San Mateo County Community College District set to move ahead with in-person classes

On Tuesday, community college district officials met for a special meeting to discuss whether in-person classes, slated to begin Tuesday, Jan. 18, should be temporarily switched to online given the high spread of COVID-19. 

Ultimately, the board supported providing in-person, online and hybrid classes. Public speakers shared a mix of feedback both in favor and opposing the move but, in an interview after the meeting, Holober said the board decided to move forward as planned because students registered for in-person classes based on convenience or comfort while knowing the health risks. 

Recognizing concerns for health and safety, Holober said the district takes those concerns seriously and has implemented a number of policies to ensure the community is safe when on campus. 

The district instituted a vaccine mandate for students and faculty last semester which requires anyone who enters campus for programming, classes or services or conducts work on behalf of the district to show proof of vaccination or submit to regular testing. And per state and local requirements, masking is mandated at all times when indoors regardless of vaccination status, though faculty have implored officials to implement a requirement that stands when the state or local mandate expires. 

Monica Malamud, president of the San Mateo County Community College teachers’ union, said faculty have long had safety concerns related to the return regardless of when it occurs. Specifically, faculty has asked for smaller class sizes to permit for better social distancing and access to adequate safety resources like masks and tests. 

The requests have become even more pressing as the virus spreads across the county, infecting nearly 18,600 residents in the past 30 days, she argued. 

“Faculty are emphasizing safety not only because we need to take care of our health and the health of our families but also because we care about the enrollment crisis our district has been struggling with,” Malamud said. 

Dr. Aaron McVean, vice chancellor of Educational Services and Planning, said spring semester enrollment was down 15% compared to the same period last year but similar trends are occurring across the state’s community college system. 

As of Monday, Jan. 10, about 6,000 students were enrolled in at least on-campus class, averaging about 50%. Roughly 40% of students were exclusively enrolled in at least one online class while 11% had signed onto a hybrid course. 

Switching classes from in-person to online and back can be disruptive to learning, Kate Williams Brown, president of the Faculty Academic Senate, said. While she did not take a stance on what the district should do, Williams Brown noted the transition would be unlikely within such a short timeframe. 

Given that health conditions have changed frequently and suddenly, Williams Brown also encouraged the board to take all perspectives into consideration. 

“We can’t do it all one way or another and satisfy everyone,” Williams Brown said. “When you know that the disease is dominating and it quickly spreads, you recognize that you don’t want to expose people and their families and our communities to undue risk but your balance again is to look at is there a middle ground.” 

Holober argued the district’s decision to move forward with in-person classes strikes a compromise for students who may or may not want to visit campus. He said staff is also working on opening up additional classes to alleviate long waitlists for online classes and to reduce class sizes. 

“Unlike other institutions that don’t have that flexibility, we already do have it,” he said. “And I believe that accommodates a lot of the concerns that are being raised on either side.” 

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

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