Imminent Return to Campus Message Misconstrued

By: Annette Mullaney

A message from Interim Chancellor Dianna Gonzales about returning to campus left many faculty confused and with the impression that the administration would resume in-person classes in the near future.

The message dated Sept. 8 said, “The College will begin a phased in [sic] return to full in-person operations beginning October 1, 2021.” It further stated that online classes will remain online for the rest of the semester. Currently, about three-quarters of City College classes are remote. 

Faculty union AFT 2121 sought clarity from the administration after receiving “a flood of questions, worry, and outright panic about return-to-campus plans.” In a Sept. 9 email to its members, the union explained that the administration’s message did not change current policy.

Interim Dean Erin Denny provided further details about returning to campus from the Sept. 16 Participatory Governance Meeting (PGC), including that the vaccine mandate, adopted by the Board of Trustees last month, will be enforced beginning Nov. 8. Students, however, will not be dropped based on vaccination status.

There are also plans to offer testing once a week, which people may opt for in lieu of a vaccine at the Ocean campus with the possibility of further expansion. 

Further updates are expected to be posted to City College’s COVID-19 page.