Chancellor's Memo to Our Community Partners

To the State Center Community College District Community,

As the world faces the COVID-19 pandemic, our thoughts surround the physical health of our students, faculty, staff, and community.

Our next Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. It will be conducted online via ZOOM. Instructions for joining the meeting using a computer or telephone can be found on our website at www.scccd.edu.

Our work at all of our colleges continues with all of our classes now being taught online, except for our first responders. These classes with our paramedics, fire and police academies are needed now more than ever.

Unfortunately, our local hospitals have discontinued nursing clinical rotations because of the COVID-19 threat. We have been working with our local legislators and the Governor’s Office, to request that the Bureau of Registered Nursing amend its requirement of nursing students having to complete 75% of clinical hours in direct patient care to 50%. The data shows a difference of 47 simulation hours has no significant effect on knowledge acquisition and clinical performance. This modification will allow 110 Fresno City College nurses to graduate in May and another 110 in December and assist with the nursing shortage.

The District has transitioned its employees to work from home with the exception of a few essential departments, i.e. police, maintenance, etc. These employees are maintaining social distance and observing the new Fresno County Health Order. Those individuals who come to the college or office are now on a daily basis, taking their temperature to make sure it is not 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If they have a temperature, or if they have had chills in the previous 24 hours, or a cough or shortness of breath they may not come back to work but must self-isolate and the District will notify all close contacts to self-isolate for 14 days. The District is committed to helping to slow the spread of COVID-19, therefore, we will continue to observe the Shelter in Place order through May 31, 2020.

We will hold the spring and summer classes online. Current students are receiving their registration dates this week to sign up for summer and fall classes. Open enrollment begins May 14 for summer and May 19 for fall.

Our colleges have distributed laptops and hotspots for Wi-Fi connection to students and will continue to provide other vital student services online. We are currently notifying our students about the California College Student Emergency Support Fund from the Mission Asset Fund. This is available to full-time students who have completed a year of credit and are low income. They are eligible for a $500 grant to help with rent, technology, or other expenses.

State Center Community College District will observe Spring Break April 6-10. Faculty and students will observe the entire week. The staff and administration will observe Friday, April 10, 2020.

Thank you for your continued support of State Center Community College District. Our number one job is to stay home, practice social distancing, and good hygiene, in order to stay safe and healthy as we work through these next trying weeks.

Dr. Paul Parnell
Chancellor
State Center Community College District