What's New for FCC's Fall Semester

Aug 2, 2021 —

When the Fall 2021 semester begins August 9, more people will be seen walking around the Fresno City College campus since the COVID pandemic began a year and a half ago. With the new semester comes the addition of more in-person classes and more in-person services.

Throughout the pandemic, Fresno City College has continually assessed the needs of students and employees to deliver educational opportunities without interruption. Lessons learned include that the use of technology can provide services and instruction to students and maintain the efficient operation of the college through online measures.

While many of these measures will continue, Fresno City College President Dr Carole Goldsmith says the college also will accommodate the students who are eager to get back to campus. “I believe the online education opportunity really worked well for a lot of our students, as evidenced by our increasing graduation rates. So, we're going to continue to provide some online, but we also know that we really need to have some on ground activities and classes too.”

An emphasis on wellness is still a priority. Hand sanitation stations will be increased and current mask regulations will be followed. Mental health services will also be expanded.

Dr. Goldsmith encourages people to enroll now in classes to be prepared for the future. “When we look at the jobs that really flourished and continue to flourish both pre and post pandemic, those are the jobs that require some college education or career technical certification. While many students may be interested in taking classes, whether it's one class or two, they need to continue to invest in themselves, because one thing that we know is that the greatest gift you can give yourself is an education,” she said.

Go to for more information on how to register for classes. Here are a few things to know about the new semester:

The campus will open to the public beginning the first week of August. Services will be available in-person such as financial aid, admissions and records, Library, business office, counseling, and more.
More in-person classes. About 35% of classes are in-person or hybrid. The remainder are online. We expect to add more in-person classes in the spring. In addition to the small amount of CTE and lab classes that we’ve had in-person in the last couple of semesters, we are now adding in-person classes in English, history, performing arts, PE and more to the schedule.
We have found that while many students are eager to return to campus, there are still many who would prefer to learn online.
Throughout the pandemic, while we saw a dip in enrollment, many of our students were very successful taking online classes which is evident in the record number of students who complete their degrees and graduated in 2020-2021.
FCC will continue to loan laptops, iPads, MiFi to students.
Financial aid available. Some students, no matter their income, could be eligible for free tuition. Other funding may be available to supplement financial aid.
Parking is free for the fall semester. In the meantime, construction is underway for the new parking structure.
The health and safety of our students and staff is a priority. We are encouraging people to get vaccinated. FCC continues to follow current COVID protocols as directed by the county health department. Those vaccinated do not need masks indoors, non-vaccinated people will need to wear a mask.
We will continue to remind people to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer dispensers, which were in place to fight the flu, are still in place throughout the campus and will be increased.
A COVID testing site is located on campus in the Staff Dining Room.
There is a greater emphasis on mental health. Students will be more aware of services provide through our Psychological Services office. The office is available to help students one on one and will also continue offering virtual and in-person talking sessions that have been ongoing since the beginning of the pandemic.
We will hold several Ram Ready events the first week of August to help new students navigate the changes in the fall semester. It will take place virtually August 2-6 with one in-person opportunity on August 4 when they can meet with their Ram Pathway Teams which are made up of Student Services and academic division staff and instructors.