online. While the virus virtually shut down schools and colleges across the planet, Fresno City College has been working together— faculty, classified professionals, students, industry partners and healthcare professionals—to continue to provide instruction and services now and prepare and plan for the reopening and return to our college…in a safe manner.
Since early March, the College has been convening a Leadership Response Team which is broadly represented by all constituency groups to ensure transparent communication, share information and address emerging challenges and resource needs. To all of you who have served on this response team, I am thankful for your thoughtful service.
The College administration has worked with thought leaders across all disciplines and programs and among all contingency groups to plan for various possible scenarios for class offerings in the fall. Throughout this unique planning process, the focus has been on the health and welfare of our students and colleagues by the careful review of local health indicators and guidance from federal, state and local officials.
This past Wednesday, Colleges deans, along with Academic Senate, Classified representatives, and labor partners, came together to present the status of the College division proposals for Fall 2020. I would like to thank the faculty, classified professionals and administrators who participated and asked thoughtful clarifying questions of each other. At the end of our time together, it was clear that the faculty and administration had put forward proposals that kept the majority of our instructional offerings, programs and services in an online format.
Our goal is to move as many classes as possible online, to create the additional space needed to safely teach those lessons on campus that don’t have that option — such as those with clinicals and labs, tech classes, and automotive, among others.
A few programs did put forward proposals that seek a return to an on-ground delivery of instruction for those hard to convert to online activities such as labs and career technical education demonstrations. These proposed programs would still rely on an online delivery of the lecture component and thus would proceed, if approved, as a flexible hybrid.
Each of the flexible hybrid proposals must utilize social distancing protocols, as currently indicated by health officials. We acknowledge that those protocols may continue to evolve and will need to be closely monitored in conjunction with local public health officials.
These flexible hybrid proposals focused on essential areas such as nursing, health care, police, fire, as well as other career and technical and science labs. Additionally, both performance arts and athletics have plans to try to offer some form of modified face to face, when it has been deemed safe to do so.
The next step in vetting the flexible hybrid proposals is to seek additional guidance from local public health officials This is scheduled for next week. Furthermore, the State Chancellor’s Office will be releasing additional guidance later this month that will also be considered as we continue to refine and plan for the possible return of a few in-person labs and career technical education demonstrations in some of the hard to convert first responder, sciences and career technical education classes.
While all of this work is to be commended as the health protocols are evolving and it has been difficult to plan in an environment that has seen rapid change, an additional layer of complexity has been added to the challenge – the budget.
Yesterday, the Governor released the May Revise which was sobering but not surprising, given the ongoing economic impacts due to the pandemic. This initial revision will guide our budget planning, which in turn drives our service levels. We are still in the midst of reviewing this complex document.
Like many of you, I am grateful that the governor’s May Revise proposes some flexibility and that the Equity work that the California Community Colleges have led, will be a focal point going forward. But much remains to be examined. In fact, just moments ago, The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office once again partnered with the Association of California Community College Administrators, the Association of Chief Business Officials, and the Community College League of California to release an analysis of the May Revise.
The Governor’s May Revise highlights the stark realities of our current situation and our need to advocate for as much flexibility as possible as well as a call to continue to advocate for federal relief.
Our work is challenging and we are facing uncertainty on many fronts. However, we do know that students come to Fresno City College to seek a better life for themselves and their families through education and training. We remain resolve to serve our community, together.
Sincerely,
Dr. Carole Goldsmith
President
Fresno City College
1101 E. University Ave.
Fresno, CA 93741
Phone: (559) 489-2212
Fax: (559) 499-6045
www.fresnocitycollege.edu
