Sacramento community college district’s fall schedule to be mostly online, officials say
Community college students can expect many of their classes to remain online at for the fall 2021 semester, as uncertainty over coronavirus infection rates and vaccine rollouts continue.
While several paused programs will resume in the fall, many community college classes will remain online, according to a statement released by the Los Rios Community College District.
The four college campuses — American River, Cosumnes River, Folsom Lake and Sacramento City — will provide more in-person instruction than the spring semester, but “substantially fewer than usual,” according to its statement.
Fall classes will begin Aug. 21 for the district’s enrollment of about 75,000 students.
College officials said that while educators and many students qualify for the vaccine, social distancing will likely remain a requirement in Sacramento County at the start of the new semester.
“These dynamics complicate the planning for the Fall 2021 semester, so we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to engage in weekly conversations with constituent leaders through our Chancellor’s Cabinet on a myriad of issues relating to how and when we can return to our campuses,” read a statement from college officials.
District spokesperson Gabe Ross told The Sacramento Bee that officials don’t know the exact percentage of classes that will be available for in-person learning, but officials are working on bringing back as many classes as possible.
“We are prioritizing classes and programs that we have been unable to offer at all over the past year, with the recognition that many students have been unable to advance towards critical degrees or certificates,” Ross said. “Public health dynamics are obviously evolving rapidly, so we are planning for the Fall schedule based on what we know now with the caveat that we can and will adjust as conditions allow.”
Schedules for the fall semester will be posted online April 5 and enrollment will begin April 19.
“Throughout this Spring, we will be having discussions about what a post-Coronavirus Los Rios looks like, and where there are opportunities to leverage what we’ve learned over the past year to benefit students in the short, medium, and long-term,” read a statement from college officials.
This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 5:00 AM.