Cerritos College notified faculty on Jan. 3 that all in-person lecture-only classes were going to be postponed and moved online to be attended via zoom. The announcement was released to students on Jan. 6, four days before the spring semester was back in session.
“The decision was made Jan. 3 and that same day we sent out an email to notify the campus about the decision that was made,” said Cerritos College President Dr. Jose Fierro, “we notified students about 36 hours after.”
Students received an email notification at 11:30 a.m. and a text notification at 12:55 p.m. on Jan. 6. a day after Talon Marks had disclosed the information on their Twitter account.
The delay in notifying students is attributed to determining what kind of services are needed and available explained Dr. Fierro. “There are a lot of employees who were in quarantine so we were trying to identify which areas of campus were impacted by the number of quarantined employees.”
Additional reasoning behind the decision is due to the surge in cases across the state. The campus felt this necessary to help combat any potential cases on campus and prevent any outbreaks.
In efforts to promote a COVID-19 free campus, plexiglass is still in use and the college is restricting large gatherings of people on campus. The college has put in motion more restrictions than what the CDC requires for college campuses.
There will be no further protocols implemented on campus to combat COVID-19. “We are doing everything that is recommended, we have been doing testing, vaccine mandates, mask mandates and are still practicing social distancing even though the county no longer requires it,” said Dr. Fierro.
The college has no plans of implementing a drive-thru testing center but offers testing resources to students and faculty at the student health center.
To schedule an appointment for COVID-19 testing or vaccines, students must call the college at 562-860-2451, dial extension 2321 and press option three to make an appointment. Walk-in services are offered for testing from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1 to 2:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The college asks all students to implement all protocols set in motion to protect themselves and their peers.
“This is a difficult problem affecting our communities and it is important for all of us to follow the protocols to the best of our abilities,” said Dr. Fierro. “I would like to ask everyone to be gracious to one another because covid is affecting everyone – when this impacts everyone tempers seem to flair, but it is important to understand that everyone is in a difficult situation and we need to work with one another.”
Mental health resources are available on campus through the student health center for students seeking additional support. On canvas, students have access to the Wellness Central aided at offering generalized education to students regarding mental and physical wellness. It is not a substitute for professional or medical advice.
