Central Coast colleges and universities begin fall semester online

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION) This is hardly a normal school year, but local colleges and universities are adapting so students can continue their education as a new academic year begins.

Most classes will be held online for schools across the Central Coast, but this year has come with its challenges. Hartnell College in Salinas faced a digital divide for some of their students. California State University Monterey Bay issued layoff notices to some staff members. UC Santa Cruz is preparing for their fall semester which starts in just a few weeks.

Colleges and universities were forced to transition online with little notice as coronavirus pandemic concerns quickly grew last semester.

“For me, it was pretty difficult cause many of the resources are pretty 
scattered right now,” UCSC 4th year student Miguel Cloid Reniva said.

“We had to figure out a way to get them to continue with their courses, 
given that we could no longer meet on campus,” Hartnell College Dean of Student Affairs Carla Johnson said.

Now into the fall semester of a new academic year for most, they’ve had some time to work out the kinks.

“We transitioned within a week into spring semester so we had to hurry 
up to get to the virtual instruction so we now are well prepared and that 
half semester we had to get used to this helped,” CSUMB Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Services Dr. Ronnie Higgs said.

But it hasn’t been easy. Hartnell College had to figure out how to help students access technology.

“One of the first things Hartnell College did was to go out and purchase 
chrome books and hot spots for our students, our staff, faculty,” Johnson said.

They can borrow them from the school and pick them up outside the parking garage; this is just one adaptation they've made during the pandemic. The school also has a drive up book store.

Johnson told us they offer a very small number of classes in person, like nursing and health labs, but with some modifications.

“They are taking precautions, taking temperatures, coming in in small groups to still be able to deliver the hands on learning that some of the classes require for their degree,” Johnson said.

UC Santa Cruz is preparing for their fall quarter starting in October. 
Classes will still be online.

“The last weeks of the spring quarter were online so we kinda already knew what was gonna happen,” UCSC 3rd year student Abel Ryan said.

UCSC is opening up campus living for about a thousand students.

“Those who don’t have a safe place to live, don’t have anywhere else to live 
or who don’t have an area that’s conducive to their learning,” UCSC Director of News and Media Relations Scott Hernandez-Jason said.

He said the students that will be living on campus are a "small fraction of what we would otherwise be welcoming.”

UCSC will be starting a campus testing program to make sure the virus doesn’t spread and students who come on campus will get a daily symptom check.

4th year student Miguel Cloid Reniva is living on campus. We spoke with him as he was coming from getting tested Wednesday.

“It’s definitely safer knowing that people are constantly getting tested and 
people know this is a real thing,” Reniva said.

Down on the peninsula, CSUMB may have to make some tough decisions.

“Our to the state budget situation, like most of the Cal State universities, we had to prepare for some layoffs,” Higgs said.

CSUMB sent out 22 layoff notices for positions that can’t work during the 
pandemic and we’re told an additional seven employees received layoff 
notices. But the future is uncertain.
In a statement to KION news spokesperson Walter Ryce said:

“While the final tally of affected employees is still unfolding, we expect 
the total number of employees affected to be less than the number notified. 
In addition, we anticipate rescinding some of the layoff notices.”

As for the future of university students across the central coast, it is still to 
be determined. Many schools are still deciding what the spring semester will look like and if they’ll be able to bring students back on campus anytime soon.

“We’re hoping that the pandemic will ease, at least January or 
February, or if a vaccine becomes available, that will help us. Right now in 
the spring it’s 50/50 about if we’re going to continue to go online,” Higgs said.

Both CSUMB and Hartnell are hoping to figure out their plans for next 
semester by mid October.

“We’re going to get by this but until that time, we’re just going  to 
need to weather the storm,” Higgs said.

KION's Elisha Machado will have a special report with more on how schools are making sure students can continue their education as the pandemic continues on KION News Channe 5/46 at 5 p.m.