Santa Rosa Junior College expands on-campus classes for spring

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(sr.santarosa.edu)

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Course offerings at Santa Rosa Junior College will expand to 98 for the spring session, an increase of 29 from what was offered in the fall. 

The additional offerings will have some or all content delivered in-person, the college said, with a focus on "programs that train the state's essential workforce, courses that require hand-on components, such as labs, and other programs that cannot be taught fully online." 

Additional classes approved for in-person instruction in spring include biology/anatomy, chemistry/physics, computer science, select culinary courses, outdoor agriculture and natural resources classes, engineering and applied technology. 

This adds to classes previously approved for fall 2020, including programs in public safety, health sciences and lab sections for some STEM courses. 

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Most will be offered in a hybrid format with lectures online and labs or other activities in-person. 

The offerings were approved by Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase and will follow strict social distancing protocols, including requiring masks, maintaining a 6-foot distance between, students and thorough cleaning of instructional spaces after each use. Officials said some classes will be taught primarily in an outdoor setting. 

"We have been extremely diligent in following our COVID-19 operational protocols and protection plans, not only because the safety of our students, employees and community members is our number one priority, but because we know that's the path to bringing students back to the classroom," Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Jane Saldana-Talley said in a statement. "We are committed to doing this the right way." 

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The college said it will decide on remote instruction and services for next summer by mid-January.  "A decision for fall 2021 will be communicated well in advance to allow for student, faculty and operational planning," officials said in an announcement.

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