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LACCD Updated COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information

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Coronavirus Updates for Faculty & Staff

SECTION LINKS

COVID Vaccination & Testing Mandate for Employees

Take Your Baseline COVID Test by Oct. 8 and Submit Your Vaccination Proof by Oct. 18

The Los Angeles Community College District 's Board of Trustees made a significant Board Policy change about COVID-19 vaccine and testing requirements to access college and District facilities.

Read more about the LACCD Vaccination, Testing and Screening Requirements. 

Covid-19 Symptom Self-Check

​To keep our students and employees safe, the LACCD is following the Los Angeles County Public Health Department recommendations and requiring all students and employees to be assessed for COVID-19 symptoms each day before entering any LACCD campus or facility.

Student & Employees Health Screening Questionnaire

Students and employees need to complete the daily health screening through your Cleared4 pass. Instructions for how to access your Cleared4 pass should have been emailed to you. If you did not receive an email from Cleared4 to set up your account, please contact covidcolleges@biocept.com. Remember to wear a mask when indoors.

Visitor Health Screening Questionnaire

Visitors should complete their LACCD Questionnaire for Visitors before entering the campus.

Forms, Advisories, Procedures & Frequently Asked Questions

Check our Coronavirus Updates: Forms, Advisories and FAQs for the following: 

Additional Resources

LAVC Updates to Faculty/Staff

Posted: June 18, 2021

June 18, 2021: Campus Update from President Gribbons

Good morning, Monarchs!

Happy Juneteenth! Yesterday the District sent out a note letting everyone know that President Biden just signed legislation establishing June 19th as “Juneteenth National Independence Day” and that we would observe the holiday today. Juneteenth annually commemorates Union Army General Granger’s arrival in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865 announcing the Emancipation Proclamation, which states, “all persons held as slaves” in Confederate states “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Please join me in commemorating this important historical moment in celebration of Juneteenth!

I have a few updates that I also want to share with you.

CAL OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards. Yesterday, Cal OSHA approved new Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) and Governor Newsom sign an executive order making them effective immediately. The new ETS allows for an easing mask wearing and physical distancing requirements in many instances and in alignment with the California Department of Public Health and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. There are a few details that the District is still working through in deciding how to implement the ETS across the District. I expect additional guidance from the District in the next few days on how the standards are to be implemented. I should note that nothing in the ETS prevents employees from wearing a mask if they chose to do so and we are securing additional N95 masks for those that would like to wear one at the College. Also, we are contracting with a Cal OSHA expert who will help the campus community understand the sometimes-confusing requirements to ensure that we have a safe working environment. Lastly, I want to express my thanks to Xiao Behlendorf, our WEC chair, for her efforts working over the summer providing feedback and ensuring that we have strong communication on these important safety issues.

Vaccination Pop Ups. We will be hosting vaccination pop ups on campus on July 3, 17, and 31. They are open to our students, staff, and the public. Vaccinations are free. Students and staff will receive a $150 gift card for our bookstore for each dose they receive at our pop-up events. More announcements will be sent out soon.

Dean Marriott. Our esteemed colleague, Doug Marriott has accepted a senior dean position at Napa College. While we are excited for him and his future endeavors in the renowned wine country, we of course will deeply miss Doug. Doug has left an indelible mark on all of us and we greatly appreciate his incredibly positive attitude and capable leadership. Thank you, Doug! Onward and upward, our friend!

Thank you, everyone, for your commitment and tireless efforts! I hope that you are soon able to take some time to rest and recharge following this past 15-month marathon.

Warm regards,

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: May 17, 2021

May 17, 2021: Campus Update from President Gribbons

Dear Monarchs,

In recent weeks, we have received quite a bit of good news regarding the pandemic, with dramatically falling numbers of new cases and hospitalizations only a fraction of where they were in early January, announcements that the County has moved into the least restrictive Yellow tier, the Governor indicating intentions of ending the tiered system entirely on June 15th, and the County indicating that they expect us to reach herd immunity in July. What a striking difference from the news of the past year! I imagine that many safety measures from the pandemic will remain in place for some time. Nonetheless, the news is certainly welcome and brings hope and optimism at a time when we all surely need it.

I have a few campus updates for you about student access, accreditation, graduation celebrations, facilities, and a variety of events. First, I want to recognize that May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This is an important opportunity to recognize and celebrate the rich contributions of generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders that have been made for the benefit of the United States. Connie Chung Joe from the Asian Americans Advancing Justice LA shared some great resources at the Chancellor’s Committee on Asian American Pacific Islander Affairs. One is for Bystander Training and the other is for a PBS documentary Far East Deep South. Please take some time to visit both of these to learn more if you haven’t already seen them.

Student Access and Enrollments

The campus community has been incredibly busy working to ensure students have access to college and strengthen enrollments. I’m deeply appreciative of everyone’s efforts to this end. For the Fall semester, we currently have 46 percent of our sections in-person or hybrid and 32 percent of our seats are in-person or hybrid. While this is a little lower than the target, we will closely monitor enrollments and reach out to departments to make any adjustments that might be needed such as adding in-person seats to ensure that we meet student demand. Nevertheless, the numbers are good and will likely be higher than surrounding colleges.

Marketing for the Summer intersession and Fall semester has started and will be in full force through the summer. This includes social media ads, radio spots, direct mail pieces, light pole banners, bus shelters, and cable ads. You can see a sampling of the ads here. More will be added to the link over the next week or so. We also will closely monitor the impact of the various modes of advertising to measure their effectiveness.

Complementing the marketing, Student Services is hiring staff to call every student who has dropped out since the pandemic started to ensure that they know that they know that they can take classes safely in-person or online from their homes. Of course, we also will regularly email and text students, continue conducting outreach with local high schools, and post enrollment messages on Canvas.

In preparation for the increased number of in-person classes, we are also moving forward with HVAC changes (MERV 13 or better filters and other upgrades such as pathogen-killing devices and increasing fresh air) and hiring additional staff for regular sanitization. While there have been indications that the state will move away from the tiered system and the County has indicated that we will reach herd immunity in July as I mentioned above, we want to move forward with these measures to promote a safe and healthy environment. We will also send out detailed guidance on how to address issues in the classroom, such as students who refuse to wear facial coverings despite the health orders. Our ICC Operations and Logistics Chief is busy purchasing a variety of requested items, including microphones for faculty wearing masks while teaching, personal tri-fold Plexiglas barriers, and sanitizer supplies/wipes. Lastly, the District is currently evaluating mandatory vaccines for students.

Accreditation

Accreditation ensures that all colleges and universities not only meet minimum standards of quality, but engage in a cycle of continuous improvement focused on our mission to help students to achieve their educational goals. The accreditation process is a robust, peer-driven system and culminates in the review of the Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER). The following is a general timeline for our current cycle:

  • Spring 2021: June 2022: College and District teams engaged in writing the ISER
  • June 2022: College governance ISER approval (ISER completed)
  • July 2022: Board IESS ISER review
  • Aug 2022: Board ISER approval and submission to commission
  • Fall 2022: Team ISER review
  • Spring 2023: Focused site visit
  • June 2023: Commission meeting

ISER writing teams for each standard led by tri-chairs are busy working on the first draft. Additionally, many folks are busy with the Steering Committee and last Friday’s LAVC ISER Mega-Meeting. I want to express my appreciation for everyone’s efforts on this important work and their thoughtful, careful attention to the details despite everyone’s bandwidth already being taxed with end of year activities and planning for recovery from the pandemic. Thank you!

Graduation

Graduation planning is at full stride. Our virtual ceremony will be airing on June 8th and Student Services has been busy distributing graduation regalia and grad packages that include yard and window signs to our graduates. In addition to the College ceremony on June 8th, the Lavender Graduation is today at 4pm and the Black Graduation Celebration is on May 25th and 3pm. I hope that you are able to join the wonderful celebrations of our students’ resilience, dedication, and success.  

Facilities Updates

Planning for Academic Complex 1 and Academic Building 2 is well underway. Both are going to be beautiful iconic buildings and will present a great face to the community from both Burbank and Fulton. For current renderings, see the following:

Construction for the VACC is ongoing. The current schedule has the project being completed at the end of the current calendar year. However, the pace of the project is being closely monitored by the BuildLACCD team, and more updates to the schedule are likely.

Campus Center abatement continues. As you know, Campus Center was flooded several months ago, and the flooding damaged the transformers. The Campus Center transformers have been repaired and abatement is well underway; once that is done, restoration can be completed. We expect this process to continue into the Fall semester. As a result, we will need to make arrangements to temporarily relocate any classes or activities that were in the basement. Ideally, we would permanently move many of the users to other locations and use the basement primarily for storage. I know that Academic Affairs and Facilities will be looking into options to accommodate this.

Bungalows 48 and 80 to 85 are in the process of being removed. This will be another major milestone for the college. We expect that this work will be completed in the Fall.

Field lighting is being explored. As many of you might know, we have had an interest in field lighting and upgrading stadium lights to minimize light pollution since the athletic facilities were constructed. We are currently exploring the possibility of these projects moving forward. We should know more in the next couple of weeks about the extent to which these projects will be feasible.

Upcoming Events

We have several upcoming events. I hope that you are able to join us for the following:

Thank you again for all of your efforts. I appreciate everyone’s tireless efforts in service of our students! Please let me know how I can support you!

Highest regards,

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: April 7, 2021

April 7, 2021: Campus Update from President Gribbons

Good afternoon Monarchs,

While I don’t want to include too many items in this campus update given that it’s Spring Break, I do want to share a couple of items.

First, I want to announce that Dean Jermain Pipkins has accepted a position in Texas. While I’m saddened by the change, I know that Jermain will continue to do amazing work with new professional challenges. Jermain has provided support and leadership for several important areas, including Communication Studies, Kinesiology, Foreign Languages, English, Music, Theater, Puente, Counseling (Instructional), Athletics, catalog production, curriculum, and dual enrollment. With dual enrollment, he has worked with many academic departments and Student Services to help build a strong foundation and grow this important program that can have dramatic impacts on our local students’ confidence in pursuing college. Jermain, we are grateful for all of your leadership and service to the College, we appreciate you, and we will miss you!

The second announcement is the selection of the Vice President of Administrative Services. I am delighted to announce that Sarah Song has been selected to take the helm of Administrative Services. As everyone knows, Sarah has been serving as the Associate Vice President and demonstrated skilled and dedicated stewardship. I know that she will do a terrific job providing leadership for this important area. Please join me in congratulating Sarah!

Lastly, I want to share that we have been discussing how to encourage our classified staff to engage in professional development (sometimes also referred to as in-service training). While I know that it can be a challenge to manage work that needs to be completed in offices across the College in ensuring our students are welcomed and supported, it is important to take time for our professional growth. To help accomplish this, I would encourage all classified staff to participate in an average of 2 hours of professional development per month. Of course, classified staff may decide to do more hours in one month and fewer in another. They also need to work with their supervisors in scheduling the time and determining which trainings will be helpful. That said, I do want to encourage participation in the excellent training opportunities provided by our Professional Development department, especially the cultural inclusiveness training opportunities. Please take a minute to visit the Professional Development website.

Have a great rest of the week. Please let me know if there is any support I can provide, and I hope you are able to enjoy some time during Spring Break to actually take a break.

Stay safe and be well!

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: March 26, 2021

March 26, 2021: Campus Update from President Gribbons

Good evening Monarchs, 

As all of you know, there has been quite a bit of conversation about planning for the Fall. I know that many folks having been using the anticipated health order for the Yellow Tier as a guideline. This seems reasonable given that we recently moved to the Red Tier from Purple, and as long as the numbers stay in the current range, we anticipate moving to the Orange Tier in the next two weeks. It is possible that we will progress more quickly given the vaccine rollout. Nevertheless, planning for the Yellow Tier for the Fall seems prudent. I should also mention that if there are departments that would like to add in-person courses for the Summer with the assumption that we will be in the Orange Tier, they are able to do so. As with the Yellow Tier, the classes would have to be limited to 50 percent of the room capacity.

With this context, we have been creating plans for cleaning and safety. While we will continue to plan and monitor CDC, CDPH, and LACDPH guidance, the following is an update on many items:

  • Vaccine availability
    • While we don’t have too much control over vaccine distribution, the most important way Monarchs can be safe is to get vaccinated. We understand that the Los Angeles area will receive a large increase in doses over the next month or so.
    • Every employee is now eligible for the vaccine. You can use work time to be vaccinated. Please coordinate with you supervisor if you do, and they can let you know how to complete your absence paperwork.
    • Earlier this week, the Governor announced that all people age 16+ will be eligible beginning April 15th, which is good news for our friends and family members who don’t currently have access. This could also is an important reminder to make an appointment as soon as possible with My Turn, Carbon Health, Walgreens, CVS, or another provider prior to the increase in the number of people that will eligible. Just don’t tell my family that I’m encouraging you all to be vaccinated before them. 😊
  • Classrooms
    • In addition to the 3 existing Clorox 360 machines we have now, we are purchasing 27 additional electrostatic sprayers, and will keep at least one in each building. They can sanitize rooms in about 5 minutes and be ready for use in about 15 minutes, allowing a few minutes for the spray to evaporate. We will want to take a look at our passing periods to ensure we have adequate time. For smaller, less accessible areas, we requested 5 backpack sprayers and 5 handheld sprayers as well.
    • We also are planning to bring on additional staffing focused exclusively on sanitization. See below.
    • In addition to the staffing and electrostatic sprayers, we are planning to purchase and install an automatic hand sanitization station and sanitizing wipe dispenser in every classroom.
  • Labs
    • We need to investigate options for labs more. We understand that some labs cannot be sprayed with Clorox 360 machines, including for example Biology Labs. We will be looking for other options.
    • We also are planning to purchase and install an automatic hand sanitization station and will be providing sanitizing wipes in every lab.
  • HVAC Systems
    • Many buildings currently have MERV 13 filters or better, which help trap particles or droplets that can carry viruses and bacteria. All of these filters are currently being replaced. Many buildings also have UV lights in the HVAC systems, or draw fresh air from outside rather than recirculating air.
    • We also are planning to replace all permanent buildings with MERV 13 filters and not use temporary buildings (modular or bungalows) for instruction. Note that most of the remaining bungalows are being removed, including 80 to 85. The only remaining ones will be Admin 1, 2, and 3.
    • Additionally, we are investigating whether or not there would be a benefit of adding UV lights to the HVAC systems. We’re not sure if there would be a benefit, but we do have plenty of resources to make the addition if it is beneficial.
  • PPE
    • We currently have hundreds of thousands of face masks as well as more than 1,000 bottles of hand sanitizer as part of the California Office of Emergency Services shipment last spring.
    • We are purchasing additional gloves and face shields for anyone who might want them.
  • Plexiglass
    • We have purchased some Plexiglass and are planning to purchase more. We are currently looking into which locations could use it. While we haven’t decided to open service counters, if they were to reopen they would likely be good places to add plexiglass until the pandemic is over.
  • Stanchions
    • Given the layout of some classified staff workstations, we also are investigating purchasing stanchions to ensure that people remain six feet from classified staff work areas.
  • Staffing for sanitization
    • We are currently looking into options for substantially increasing staffing  on both A shift and B shift who will be responsible for sanitization only. There will certainly be an increase in need for the Fall semester, and until the pandemic is over, and we want to hire additional staffing to meet this need.

In addition to these plans, there were a few other related questions that have been asked:

  • If faculty are double masking, are there options for buying sound projection systems?
    • Yes, we are looking into options. I understand that about 30 classrooms have already been upgraded to accommodate wireless microphones. We are looking into other options for other spaces and are happy to purchase anything needed once identified.
  • What should can be done if a student refuses to wear a mask?
    • Early in the pandemic, the District issued a Safety Advisory that provides good guidance.
  • What guidance can be provided for instruction with choirs or Music classes with air instruments?
    • While there is some current guidance on this and some possibilities with using Plexiglass, we are looking into this more.
  • What happens if the County moves from Yellow to Orange or Red?
    • Generally, there is no difference in the current guidance for Yellow and Orange related to colleges and universities offering classes. However, if the County were to move to the Red Tier, we would need to follow the more restrictive health orders.

We hope that this information is helpful. If you have additional ideas or concerns, please let your dean know so we can build them into our planning process and ensure that Valley meets the highest safety standards.

On a personal note, I received my second dose of the vaccine this morning. It was nice to have received it. I’m looking forward to two weeks from now when the vaccine is in full effect. If you want some additional information about the vaccine, we had a terrific You Tube Town Hall with Dr. Keith Norris from UCLA. Dr. Norris was incredibly informative. If you have a few minutes, it is definitely worth watching. My thanks to everyone who helped make this happen and especially Dr. Nakamura for helping to facilitate.

Please let me know how I can provide additional support.

Continue to stay safe and be well,

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: March 4, 2021

March 4, 2021: Campus Update from President Gribbons

You may not always have a comfortable life. And you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once. But don’t ever underestimate the impact you can have, because history has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own. - Michelle Obama

Good afternoon Monarchs,

Happy Women’s History Month! In preparing a campus update, I had many inspirational quotes that seemed to be written specifically for present times. Certainly, the quote above from Michelle Obama applies. I love the acknowledgement of the power of courage and hope, and truly believe that this power is amplified in present times and not diminished in any way.  Similarly to my comment about a month ago, I also would like to challenge all of us to take the opportunity in March to engage in activities to develop a new level of understanding and appreciation of the impact of women in history.

I have a few updates that I would like to share with you as well related to COVID-19 vaccine appointment access; updates on priorities from FPC, WEC, and the Budget committee; re-engagement planning; and a marketing update.

COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Access. Over the weekend, I mentioned that all employees now are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The state developed a system, myturn.ca.gov, for scheduling appointments. If you are not able to make an appointment through My Turn, you might also try Carbon Health, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS. Members of our campus community have had luck with each of these providers. Carbon Health operates several sites, including the one at Pierce College. Related to this update on vaccine access, we are working to schedule an open forum for students and employees on the vaccine and to secure an expert from UCLA to provide information and answer any questions that you might have. We expect to send out more information about the forum in the next week or two.

Priorities from FPC, WEC, and the Budget committee. Will Karrat, our new Facilities Director, and Mike Lee have been working on assessing facility requests submitted in program review and prioritized by FPC and WEC. They have developed detailed spreadsheets and a summary document for these items, including which will be able to be completed in the near term by Facilities staff, items for which they are obtaining quotes, ADA-related items, and long-term facilities planning items. Mr. Karrat will be sharing this information with FPC and WEC, and we will also send it out to the campus community. In addition to the priorities from FPC and WEC, Senior Staff have been discussing the priorities of program review requests from the Budget Committee. We are still working through these requests to see what we are able to fund and will report back to the Budget Committee and the campus community soon.

Re-engagement Planning. Re-engagement planning continues. I know that all departments are busy determining what changes, if any, that they would like to pursue in the Red, Orange, and Yellow Tiers. This is especially timely given that the County is very close to meeting the criteria for moving to the Red Tier. Currently, the County’s adjusted case rate Is 7.2 new cases per 100,000 people and the test positivity rate is 3.5 percent. The criteria for moving to the Red Tier is two consecutive weeks of a new case rate below 7 cases per 100,000 people and a positivity rate below 8 percent. Since we are close, we will want to be well-prepared in advance of any changes that the County makes.

After we finalize these plans, we will return our attention to plans post-pandemic. President Biden announced on Tuesday that there will be enough vaccines for every adult by the end of May. This news has important implications for our planning, and we will continue to closely monitor the roll-out of the vaccine.

Marketing. In previous updates, I mentioned that Jennifer Borucki is working hard with several members of the campus community to deploy a comprehensive marketing campaign that includes social media, direct mail, radio ads, and more. You can check out a few of these ads on our YouTube channel. Click on the LAVC Vibes – Student Stories and Support Programs at LA Valley College links. I’m excited about the marketing plans and helping to get the word out about how amazing Valley College is.

I would like to end with one last quote:

Sí, se puede. - Dolores Huerta

As with the quote that led this update, I believe that Dolores Huerta’s powerful statement is incredibly fitting in current times. Indeed, over the last year, we have clearly demonstrated that we can overcome any challenge, including a worldwide pandemic, and continue to meet our Mission and progress towards our Strategic Priorities of Equity, Access, and Completion. Keep up the amazing work!!

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: February 23, 2021

FEBRUARY 23, 2021 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Good morning, Monarchs!

I have a couple of updates for you today related to re-engagement, COVID-related resources, COVID-19 vaccination, and the Family Resource Center.

Re-engagement. The District and several consultative groups have developed a re-engagement grid [PDF], which establishes a framework that colleges can use to bring classes and services back to campus. I don’t foresee large changes until all faculty and staff have had access to become fully protected by the vaccine. That said, there might be some activity before then, especially regarding hard-to-convert classes and services we can bring back during red, orange, and yellow phases. Please take a look and discuss with your deans.

For any activity we do decide to bring back, we will need to have specific plans in place for keeping the campus community safe, such as those for the essential infrastructure and workforce courses currently on campus. On Thursday, we also started a conversation about questions and concerns people had related to COVID and returning to campus during the various phases, as well as when we have a larger return to campus. We will continue to gather the questions and concerns this Thursday during the Campus Update. This will help our Incident Command Center (ICC) workgroup that is developing detailed plans. If you aren’t able to attend the Campus Update this week, please email me any questions or concerns you have so we can add them to the list.

COVID-Related Resources. At the Budget Committee this week, we began a conversation about spending COVID-related resources, especially the new HEERF II money, which is close to $15 million. If your office or department has COVID-related needs, please let you dean know as soon as possible so we can get you the needed items.

COVID-19 Vaccination. We received an update that educators will have access to the vaccine beginning March 1st. All employees of Valley are included. While details are still being finalized, we have heard that you may be able to show that you’re an employee by providing a campus ID or paycheck stub. Also, we have offered to be a vaccination site but don’t have details yet on when this might open and who would be able to be vaccinated at a site on campus. As we receive additional information, we will pass it on.

Family Resource Center. At a Campus Update a couple weeks ago, there was a request for the Student Parent Program flier that can be shared. The Family Resource Center provides many wonderful services and activities even in this virtual environment. Please share the information with any student parents who might be able to benefit.

I would like to close this update with a reflection on an inspiring presentation last Thursday. I had the opportunity to join the LAVC Call to Action and Art presentation and discussion by Fahren James. Ms. James, Founder of Black Lives Matter South Pasadena, shared her experiences with racism and activism, including being beaten and shot by police, being spat on, and having had a rock thrown at her by someone who disagreed with her non-violent protest. It was heartbreaking to hear her describe her life experiences. At the same time, her positive attitude and dedication to social justice was inspiring. I truly believe that we have an incredible opportunity to advance social justice and even transform communities in our work. Our Strategic Priorities are simple—equity, access, and success. Although they are simple, these priorities are life-changing and I appreciate everyone’s dedication to our students, innovation, and resiliency in driving forward to meet our goals. Thank you for everything that you are doing and please continue to let me know if there is any support you need.

Stay safe and be well,

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: January 8, 2021

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year, Monarchs!

While it might be the effects of the break this last couple of weeks, as we enter 2021 I am reenergized with optimism. Indeed, the worldwide pandemic, spotlight on social justice following the murder of George Floyd, and an incredibly contentious and polarizing national election have made the last ten months extremely heavy, even tragic times. Currently, the impact of the pandemic with the surge upon surge is at its highest level ever, and on Wednesday we saw terrible violence at the Capitol with a group trying to disrupt our democratic process. Even despite these challenges, I have great optimism for the upcoming year.

Looking ahead to 2021 and beyond, I see great hope and promise. We now have COVID-19 vaccines that can end the pandemic. Millions of doses are available, and hundreds of millions are being produced in the upcoming months and will become available to us in education in Phase 1B in LA County, which may begin as early as February.

Equally important, this Monarch Family has proven that together we can overcome any challenge and ensure that our students have life-changing hope and opportunity through education. Faced with a worldwide pandemic, we moved nearly every class and service online in just a couple weeks. We continued to innovate, evaluate, and adapt, and our students continued to progress, with many even graduating. When a worldwide spotlight was placed on racism following the murder of George Floyd, we came together, forming a committee to develop plans to ensure that Valley’s commitment to anti-racism drives our policies and actions. Reflecting on the last ten months and looking forward, the core of my optimism is the strength of the Monarch Family—our powerful, diverse perspectives, resilience, and commitment to our College and students. Your action is the proof of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s statement: “Everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by service.” Your greatness transforms thousands of lives and the communities we serve.

In the upcoming weeks, we will continue to be faced with challenges. While we have developed plans for a phased recovery, I’m certain that our flexibility, agility, collective brainpower, and hard work will continue to serve our students well. Thank you for all of your tireless efforts and please let me know how I can provide support.

Continue to be safe. Remain vigilant in ensuring our safety by practicing physical distancing, wearing face masks, and following other safety measures, especially until the pandemic curve not only flattens but actually begins to drop. Also, please read and follow the new Health Order including quarantine requirements for those returning to LA County.

Lastly, be well, practice self-care and please speak up when you could use some support.

Thank you again and have a safe and healthy 2021, Monarchs!

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: December 18, 2020

DECEMBER 18, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

Thank you for all of your efforts as we move into the ninth month of the pandemic, finish a semester offered completely remote during the pandemic, and close out 2020. While many of us may not be sad to see 2020 in the rearview mirror, we do need to celebrate your amazing work. In previous updates, I’ve expressed my appreciation for all of your incredible, innovative work moving all classes and services online. You have overcome a long list of challenges, with many juggling complex environments at home. I can’t express my appreciation enough for all that you have done. I also want to recognize Custodial, Trades, Grounds, Receiving, the Mailroom/Reprographics/Switchboard, the Business Office, the College Store, Community Services, HR/Payroll, and many other essential workers who have been coming to campus for the past nine months in the midst of uncertain and worrisome conditions in order to take care of the campus and enable us to continue with our operations. Thank you! Great work, Monarchs! You’re amazing!

I have a few updates to share with you related to campus security, construction, Athletics, the Fall 2021 Plan, and the Above and Beyond Awards. Sorry for the length. For those who make it to the end, there is a reward in the form of a special, fun video!

Campus Security. On Saturday, the Board of Trustees took action to extend the agreement with the Sheriff’s Department for another six months with an option for six additional months. During this time, the District will be contracting with an outside organization to conduct a comprehensive assessment of security needs, including gathering input from campus communities. This assessment will inform a Request For Proposal (RFP) for ongoing security needs. This is an important, complex issue. I’m glad that there will be a thorough planning process and I think that the contact extension in the interim time period will provide useful continuity of services.

Construction. Progress continues with the VACC, Academic Complex 1 (AC1), Academic Building 2 (AB2), and Campus Roads North and South.

While I expect to receive additional timelines soon, the pace of construction for the VACC has been accelerating. Also, the building is now water-tight, making the project less vulnerable to weather delays.

Planning for AC1 and AB2 continues to proceed nicely. AC1 will include the following departments:

  • Sociology/Ethnic Studies; Computer Science and Information Systems; Business Administration; Psychology; Mathematics; Emergency Services.

AB2 will include:

  • Communication Studies; English, English as a Second Language (credit); Foreign Language; Technology (requesting to be changed to Applied Technology).

These projects will have a tremendous impact on the appearance of the campus from both Burbank and Fulton. Thanks go to the Building User Groups, BuildLACCD, NAC Architecture, BWG, and everyone working on these important projects.

We have a couple of improvements along Fulton. Most immediately, the sidewalk is being repaired in several locations that were significantly raised by tree roots. In one spot, it appeared to be uplifted by a foot or more. Sidewalk repair and tree replacement for these areas is well underway. In addition to this short-term project, planning for improvements on Campus Roads North and South is progressing nicely as well. This project will add some sustainability measures, including the ability to capture storm water, and recognizes tree replacement plans indicated in our Urban Forest Master Plan.

The following are some links to draft plans, including maps and draft images and the buildings:

Lastly, door lock replacement is underway, installing locks that allow doors to be easily locked from inside. These locks are being rekeyed to the original keys after being installed. Any impacts related to using old keys should be limited only to a couple of days.

Athletics. Plans for competition were worked on for several months. There were efforts to move competition for Fall sports to the Spring when it was hoped that the incidences of COVID-19 would subside. However, we currently are seeing an exponential increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the County. Given this increase, all nine LACCD colleges decided that we needed to cancel competition for the Fall sports. No decision has yet been made for Spring sports. I expect that a decision will be made in February when we have more information. The safety of our campus community will be paramount in making decisions about competition. We also are working on plans for bringing student athletes back for conditioning. While we cannot do so at this time, the plans hopefully will help us to safely bring back student athletes for in-person conditioning when it’s safe to do so.

Fall 2021 Plans. While CSU and some others have announced that they will be offering classes in person in Fall 2021, we are waiting to make decisions when we have more information about the LACDPH expected recovery stage, vaccinations, and herd immunity. While I remain optimistic about our status in Fall 2021, it is too early to accurately predict. Many people are beginning to develop two sets of plans, one for a recovery phase similar to the current one, and another plan that is more similar to pre-pandemic conditions. This is even more complex as we incorporate innovations from the last nine months in our planning that will have positive enduring effects. I have to say how much I’m looking forward to celebrating your return to the campus with our students. Hopefully it will be before I name a volleyball “Wilson.” 😊

Above and Beyond Awards. Last Friday, we celebrated many of our dedicated faculty and staff celebrating milestone service award years. We also recognized our faculty members earning tenure and our faculty and staff that will be retiring in just a few short days. We also announced the Above and Beyond Award winners. More than one person nominated every Monarch this year, honoring the incredible work that was done. Keeping with tradition, we the following amazing faculty and staff were selected for the respective categories:

  • Community Involvement & Monarch Pride                                     Jenene Nagy
  • Creativity & Innovation for Student Success                                    Magda Walsh
  • Fulfilling the College's Mission Towards Student Success              Joyce Romero
  • Just Do It!                                                                                            Samantha Jo Jaffray-Evans
  • Just Do It!                                                                                            Preetha Puthiakunnel
  • Outstanding Service to Students                                                       Jack Condon
  • Outstanding Service to the College Community                              Michelle Fowles

Video. It’s my pleasure to share the latest LAVC Philharmonic Choir video on YouTube with you. This is your reward for making it all the way through the Campus Update.

Have an amazing, restful holiday break, Monarchs!

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: November 3, 2020

NOVEMBER 3, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Good Morning, Monarchs!

Happy election day! Clearly, election season has been in full swing for quite some time now. Voter turnout could reach record levels, which is always good for democracy. If you haven’t seen it, the LA Valley Choir has a new video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl6vICn8h-8. Check it out and remember to vote if you haven’t already!

CARES Act funding for students is still available. If you know of any students in need of a Chromebook/Tablet, technology award for other needs, or emergency grant, please refer them to the application on the LAVC COVID-19 page for students at: https://www.lavc.edu/Coronavirus/Student-Updates.aspx. Scroll down for lots of good information for students.

Student Wi-Fi access on campus is being investigated. LACDPH has given the approval to allow students to access Wi-Fi in parking lots. IT has recently done a test of signal strength in every parking lot on the nine campuses. Signal strength is not very strong in any parking lot at Valley, so IT is working on some options. As soon as we receive the options, we will develop plans to make Wi-Fi available to students in one of our parking lots.

Recovery planning continues. While we are currently planning for the Winter and Spring terms to be offered in a similar mode as the Fall, with most classes online except some labs in Nursing, Respiratory Therapist, EMT, and Technology/Manufacturing, we are beginning to work with the District on plans for the next phases of recovery when we can offer more classes and services in-person. While personally I hope that we will be well underway with bringing most classes back next Fall, there is no indication on the timing of the phases of recovery from the LACDPH. Nonetheless, we will continue the planning process so that we are well prepared for future recovery phases as they are authorized by the County and safe to implement.

A survey on Valley’s Commitment to Anti-Racism is available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZD5ZDJZ.  Please take a few minutes to provide feedback.

Professional development opportunities are available. Check out yesterday’s PD Blast for more details on opportunities like the following: BUILD Series with book groups and conversations on anti-racism; Cultural Inclusiveness Series, including Safe Zone; TCB with a department chair series and mindfulness workshop; and Technology Matters with Microsoft Office Specialist training. I want to thank everyone for making these available to the campus community and look forward to attending many of them myself.

The District Equipment Loan Policy has been updated. The major change clarifies that some items, such as office chairs, can be loaned if there is a business necessity with the appropriate approvals. If you still have needs for items, such as an office chair, Chromebook, monitor, etc., please let you supervisor know.

Enrollments at Valley are down 10 percent compared to last year, though are higher than the District overall and the second highest in the District. Clearly, this is largely due to the pandemic. Students 24 years old and younger are showing the greatest declines in enrollment. We continue to study the details and are developing action plans in outreach and marketing for moving forward. This includes engaging with students virtually in their homerooms, connecting with dual-enrolled students, virtual events at schools and in the community, mailing directly to local households, and marketing on social media, radio, and strategic cable and print media outlets. We also are planning targeted campaigns for areas especially hard hit by the pandemic, like Kinesiology, to help recover enrollment losses.  

Testimonials and student work are needed! We all know that Valley has changed thousands of lives for over 70 years. In just the short amount of time I’ve been here, many people in the community have shared amazing stories of the impact you all have had on their lives. And, the student stories have been nothing short of inspirational! We are going to work hard at sharing these stories with our prospective students and need your help.  If you know of a student or alumni who has a great story, please let Tanya Sirkin or Meredith Stoops in my office know (and please cc me). They will be working closely with Jennifer Borucki in collecting these stories, both in print and video form, for our marketing messages. In the same spirit, what you are doing in classrooms is amazing. I’m delighted to share the LA Valley Choir’s “Voting Is a Sexy Thang” video linked above and would love to share more student work. Please send me, Tanya, and Meredith exemplars of student work that we can share to further inspire our community and prospective students. Of course, I selfishly am also interested as the student work continues to amaze and inspire me as well.

With everyone’s support in pulling together student stories that will serve as inspirations for our outreach and marketing efforts, I remain optimistic that we will not only recover from the enrollment decline, but increase from pre-pandemic levels.

As always, I want to express my appreciation for everyone’s hard work in serving our students and ensuring that they can continue pursuing their dreams. Please continue to share your ideas and feedback with me.

Stay safe and be well!

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: October 29, 2020

REPORT OF POSITIVE COVID19 CASE IN VOTE CENTER AT LAVC

Dear Monarchs,

We received information today that a Vote Center staff member working at LAVC on Saturday tested positive for COVID-19. The Registrar Recorder’s Office is handling required reporting for people voting and Vote Center staff. While risk to any Valley College employee is minimal, we wanted to keep the Valley campus community informed.

This also serves as an important reminder to continue to wear face coverings, maintain physical distancing, wash hands frequently, and take other recommended precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Stay Safe and Be Well,

Barry

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: October 7, 2020

OCTOBER 7, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

Good evening! We’ve been in the response phase of the COVID-19 pandemic for close to 7 months now. In the various campus updates, I’ve talked about many of the challenges we have faced, including moving nearly all of our classes and services online, concerns about our own health and that of our loved ones, the events this summer that placed a worldwide spotlight on systemic racism, skyrocketing unemployment in the early months of the pandemic, figuring out how to support our children as their schools closed to in-person instruction, and all of the trauma and anxiety that so many of us are experiencing. Most recently, we are seeing the conflict and violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the profound impact that it is having on our Armenian community, including our students, faculty, and staff. The weight of these events is at historic levels.

Despite these unprecedented challenges, you have enabled 15,753 students to continue their education and advance towards their educational goals, opening life-changing opportunities. If that weren’t enough, you also continue to advance efforts to increase success, promote equity, and help Valley become an anti-racist college. All I can say is, this campus community is amazing! You are amazing! Resilient! Dedicated! Thank you! And of course, please let me know if there is anything I can do. I am certainly committed to shouldering as much as I can to support you.

In addition to expressing my appreciation, I wanted to provide the following updates:

  • LAVC Call to Action on Anti-Racism. I mentioned above the efforts to make Valley an anti-racist college. Earlier this week, Michelle Fowles provided an update to IEC on these efforts. This includes a Commitment statement, Campus Action Plan Objectives, and Framework that includes:
    • Arts and Expression
    • Communication, Marketing, and Messaging
    • Context, Social, Historical
    • Curriculum
    • Data
    • Financial Aid
    • Hiring and Staffing
    • Partnerships & Coordination (Community Involvement etc.)
    • Policies and Practices
    • Professional Development
    • Security, Sheriff, Discipline
    • Staff engagement
    • Student Engagement

While the planning continues to develop, there is already quite a bit of impressive detail that has been developed and I think will have an important impact. My thanks to everyone working on the committee!

  • Flooding. Last week, a pipe in the east tunnel burst that carried chilled water used for cooling our buildings. This released about 250,000 gallons of water, flooding the tunnel and Campus Center basement, which then damaged several transformers and knocked out power to a large portion of campus. Facilities took quick action to begin pumping out the water, staying until nearly midnight the first night. They are also working to repair transformers and return power and cooling to normal operations. For those who are storing items in the Campus Center basement, Mike Lee and his folks will be reaching out to arrange a time for you to check for any water damage. Our thanks to Facilities for all of their efforts!
     
  • CARES Support. We have approved and distributed additional support for our students through the CARES Act resources. This included awards for students to purchase Chromebooks or other devices. We also have funds allocated for other technology support, such as internet access and emergency grants.
     
  • Chromebooks. We did receive 400 Chromebooks that are available for purchase through the Bookstore. If you know of any students who need a Chromebook, please let them know. Also, we will be receiving additional Surface Go devices and Lenovo Chromebooks sometime this month. These devices should help us continue to meet student needs for the remainder of the year.
     
  • Employee Recognition. Tanya is getting our Employee Recognition committee together. This year, the committee will be expanding its focus to include more celebratory, fun events. This could include any idea dreamed up, including costume contest, decompression session, presidential dunk tank, yoga, kids’ bedtime stories, parenting events, innovative ideas award, diversity award, faculty scholarly presentation, cultural celebrations, unsung heroes award. Home cooking competition, and baby pictures competition, to name just a few. Of course, in the near term, the activities will have to be online. If you are interested in helping, please email Tanya at sirkinta@lavc.edu. We would love all the help we can get to ensure that we take a few minutes to have some fun and support out community despite the pandemic.
     
  • Safety Measures. For those who are on campus for the limited in-person instruction of essential workforce training, providing essential services, or working in support of remote learning, I wanted to provide some reminders:
    • If you are sick, stay home.
    • Per the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Guidance, we strongly urge you to get an influenza vaccination.
    • Information about leave benefits related to COVID-19 can be found at: http://laccd.edu/About/News/Pages/Coronavirus---For-Faculty-and-Staff.aspx.
    • Complete a symptom check online prior to coming to campus.
    • Wear a facial covering while on campus (preferably, the LA Valley College face mask that everyone should receive soon).
    • Maintain physical distance while on campus, remaining at least 6 feet from others, and avoid congregating, including break/lunch rooms.
       
  • Borrowing Equipment. I expect that the District will be updating the equipment borrowing guidelines. You will be able to continue to borrow any technology you need following the prescribed process. If you need to borrow additional items from your office, please let your supervisor know.
     
  • Changes to Institutions of Higher Education Guidelines. We continue to plan for Winter and Spring classes and services to be offered in the same format we are using for the Fall semester. The County has indicated that they do not plan to announce any major changes prior to Thanksgiving. Even at that time, it’s hard to imagine that we will be making major changes soon. From my perspective, our efforts to keep people safe are successful. To date, districtwide, we have only had about 170 reports of positive COVID-19 cases. To put that number into perspective, a university in Texas has had over 1,100 positive cases. I attribute this striking difference to the vigilant efforts locally that are focused on keeping people safe. While we don’t expect major changes, we are continuing to seek guidance on some issues, including options for making hotspots available, student athlete training, and planning for the next phase of recovery. We will continue to keep you updated with any new developments.
     
  • IEPI. We are requesting a new Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI) Partnership Resource Team (PRT). Our last PRT provided some support in terms of expertise and resources ($200,000) to advance our professional development efforts. The grant was recently closed out and we were able to request a new PRT. We have asked the PRT to provide some ideas and assistance on the following areas: organizational change; participatory governance; strategic marketing and communication; diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism; and integrated planning. The first of three visits from the team will be later this month. We look forward to the ideas from the PRT and dialog. 

If you have any questions on any of these updates or anything else, please let me know. Thank you again for all of your efforts! Together we will continue to overcome obstacles, innovate, and succeed in supporting our students.  

Stay safe and be well,

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

​Posted: August 31, 2020

AUGUST 31, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS  ON THE FIRST DAY OF FALL 2020

Good afternoon Monarchs,

Welcome to the start of the Fall Semester! Let me begin by expressing my thanks for all the tireless efforts that went into the start of the semester. I think that more effort than ever has gone into the start of this semester and year. Working remotely while remaining committed to our goals of Access, Equity, and Success hasn’t been easy. I’m convinced that your efforts are having a tremendous impact. Our enrollment numbers may be one indicator of this impact. As of this morning’s enrollment report, headcount was 101 percent compared to last year and enrollments were at 99 percent. The enrollment percent compared to last year is the second highest in the District and 4 percent higher than the District average!

I also want to express my appreciation for all the professional development activities last week, and particularly Opening Day. The discussions we had marked an important step in our journey to being an anti-racist college. Jeanne Owens, Sally Raskoff, and everyone who helped organize the activities and engage in this important work, thank you!

I have a few updates for you as well.

Surface Go Devices. The application for Surface Go devises is open and available through the Student Information System. We expect to begin making awards this week. We don’t have an arrival date for them yet, but hope that the 1,850 devices will arrive close to the end of the week. The application process will remain open until all the devices are awarded. More information about applying is available at the Laptop/Tablet, Technology & Basic Needs Grants info on the LAVC Coronavirus Update for Students webpage.

Other Technology and Emergency Grants. The student application for other technology support and emergency grants is open and available through a link to Survey Monkey. Information about the application process also is available at the above link.

Ombudsperson. Annie Reed will be helping the District Human Resources Division for the remainder of the year. We know that she is excited about the new opportunity. We are working on coverage of student discipline and the Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Coordinator responsibilities. In the meantime, if you need assistance, please email the LAVC Ombudsperson.

Valley Facial Coverings. We will be mailing out your Valley College facial coverings soon. You recently received an email asking you to check your mailing address in the District system. This will help ensure that we get it to you.

Safety Measures. As some people return to campus for the limited in-person instruction of essential workforce training, provide essential services, or work in support of remote learning, I wanted to provide a few reminders:

  • If you are sick, stay home.
  • Per the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Guidance, we strongly urge you to get an influenza vaccination.
  • Information about leave benefits related to COVID-19 can be found at the LACCD Coronavirus Info for Faculty & Staff webpage.
  • Complete a symptom check online prior to coming to campus.
  • Wear a facial covering while on campus and wash or replace the face covering frequently.
  • Maintain physical distance while on campus, remaining at least 6 feet from others, and avoid congregating.

Thank you again for all your efforts. These are indeed extraordinary times. I know that you are faced with many challenges and doing your best to remain flexible, innovative, and responsive. As a result, I truly believe that your efforts are leading to extraordinary change and achievements for our students. For this, I can never express enough gratitude. Thank you!

Have a terrific new academic year and please let me know how I can support you!

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

​Posted: August 21, 2020

AUGUST 21, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

Good afternoon! The Fall semester is fast approaching and I have a few updates that I’m excited to share:

  • Fresh Caller, Fresh Desk, and Zoom. Students have several new ways of connecting with Student Services. Over the past week or so, an open Zoom room, Fresh Desk, and Fresh Caller were all implemented.  I greatly appreciate all the efforts to create more ways for students to connect and get help. Also, for those who are helping to staff them, thank you! This is an especially critical period to ensure students have access and I think that the efforts will have an important impact.
     
  • Advertising. Also to help increase enrollment, we launched advertisements on cable to complement the mass emails, text messages, and social media campaign from the District. We of course will be monitoring enrollments carefully over the next week and a half.
     
  • Enrollments for Fall. Speaking of enrollments, as of yesterday headcount is at 94% compared to last year and enrollments are at 91%. This is up about 5-6% compared to the last update and we remain 3-4% higher than the District average.
     
  • Valley cloth facial coverings. The Valley cloth facial coverings have arrived. We will be working to get them out to you in the next week or so.
     
  • Additional technology needs. Thank you for sending in your technology needs. We are reviewing them right now and will let requestors know soon (hopefully by next week) about their requests.
     
  • Student Surface Gos and other CARES support. You might recall that last week I mentioned that the order of 1,850 Chromebooks for our students was delayed until October, which is obviously too late. As a result, the District quickly moved to Plan B. Surface Go devices were identified as an alternative by IT and confirmed to be in stock. Wednesday night, the Board had a special meeting and approved a purchase of the devices. We expect to receive them in about two weeks.  Although a little later than we would have liked, it is much better than October. An application for the tablets was created using Next Gen and is available through the SIS. Student applications will be reviewed around September 1. At that time, we will begin implementing logistical plans for distribution as the devices are being received by the college. In addition to these devices, students will also be able to request emergency grants and technology support for internet access or other needs. This application is available through Survey Monkey. Students received a message about all three types of support: Surface Gos, emergency grants, and technology support. Please forward the attached flyer to anyone you know that might have a need.
     
  • Additional Chromebooks. We also are going to proceed with ordering additional Chromebooks for delivery in October, albeit a somewhat smaller order than the original one. This will help us meet ongoing needs and will be funded by the CARES Act.
     
  • New Safety Advisories. New Safety Advisories the District has issued can be viewed at the LACCD Coronavirus Safety Advisory webpage. These advisories include information about accessing campus and wearing facial coverings. The advisories do not have a significant impact on us as our protocols already covered these items. Nonetheless, it is important to take a moment to read through them. Also, in terms of accessing campus, another email is being sent in the next day or so to reiterate the requirement to obtain prior approval and the process for doing so. This is especially important to keep everyone as safe as possible.  

Again, I want to express my appreciation to you for all of your efforts. These are indeed challenging times. Stress and anxiety levels are high not just our students, but for many of our Monarch family members. Your efforts to reduce the impact on our students are wonderful and please let me know how I can support you. Thank you!

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

​Posted: August 10, 2020

AUGUST 10, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

Good morning! I know everyone is busy getting ready for the fall semester with many also working on Summer classes or even finishing up Spring semester classes. I have a few updates for you, including some good news on the budget.

  • Budget update. Tax receipts at the state level are coming in a little higher than expected. This is good news in that we do not expect to see additional cuts from the state immediately. I should add a caution that next year probably won’t look as good. Nonetheless, for the short-term, the outlook is relatively positive.
     
  • Spring 2020 classes. In-person instruction for classes that could not be completed in the spring continues. While it is complex given the pandemic, the first week went well. This also was helpful in testing some processes in preparation for fall classes that cannot be delivered online and have to meet in person.
     
  • Fall 2020 essential infrastructure classes. These classes that are part of our Stage 3 plans are now in the schedule and students are able to register for them, except of course those that have special registration processes, such as Nursing.
     
  • Enrollments for Fall. Enrollments are light. Recall that we changed the start of registration significantly, making comparisons difficult. Nonetheless, headcount is currently 88 percent compared to same time last year. Enrollments are 86 percent compared to same time as last year. We remain about 2 to 5 percent higher than the district numbers, and are higher than the week prior by 2 or 3 percent. We have several efforts focused on increasing enrollments, including mass emails and texts to students who have not yet enrolled, emails to former dual enrolled students, emails to students not enrolled full-time, a new open Zoom session in the Welcome Center, launching Fresh Desk and Fresh Caller, Spectrum ads, and managing wait lists. My thanks to everyone working on these efforts, answering student questions, and maintaining access.
     
  • Valley cloth facial coverings. The order has been placed. We don’t have an ETA yet, but I expect that the facial coverings will arrive in about a month.
     
  • Additional technology needs. We continue to assess technology needs people have. Please let your supervisor know if there is any technology you need to be effective.
     
  • Student Chromebooks and other CARES support. Last week, the District found out that the Chromebook order was being delayed until October. This is obviously too late to benefit our students at the beginning of the semester, so they are working on Plan B. By the end of the week, we will need to implement a new plan for providing support for students, including Chromebooks, and open the application process.
     
  • Walk-on assistant coaches for Fall sports. The District is working on an option to keep walk-on assistant coaches for the Fall semester engaged. I hope to have more information about this by next week.

Again, thank you for all of your efforts! These are difficult times. Many people continue to shoulder a heavy load during this pandemic, with more demands on us than ever, in an environment with historic levels of health concerns. Nonetheless, you remain committed to ensuring our students have access and progress to completion, all while working to eliminating inequities and ensuring Valley becomes an anti-racist campus. Know that I’m appreciative of all your efforts and as always, please let me know how I can support you.

Stay safe and be well,

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: July 28, 2020

JULY 29, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

Good afternoon! As we welcomed back to campus our first students in months and work to register students for the fall semester, we have quite a bit of activity to share. Here are a few updates from last week:

  • Spring 2020 classes resumed yesterday. The resume dates for the classes that still needed to complete varied, but the first classes started yesterday. All of the classes will finish by August 31st. In preparation for the classes returning, lots of signs were posted and the new check-in procedures were implemented. Overall, the return went well and most of the students that were expected to return did return.
     
  • The new Safety Advisory for checking into campuses is now in place (see: http://laccd.edu/About/News/Pages/Safety-Advisories.aspx). Just a couple of tips:
    • Prior to coming to campus, all individuals need to be pre-approved by their dean and a note needs to be sent to the Marisol Lozano and the Sheriff’s Department before 4pm the day prior.
    • When completing the symptom check, use your “laccd” email address and password. Once you do this the first time, your device should remember it for future times you complete the form.
    • Please remember your facial covering.
       
  • Fall 2020 essential infrastructure classes that are part of our Stage 3 plans are being added to the schedule this week to enable students to register.
     
  • Enrollments for Fall are proceeding. It is difficult to determine how we stand compared to last year given the changes to Fall registration dates. That said, using the District comparisons, headcount is at 84 percent compared to last year (4 percent higher than the District average), and enrollments are 81 percent compared to last year (6 percent higher than the district). This is with 35 days to go and the numbers have been increasing a little less than one percent per day.
     
  • Valley cloth facial coverings are still being ordered through the District EOC. The order has been a bit delayed, but we are working to get them prior to the start of the Fall semester.
     
  • Helpdesk software (Freshdesk) is being purchased by the District and deployed as early as next week. While the initial focus of this software has been to help students contact Student Services, it could be useful in other areas as well if we can secure enough licenses. Look for more information about this coming out next week. While operating in the pandemic is more challenging than during “normal” times, I know that our campus community is working hard, being creative, and adapting to meet student needs.
     
  • Additional technology needs of staff working remotely are being assessed over the next two weeks. Four months ago, everyone abruptly moved to working remotely. Now that we know we will be working in this environment for some time, we are reassessing what people need. While this environment remains far from perfect, please let you supervisor know by next week if there is some technology that you need to be more effective.
     
  • Plans for student Chromebook distribution and other support funded by CARES Act money are being finalized. We expect the application process to be available to students within two weeks and will work hard to get resources to students prior to the start of the Fall semester.  

Again, thank you for all of your hard work throughout the past four months. We are entering the final stretch of preparation for the Fall semester, which will set the tone for the whole academic year. Please let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to support your efforts.

Barry

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: July 21, 2020

JULY 21, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

I hope you all are remaining well this Summer. I know that the campus community continues to work hard serving our students and we certainly haven’t seen the pandemic ease significantly. That said, we have been diligently planning and have some updates:

  • Spring 2020 Classes can resume on or after July 27 per the District Emergency Operations Center (EOC). While we don’t have very many classes to complete for the Spring semester, I know it will be welcome news to many that we can get the classes completed. No specific resume date has been set for the classes, but we will get information out to instructors and students this week. We also are working on securing any additional PPE needed and posting additional signage.
     
  • A new Safety Advisory for checking into campuses was issued by the EOC: http://laccd.edu/About/News/Pages/Safety-Advisories.aspx. Please take a few minutes to read through this Safety Advisory. We plan to implement the new procedures effective July 27th. Most of it is similar to the past procedures, except the following:
    • Prior approval to coming to campus will be enforced. You will need to be on the list prior to coming to campus.
    • An online symptom check must be completed prior to coming to campus and will be available on our homepage by Thursday, July 23.
    • Anyone visiting campus will need to check out as well.
       
  • Stage 3 plans were submitted to EOC on Friday. Currently, all classes in the Fall 2020 schedule are online. However, we recognize that similar to the spring 2020 semester, some classes simply cannot be completed online. For these classes, we submitted what is referred to as a Stage 3 Recovery Plan to the District EOC. This plan is being reviewed. If approved, we hope to open these classes up soon for registration. Note that as of today, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) has indicated that we can resume classes per their guidance in June. However, this is subject to change at any time and we will make changes as required by new guidance and/or health orders.
     
  • Enrollments for Summer remain strong, up 18 percent compared to last year. Fall enrollment comparisons remain difficult to assess given the changes to registration. However, we expect to have a better assessment of Fall enrollments in the next two weeks.

Thank you for your ongoing hard work in service of our students. A while back, I made a reference to the pandemic and response feeling like a marathon. Now, it might even feel like we are running an ultramarathon. Nonetheless, I know that together we will continue to be successful achieving our goals of equity, access, and success despite any obstacle.

Please let us know if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to support you.

Be safe and be well,

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: July 13, 2020

JULY 13, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

Last week, the Chancellor presented the LACCD Framework for Racial Equity and Social Justice to the Board of Trustees. Please see the attached document for the full text. It was signed by all of cabinet intentionally demonstrating senior management’s commitment to antiracism. I also want to call attention to the statement that the framework is intended to complement the important work being done at the colleges. Here at Valley, I know that the LAVC Antiracism Planning Workgroup is well underway with developing specific plans to help guide us forward. I want to express my appreciation for everyone’s work on these important efforts!

I also have several updates related to enrollments and COVID-19 that I want to share with you:

  • Summer Enrollments. Summer enrollments remained very strong, with headcount up 13 percent compared to last year and enrollments update 18 percent! We don’t have definitive enrollment data for the fall yet, especially given the change in registration dates this year. That said, the number of applications is strong and approaching the goal of 5,646 that was set.
     
  • EOC Guidance. The District Emergency Operations Center (EOC) finalized the recovery policy for Hard-to-Convert classes. To access the guidance, please go to:  https://www.lavc.edu/Coronavirus/Faculty-Updates.aspx. The District EOC is also developing a Safety Advisory for the check-in process at campuses, which largely reflects guidance from the County Department of Public Health (LACDPH), California Department of Health, and Center for Disease Control and Prevention. We expect new guidance for Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) from LACDPH to be released any day. Once they are, we will finalize and post the new guidance. The District EOC also is working on new Safety Officer responsibilities and a contract tracing protocol for use district-wide.
     
  • Plans for Spring 2020 Classes Completing. Our ICC submitted plans for the return of spring classes, now down to about 6. You might recall that this was initially developed by the ICC workgroup and WEC. The plans are being reviewed in the EOC. Currently, for Valley, there have been no concerns or questions.
     
  • Stage 3 Plans. This week, we will submit Stage 3 recovery plans for summer and fall classes to the EOC. This will include a very limited number of classes that cannot be offered online. The Stage 3 plan is largely the same as the prior version. I should note that we still do not have a date for when any in-person classes for fall will be added to the schedule. That said, I’m hopeful that a decision will be made in the next couple weeks so students will be able to register.
     
  • International Students. Last week, there was a change in guidance indicating that international students cannot take classes completely online and remain in the United States. While we expect to be nearly completely online in the Fall, we will join the other eight colleges in the District to indicate that the college will be in a hybrid format, meaning offering both online and some in-person classes. This has the effect of allowing our international students to remain in the United States and continue the studies at Valley. There is still quite a bit of work to be done to ensure our plans help keep people safe while also meeting these requirements.
     
  • Health Symptom Check Online Form. The District has completed programming an online form for health screening for anyone coming to campus to complete prior to their arrival. It hasn’t been activated quite yet but will be part of the new check-in procedures. I have tried it out and it is really easy and quick.
     
  • Signage and PPE. The District EOC also is working on signage and PPE for all nine colleges. In regards to the PPE, we expect to receive a very large shipment through the District from the state Office of Emergency Services.  
     
  • Logo Cloth Facial Coverings. We are in the process of ordering cloth facial coverings with the Valley College logo. We intend to provide one to every employee and student. This is part of a larger order through the District. Many thanks to Luiza for working on the design and Alex Bruno for working through details with the vendor. We expect to receive them in early August.
     
  • Reporting Actual Time in SAP for Student Employees. Please report actual time in SAP for student employees effective 7/1/20.
     
  • Chromebooks for Fall 2020. As part of the second half of the CARES Act, we have ordered 1,850 additional Chromebooks for students. While some of these likely will be part of a loan program, the vast majority are expected to be given to students. These are in addition to Chromebooks being provided through the Promise program. We expect to develop procedures for applying for the Chromebooks in the next couple weeks.
     
  • CARES Act. The remaining of the first half of the CARES Act was awarded and distributed to students last week. We have a workgroup that is developing plans for the second half. As noted in the previous item, some of the money will be used for additional Chromebooks. The remaining money will be used for items that will directly support students and institutional expenses. As soon as we have details on the second half of the CARES Act, we will send it out to you.

As always, I want to close by thanking you for your ongoing efforts in support of our students! While I know many of you are as busy as ever serving students and the college community, hopefully you are able to take some time off soon for rest and relaxation!

Stay safe and be well!!!

Barry

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: June 24, 2020

JUNE 24, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

Over the past month, I had the pleasure of joining the Black Graduation Celebration, Lavender Graduation Celebration, Respiratory Therapist Convocation, Nursing Virtual Pinning Ceremony, Hoodie Ceremony, and of course, Valley’s Virtual Recognition of Graduates. Following a couple of difficult months, these events were rewarding opportunities to celebrate our students, their accomplishments, and how you all have touched their lives having a profound impact. Thank you again for everything you do!

I also had the benefit of participating in the Call to Action on Racism on the 12th. This was exceptionally well done and I need to express my appreciation for everyone who worked to make it happen. It was a great beginning to some important work and I appreciate the efforts to develop an action plan to move us forward in addressing racism. Please keep an eye out for more information over the summer on these efforts.

I have a few updates to share with you as well.

EOC/ICC. The District Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the College’s Incident Command Center (ICC) have continued their work. Previously, I had mentioned that plans were developed by ICC and WEC for when classes are able to resume on campus. The first phase of these plans is done, and focuses on the six classes that were not able to complete this spring. Although not many classes still needed to complete, the plans are complex and thorough to ensure the safety of students and staff. These classes may be able to continue as early as July, though a specific date hasn’t been set. Next, we will work on plans for other classes that cannot be offered online. I would expect that the number of classes will remain relatively small. Even though there may only be a small number of classes in-person, the amount of activity that will need to go into the plans will be significant to ensure everyone’s safety.

The District EOC also developed policies for equipment loans to employees, Athletics, Child Development Centers, and Community Services. New safety advisories and protocols were also developed. You can access all of these at: https://www.lavc.edu/Coronavirus/Faculty-Updates.aspx. Please take a few minutes to review them. Another policy is in the works for Hard to Convert (HTC) classes. I expect this one to come out in a week or so.

Budget. Tuesday morning, very early, a budget bill was released following successful negotiations between the Assembly and Senate leadership and the Governor. Overall, the bill maintains our funding level, eliminating the major cuts that were in the May Revise and replacing them with significant deferrals. This is great news! We expect a vote on the bill this week and the Governor to sign it within a week or so. I should caution that there was an expectation created that an adjustment to the budget would be made in August once the tax receipts were finalized. Nonetheless, for now this is great news.

Federal Judicial News. Last week we received good news on two important fronts. A Federal judge approved the temporary injunction for the lawsuit we joined against the US Department of Education on restrictions that were placed on who can receive CARES Act funding. This injunction now allows us to move forward with important funding for some of our vulnerable students. Also, the Supreme Court ruled to block the Trump Administration from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) policy.  This is another important ruling for many members of our community. Neither of the issues are likely to be completely resolved, but the news is really important and welcome.

Access to Campus. In previous updates, I provided some detailed information about procedures for accessing campus. I wanted to provide a reminder to contact your supervisor prior to coming to campus and wear facial coverings when in public areas or near other employees.

Construction. Progress continues on many construction projects on campus.

  • The Allied Health building is complete. LACCDBuild is now progressing with awarding bids for the lab portion of the building.
  • ADA work will be complete next week, including the South Gym.
  • Shelter in place door locks are being replaced for the first phase of classrooms and labs. This phase is expected to be completed in August.
  • Design for Academic Complex 1 and Academic Building 2 continues. These two buildings will further transform our campus. Thank you BUGs that continue to work on these projects.
  • Bungalow demolition is substantially complete.

Enrollments. My last update is related to enrollments. Demand remains very strong. Summer headcount and enrollments are both up double digits: headcount is up 11 percent and enrollments are up 17 percent! The numbers are up district-wide, though Valley’s numbers are especially strong. I remain convinced that this is the result of tireless efforts to ensure we progress on our goal of access. Thank you!

I want to close out this campus update with an expression of my thanks and appreciation again to everyone working hard in these challenging and heavy times. Please do you best to find some time for rest and recovery and let me know if there is anything I can do to provide more support.

Be safe and be well,

Barry

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: June 1, 2020

JUNE 1,  2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

In this week’s campus update, I would like to follow up on my message condemning the killing of George Floyd and the impact that it is having on our African American students, staff, faculty, and administrators. Several members of our community shared with me their experiences and perspectives and I am deeply appreciative of them and the opportunity to promote greater understanding.

It is important to acknowledge pain and trauma that the injustice of George Floyd’s killing and the cumulative effects of a history of racial inequities and systemic oppression are having on our African American students, staff, faculty, and administrators.

It should not have taken this tragedy to call our attention to these injustices. But let us not fail to act now. We need to be allies of our African American community members. We need to ensure that Valley College is a safe space, listening carefully to our African American students, staff, faculty, and administrators and ensuring that they know we stand with them.

Hereafter let us look for opportunities to promote understanding and further the cause of justice.

We already had several specific efforts planned with this specific focus. I will continue to ask for feedback to expand on these efforts.

Also, please be mindful of the impact of the compounding traumatic variables that our Black and African American students and campus community are feeling, especially now as we move into finals week. For our faculty members, we will be sending out a message soon with additional guidance on incompletes and EWs, and how to support students during this difficult time.

I also want to remind our community of resources available. The LACCD Employee Assistance Program is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (800) 327-0449, or visit the MHN webpage (company code: laccd). The LA County Department of Mental Health also has a 24/7 Access Line which you can reach by calling (800) 854-7771 or texting “LA” to 741741.

To the entire campus community, please join me in this expression of support to our African American students, staff, faculty, and administrators, and in our rejection of racism. Let us all look for ways of uniting as we move forward. Also, please join me during tomorrow’s campus briefing when I will ask that we begin with a moment of silence for the loss of George Floyd’s life and the pain and trauma that is reverberating from it.

Highest regards,

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: May 25, 2020

MAY 25, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

Thank you for your ongoing efforts providing instruction and support in service of our students!

This week, I have a few brief updates:

  • Recovery Planning. We continue working on plans for returning to face-to-face instruction and services. The first phase will focus on completing the handful of courses that couldn’t be completed this spring. We don’t have very many courses left to complete. As a result, the task may not be as complex as many colleges. We expect to have these plans completed by the end of May. We also are working on plans for the next phase, which could include a few more classes that cannot be offered online. In that phase, we should keep in mind that we will only be able to bring back a limited number of classes and all classes and services that can be offered online will need to continue online. For this phase, we also are working closely with the District in developing guidance related to athletics and a variety of services. My thanks and appreciation to the Incident Command workgroup that is putting together the plans and to WEC for their input helping to ensure that the plans are well developed.
     
  • Virtual Recognition of 2020 Graduates. The deadline for RSVPs for the Virtual Recognition of the Class of 2020 was last week, and hundreds responded. In fact, 510 students RSVP ’ed and 32 faculty videos were submitted prior to the deadline. It’s going to be a great celebration!
     
  • Electronic Forms. The District is working hard to put into place a solution for dual enrollment students to complete forms electronically. We are hopeful that the solution, using Dynamic Forms, will be in place for the start of the summer session.
     
  • CARES Act and SEAP. We continue to develop plans for the remainder of the first half of the CARES Act funding. While this only can be provided to students eligible for Federal financial aid, there are a few decisions still to be made related to the amounts to be given. In addition to the first half of the CARES Act funding, we are developing plans for the second half and possible using SEAP funding to support our students during the pandemic. I want to thank the workgroup developing these plans as well. Hopefully, we will have more details in next week’s update.

I would like to close this week’s update with thanks to our fallen heroes as we remember and celebrate them this Memorial Day.

Stay safe and be well!

Barry

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: May 19, 2020

MAY 19, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATES FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

I would like to begin the week with my thanks to you for your continued great work in service of our students. As we continue on this marathon of a response to the pandemic this Spring semester, we are now approaching the mile 20 marker.  It definitely feels like the mile 20 marker for many of us. While this has been challenging, I appreciate the opportunity to run this marathon with you all and know that running together not only made these last 20 miles easier, it will show the greatest benefits these last 6 miles. Thank you!

On Thursday, the Governor released his May Revise budget plan. As expected, it is a sobering look at the impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on the State’s economy. For perspective, the Governor’s January budget proposal called for $222 billion in spending. The May Revise estimates that there would be a $54 billion deficit before taking into account the changes proposed in the May Revise. The May Revise calls for withdrawing several proposed increases in the January budget proposal. The May Revise also lists several proposed reductions to be triggered if Federal support is not provided to help defray the reductions. These include a 10 percent reduction in Student Centered Funding Formula rates and reductions to COLA, Strong Workforce, Student Equity and Achievement, and some other areas. The May Revise also recognizes that given the extension for filing income taxes to July 15, better estimates to the state’s budget revenue won’t be available until at least the second half of July. As a result, not only will there be a significant amount of discussion between now and mid-June when a budget is required to be approved, but likely also through July as more tax revenue information is known.

While this news is not positive, together we will weather any storm we face. Valley College, more than most colleges, has the strength and conditioning for running marathons in these rainy conditions with lots of elevation change. Engaging in open, honest, and transparent discussions with a focus on preserving student access, equity, and achievement as much as possible will be more critical now than ever. With this guiding principle, look for additional information and discussion about the budget over the next two to three months.

Thank you again for all of your hard work in service of our students. I appreciate having the amazing professionals we have at Valley as we face any challenges that may come our way.

Be safe and be well,

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: May 9, 2020

MAY 9, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

I want to express my appreciation for all of your hard work in service for our students. Our response to the pandemic is clearly not a sprint, but a marathon and you are doing a great job!

As you will see from the following updates, we continue to progress forward despite the challenging times.

CARES Act Funding for Students. Yesterday approximately 5,400 LAVC students were awarded $300 in CARES funding, which will be applied to their Bank Mobile accounts.  Due to Federal limitations, these funds are being disbursed to Pell eligible students.  In addition, approximately 300 undocumented LAVC students will receive $300 each in Student Equity funding since the CARES Act funding is not available to them. A campus work group is determining how to disburse the remaining approximately $1.5 million in CARES funding and additional Student Equity grants.

Recovery Plans. The Incident Command team workgroup is continuing to develop a recovery plan, including when and how we will return to face-to-face instruction and services. WEC also is providing input into the plan. We expect a draft framework from the District early next week. Once we receive it, we will be able to begin applying the thoughts of the Incident Command team workgroup and WEC, fleshing out the details for Valley.

Virtual Recognition of 2020 Graduates. On Wednesday night, the Board approved the agreements for the virtual graduation. We will be getting more details out about it. In brief, the ceremony will begin with a district component, including short speeches and a great keynote speaker. Following the district-wide portion, Valley’s virtual recognition will begin. I’m also happy to announce that between the district and college portions three colleges have been selected to provide entertainment, including Glenn Carlos’ students. It’s going to be fun!

Outreach. Next week, we will be hosting two outreach events using a You Tube Town Hall format for local high school seniors. The first will be on Monday and the second on Friday. My thanks to Joel and the Outreach and Recruitment team for working on it and remaining committed to making college accessible to our local high school graduates.

Nursing. I have three nursing updates. First, Wednesday started National Nurses Week. Our thanks to all of the nurses helping to restore our health, especially during this pandemic. The second update is that our Nursing department let me know that our nursing students will be able to volunteer at COVID-19 testing locations and in so doing, satisfying clinical hours. While I understand that there is still work to be done to secure necessary clinical sites, this is an important step. Lastly, Raul was notified that the LAVC Foundation was awarded $4,500 from the Foundation for California Community Colleges in partnership with the CCC Chancellor’s Office from the First Response Healthcare Student Support Fund. This will provide ten nursing students with $450 each. Raul acknowledged and thanked the LAVC Nursing Department, particularly Preetha Puthiakunnel and Erik Reyes. I want to join Raul in our thanks and to also add my thanks to the LAVC Foundation!

Gene Haas Foundation. On Tuesday, we found out that the Gene Haas Foundation awarded seven of our graduates from the LAVC Manufacturing Academy $500 stipends. Our thanks to the Gene Haas Foundation!

EWs. There has been some mixed messages related to the due date for applying for EWs. The drop deadline for most classes is tomorrow. All drops will be automatically converted to Excused Withdrawals (EWs). However, students will be able to petition for an EW even after tomorrow throughout the semester and even past it. We are working with the District to clarify the information on various websites and to send out an updated clarifying message to students. I’ll also provide the update during Monday’s You Tube Town Hall for students.

National Speech Tournament. One of our students, Jessica Patterson, was named national champion in Dramatic Interpretation. Jessica also brought home finalist awards in both impromptu and poetry interpretation and ended the tournament in 5th place nationally. Congratulations, Jessica and thank you to Kevin Briancesco for your leadership with Forensics!

I know that my updates, while highlighting some amazing work, only barely scratches the surface with the wonderful work being done by you all. Know that I continue to be deeply appreciative of your efforts and share your commitment to our students. Thank you!

Have a great weekend and Be Safe and Be Well!

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: May 2, 2020

MAY 2, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

Thank you for your continued hard work in service of our students. Every week I continue to be amazed at your transformation of the college. Keep up the extraordinary work!

I have a few updates to share:

Recovery Plans. Recovery planning, including the planning for returning to in-person instruction and services, is underway. As mentioned in last week’s update, this includes a district effort in developing guidelines for colleges. We also will be identifying specific plans for Valley College. I want to express my appreciation for the Incident Command team and WEC for their work on LAVC recovery planning. Both the Incident Command team and WEC met on Thursday to begin conversations. On Monday, I expect that we will receive a draft of the District guidelines. There is a possibility of changes to the Safer at Home Orders in the upcoming weeks. I wouldn’t expect these changes to be drastic. Rather, it could include some changes to restrictions and there has certainly been quite a bit of discussion about moving to what the Governor has referred to as Phase 2. Given this, It will be as important as ever to be thoughtful in our planning process to ensure we meet our priorities, first and foremost being the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. I hope to have a more specific update on this in the next week or two. In the meantime, please continue to send ideas and questions to Meredith Stoops to help ensure that our efforts are as well developed as possible.

LAVC Scholarships. Thank you for encouraging students to apply for LAVC Scholarships. The applications have now closed. As Raul mentioned in his email Thursday night, the deadline for Letters of Recommendations is May 7th.

Weingart Foundation Grant. Congratulations to the Family Resource Center on the $25,000 grant from the Weingart Foundation! And, our gratitude to the Weingart Foundation! The grant will be used for emergency stipends for our student parents. It complements $5,000 received from Believe in Students and $3,000 from the Good+ Foundation.

Academic Complex 1 and Academic Building 2. NAC has been selected as the architect for Academic Building 2. We look forward to working with them on both the Academic Complex 1 and Academic Building 2. Planning for both projects is continuing and I want to express my appreciation for both BUGs for their efforts, especially in these times when everyone has limited bandwidth.

Accessing Campus. As a reminder, please contact you department chair to arrange for coming to campus. Also, check with the cleaning schedule to confirm that the building isn’t closed for cleaning. Chairs will double check that people aren’t accessing the same space within a few days of each other and then let their deans know when their department members will be on campus. Deans will then let the LAVC Sheriff’s Department know what the plans are. Lastly, when coming to campus, please let the LAVC Sheriff’s Department know as you arrive and when you leave.

Follow up regarding the LAVC All User Message. On Tuesday night I sent a note that one of our colleagues had symptoms of COVID-19. I’m delighted to update you that our colleague does not have COVID-19 and is doing better.

Cleaning Schedule. Our custodians, and custodians district-wide, are modifying their work schedules to engage in professional development remotely for part of their workweek. This will be a great opportunity for them. It also will require the cleaning schedule to be changed. Mike is working with our Facilities team to modify the cleaning schedule and will send out an updated schedule next week.

CARES Act. We have received the initial $3 million of CARES Act funding for students. I expect that about half of it will be used to provided $300 per eligible student. This hasn’t been finalized yet and the District is still finding out who is eligible for funding. I’ll keep you updated as we find out more details.   

Virtual Recognition of Graduates. On the Board agenda for Wednesday are items for a Virtual Recognition of graduates. Many thanks to Liz and the district-wide committee for working on this. I know that we would all prefer to celebrate in person. However, given the circumstance, I think that they are developing a good plan. Also, there can still be an opportunity for an in-person graduation when permitted to do so, possibly next year. We will be able to get more information out next week after the Board meeting.

Student Survey. We participated in a student survey, assessing how students are doing in the transition. Overall, I think the survey results point to the incredible amount of work that has gone into the transition. There also are actionable results that will help inform our efforts moving forward. Michelle Fowles and her team are working on the LAVC specific results and an infographic. Keep an eye out for it. Great information! (I’m trying not to steal her thunder with specific results.)

You Tube Town Halls. We have been doing weekly You Tube Town Halls for students. I appreciate Tanya’s and Brian Mellblom’s efforts supporting them. It has been working out well helping to keep our students informed. This last week Sorangel Hernandez, Margaret Sarkisyan, Michael Gold, and Clive Gordan also showed how to live chat through Cranium Café and other ways for our students to stay connected. This worked out so well, next week Scott Weigand will be showing students how to access Tutoring resources. This is turning out to be a great communication tool and I’m sure that we will want to continue using it even after the pandemic is over. Let me know if you have additional ideas for You Tube Town Halls in the upcoming weeks.

I want to close out the weekly update with an expression of my appreciation again. You are doing amazing work! I couldn’t be more impressed with what you’ve done the last six weeks and I know you are having a huge impact. Please do your best to make the time to take care of yourselves and continue to let me know how I can support you.

Have a great weekend!

Barry

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: April 28, 2020

APRIL 28, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Good Morning Monarchs,

I have additional updates to provide related to online and in-person classes. While at this moment in time we may only be able to commit to offering classes and services online, at some point moving forward we will be able to add back in-person classes and services. Currently, it is too early to determine if that will be in the fall, which classes can safely return, how many classes, and under what conditions. It will be essential that we are thoughtful and intentional in our recovery planning process in determining these and many other issues. Just to emphasize again, our first priority will always be life and safety.

Over the weekend, I noted that we are beginning recovery planning, especially related to determining how and under what conditions we will return to in-person classes and services. Our incident command team is beginning to work on recovery plans in collaboration with the District. Later this week, WEC will be meeting to begin providing input as well.

I also want to invite you to share any questions or ideas you have on recovery planning with your deans. We are certainly all in this together and I want to make sure that we include everyone’s concerns and ideas in the planning process. Deans, please send the ideas and questions to Meredith Stoops who can compile them into one list.

We are not alone in recovery planning. Later today, the Governor is expected to share more information about the State’s plans. Also, the Daily News had an interesting article this morning about LAUSD’s plans for online and in-person instruction, signally some of the changes that LAUSD is considering. We will continue to monitor these and other sources as they have important implications for our planning.

Thank you again for everything you are doing to support students and for sharing your questions and ideas.

Stay safe and be well,

Barry

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: April 25, 2020

APRIL 25, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

First and foremost, I want to express my appreciation for your continued flexibility, innovation, and commitment to serving our students. Together, we continue to have a great impact.

I have some good news to share. One of our students, Harutyan Rehanyan, has been selected for the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship. This is arguably the most prestigious scholarship for a community college student. About 1,500 students applied nationally with only 50 people selected to be recipients of scholarship, which provides $40,000 per year for three years towards their baccalaureate program when they transfer plus an additional $75,000 for graduate school. LACCD is well represented too, with winners also at Pierce College and LA City College. Congratulations to Harutyan and to the winners at City and Pierce!

More good news: Our Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) chapter participated in the Honors in Action (HIA) program. Out of 2,500 projects nationally, ours was in the top 3! And, we placed first in California and Nevada. Congratulations to Michelle Lewis and Cynthia Cohen for their support of our PTK students in achieving this award. Also, for the third year in a row, our chapter placed in the top 100 nationally. Way to go, Michelle!

Now for some updates.

The summer schedule is up. Thank you for everyone working on it. As you know, we are still only scheduling classes online for the summer.

Recovery planning is beginning as we transition from the initial response phase to recovery. I expect that this will include creating guidelines districtwide as well as creating plans for specific classes and services at Valley. While we may not be able to pin down a date for the return to in-person classes and services right now, it is important for us to begin considering how we would transition, likely a phased approach. Our priorities will need to remain the same: life and safety first and continuity of instruction and services second. We will need to consider closely the criteria for moving between phases, such as the six factors recently discussed by the Governor and their implications for Valley. We also have the benefit of learning from strategies that we have bene using, including physical distancing, time, personal protective equipment (PPE), hygiene, and cleaning. The County Department of Public Health is also beginning to issue guidance to colleges and universities about phases of recovery. Look for more announcements about recovery planning over the next week or two. I also will be asking some participatory governance committees to provide input into the plans and may need some special meetings depending on the timing.

CARES Act funding has been approved for Valley. We will be receiving an initial $3 million followed by a second payment of $3 million. We expect the first within the next few days. This money will be allocated to students, either through direct awards or emergency grants. Guidance for how to spend the money seems to have changed in the last few days. The District is clarifying the details, specifically who is eligible. Of course, there is some urgency in getting the money out to students in need. While it is allowable to use the second $3 million for college expenses, I expect that we will be using a good portion of the second $3 million for students. More conversation is needed on how we will want to allocate this money, and clarification on what is allowed under the CARES Act.

Lastly, Happy (belated) Earth Day! Sustainability remains one of our goals, especially being known as the tree campus. If you are interested in getting more involved in campus sustainability efforts, I know that Virginia Requa would welcome you participation in the Environment and Sustainability Committee.

Thank you again for all of your efforts! Please remember to take care of yourself during these challenging times and let me know how I can support you.

Have a great weekend!

Barry

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: April 18, 2020

APRIL 18, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

I have a few updates for you. First, let me begin by expressing my appreciation for all of your hard work. The transformation of Valley in just over a month is remarkable. Thank you for your ingenuity, flexibility, teamwork, and dedication. You have beautifully demonstrated that together we can achieve anything, even in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

Now for the updates on accessing campus, CARES Act, graduation plans, Kabwe Chanda, cleaning schedule, and website changes.

Accessing Campus. Our number one priority during the pandemic is safety. With this in mind, we worked to have people telecommute quickly. There are still a small number of people on campus performing essential functions and only on campus when necessary. We recognize that while performing remote services there could be an occasion when some people need to come onto campus. As a reminder, anyone who needs to come onto campus needs to follow this process:

  1. Let your department chair or supervisor know in advance. Your chair or supervisor will let their dean know. The deans will in turn let Marisol in the Sheriff’s Office know.
  2. Call the Sheriff’s Office just before coming to campus and let them know when they are leaving. Even if you have a key to the space you need to access, you still need to call in advance.
  3. Enter at the Fulton circle and park near the entrance. If you have any additional logistical needs, the Sheriff’s department can help with arrangements to meet your needs.

As a reminder, buildings are not accessible on the days that they are being cleaned. Check the cleaning schedule for those days.  Thank you in advance for following these steps helping us ensure that everyone is kept safe.

CARES Act. Valley is receiving a little more than $6 million in CARES Act funding. We initially will receive about $3 million. We also have a requirement to give $3 million directly to students. Plans aren’t yet finalized for the funding. However, the following are some of the ideas being discussed. We can use most of the initial $3 million for awards directly to all students with College Promise Fee Waivers (previously called BOG Fee Waivers). Any additional money from the initial $3 million can be used for Emergency Grants to students. For the remaining $3 million, we can provide additional support for students. We also will likely use a portion of the money of college expenses related to COVID-19. As we have additional information related to the CARES Act funding, we will send it out to the campus community.

Graduation Plans. A district-wide committee has been formed to discuss graduation plans. Initially, there was quite a bit of discussion about a virtual graduation. However, additional ideas are now being actively discussed, such as a virtual recognition (but not a virtual graduation) and inviting graduates back for an in-person ceremony next year or when permitted. As the ideas continue to be developed, we will keep you updated.

Kabwe Chanda. The loss of Kabwe was tragic and he had a wonderful impact on the campus community. In the upcoming week, Jennifer Borucki will be reaching out to the campus community to collect stories about Kabwe that can be preserved for our campus community and shared with his family. We are still working out the specifics, including possibly coordinating with our colleagues at City College and Southwest College, but please keep an eye out for an email from Jennifer with more details.

Cleaning Schedule. As you know, Facilities has developed a cleaning schedule for each building. The schedule will be regularly updated as progress is made and based on changes to staff being available to work on cleaning from week to week. Administrative Services will email out the updated cleaning schedule regularly.

Website Changes. Matt Jordan is continuing to facilitate the committee to develop details for our new website, beginning with the first two or three levels of the website. In the meantime, Jennifer is also working with the District Web Team on some changes to the homepage and some remote services webpages. These changes are the result of many people working hard to make are services accessible to students. Thank you!

Please continue to let me know how I can support you and know that I’m deeply appreciative of everyone’s efforts!

Stay safe and Be well,

Barry

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: April 14, 2020

VALLEY'S BELOVED KABWE CHANDA

Dear Monarchs,

Last week, Chancellor Rodriguez sent a note that we have lost a member of the LACCD family. At the time, we were unable to share the name of the person. We can now share that the person who passed away was Kabwe Chanda, who also was a member of the LAVC IT team.

Kabwe’s long career at the District spanned more than 25 years. He began at West LA College as a student tutor. Kabwe was then selected for a permanent assignment as an Instructional Assistant and then an Assistant Computer & Network Specialist. He also was an adjunct instructor in Computer Science at West LA for more than a decade. He worked at LA Southwest College as a Computer & Network Specialist before being promoted to a Senior Computer & Network Specialist at Valley from 2012-2018. He left Valley to serve as College IT Manager at LA Southwest College and later at LA City College. Most recently, he was promoted as Regional IT Manager.

Kabwe left an indelible mark during his time at Valley College and was a beloved member of our Monarch family. He is fondly remembered for his positive personality, warm smile, laughter, and willingness to help the people around him.

Details about a virtual celebration of Kabwe’s life are pending and will be shared as soon as they are available.

As we all work through our grief especially in these challenging times, please continue to support one another and seek help if you need it. Grief counseling is available through the LACCD Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at (800) 327-0449.

Highest regards,

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: April 7, 2020

APRIL 7, 2020 CAMPUS UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT GRIBBONS

Dear Monarchs,

Thank you for your extraordinary efforts this past month as we transitioned to remote instruction and services. Your focus, commitment, and tireless efforts are having an incredible impact on our students!

Here are a few updates on Campus Access Procedures, Emergency Stipends from the LAVC Foundation, call for Campus Briefing Educational Moments and What’s Working, Donating Blood, Face Masks, and future Campus Briefing times:

Campus Access Procedures

You can continue to access campus for purposes of remote instruction and services, though we are doing everything we can to minimize time on campus and keep everyone safe. The following three steps will help ensure that the campus is safe and secure while permitting necessary access:

  1. Please coordinate with your department chair or supervisor the times that you need to be on campus for the remainder of the semester. For department chairs and supervisors, please check to make sure the same classroom or lab isn’t going to be accessed by more than one person in a three-day time period. Then, forward the requests to your dean. Deans, please send the requests to Marisol Lozano in the Sheriff’s Office.
  2. Call the LAVC Sheriff’s Station at (818) 947-2911 prior to coming to campus each time, even if you already have keys to your building.
  3. When finished, call the LAVC Sheriff’s Station to let them know you have left.

Also, check the attached draft cleaning schedule for buildings for the next couple months. During the scheduled times, there will be no access to allow for safe and thorough cleaning. If you know that you will need access during these times, please let your department chair or supervisor know by Friday, April 10th and we will do our best to adjust the schedule. Note that even if the schedule is adjusted our custodial staff will need several days blocked out to thoroughly clean each building.

While our custodial staff will do their best to follow the cleaning schedule, we anticipate that the schedule might need to be adjusted from time to time. For this reason, a revised schedule will be emailed to the entire campus community every Monday.

Thank you for your help in following these procedures to ensure that our campus is safe.

Emergency Stipends

Thank you to everyone who has donated to the LAVC Emergency Stipend Fund. Raul has now received more than $15,000! The need however, also is great. The Foundation has now received over 1,900 applications for the stipends. If you are interested in contributing, I know that Raul would gratefully receive additional donations. You can donate by going to: www.lavcfoundation.org.

Campus Briefing Education Moments and What’s Working

I received a great suggestion yesterday to add a component to our Campus Briefings using Zoom. I would love to hear your Educational Moments and What’s Working during the briefing. The Educational Moments are stories from the last few weeks of an experience that inspired you. Maybe it was a comment from a student, a conversation in your class via Zoom, or an exchange between colleagues. There are a few that I’ve shared and I look forward to hearing your stories. Also, I would love to hear your feedback on what’s working, maybe even working better than you expected. Just after a short update during each Campus Briefing I’ll invite you to share your stories and wrap up with questions and additional comments.

Donating Blood

I believe that it was Wendy that commented on the critical shortage of blood. As she mentioned, you can go to https://www.redcrossblood.org to find out more about donating blood.

Face Masks

Yes, face masks are now part of our daily lives. As Ellie mentioned on the Campus Briefing, if you are interested in ideas on how to make face masks for people of any age, go to: https://youtu.be/2zV6CAZWVYg.

Future Campus Briefings

Lastly, I’m going to try to adjust some of our Campus Briefing meeting times to accommodate people teaching until 1:00pm. Most briefings will still be M/W/F at noon, though Tanya will send out meeting reminders changing the time of a few of the briefings per requests.

Thank you again for all of your tireless efforts and the profound impact that you are having! I know that these times are stressful and challenging. Please reach out to me if there is anything I can do to support you!

Stay safe and be well,

Barry

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: March 31, 2020

CESAR CHAVEZ DAY

Dear Monarchs,

I want to express my appreciation for all of your efforts in support of our students during this time of immense transformation to remote services. Today, we celebrate our great civil rights activist, Cesar Chavez. One of his quotes especially reminds me of all of your tireless efforts of the past two weeks:

We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community…Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.

I think that this quote beautifully captures the intention and purpose that has driven us all to support and serve our students.

There is on more quote of Cesar Chavez that I would like to share with you:

Together, all things are possible.

Indeed, over the past two weeks you have demonstrated the power of coming together with unity of purpose and in support of each other.

While we will be skipping today’s Campus Briefing, I look forward to seeing you via Zoom tomorrow!

Stay well,

Barry

Barry Gribbons
President
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA  91401
818-947-2321
Email:  gribbobc@lavc.edu

Posted: March 24, 2020

LAVC PRESIDENT GRIBBONS LETTER TO CAMPUS COMMUNITY ON THE FIRST CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASE AT VALLEY COLLEGE

Read the LAVC President Gribbons Letter to Campus Community on COVID-19 (PDF)

 

LACCD Updates for Faculty & Staff

The following are messages from the Los Angeles Community College District to faculty and staff. If you want the latest employee-related COVID information from the Los Angeles Community College District, visit the LACCD Coronvirus Webpage for Faculty and Staff.

Posted: 07/14/2020

CHANCELLOR'S COMMUNICATION: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Dear LACCD Colleagues:

I am very pleased to share news that the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today announced the rescission of its plans to bar international students from remaining in the U.S. while taking online classes this fall.

After being challenged by numerous lawsuits and mounting opposition from the business and technology sectors, the Trump Administration’s directive was halted effective immediately.  The decision is a tremendous victory for student access and opportunity, and for about 1,300 international students who are currently enrolled at LACCD’s nine colleges.

We are grateful to see such a negative and unwarranted policy against hard-working international students stopped, but we must continue to remain vigilant in our ongoing advocacy efforts to support the rights of all students, including DACA, undocumented, international, re-entry, veterans, LGTBQIA+ and other vulnerable student populations who need our help more than ever during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Please be safe.

With admiration and respect,

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Los Angeles Community College District

Posted: 06/12/2020

ZOOM CHANGES FOR LACCD ACCOUNTS ON JUNE 12-14, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff,

There are more changes taking place for LACCD Zoom users in order to reduce confusion and improve the user experience.  Since there will be a period during which users will be unable to schedule or host meetings and will not be able to access recordings, we ask that you plan accordingly.  Users will still be able to join meetings hosted by others not at the college.  ConferZoom accounts will all be moved and no one will have the option to remain using ConferZoom.

It is strongly recommended that instructors do not schedule any meetings in summer classes until AFTER the new LTI is installed Saturday morning.  Recurring meetings scheduled in Canvas through the new Zoom link will all have the same meeting number. 

Timeline

Starting Friday, June 12, 2020, 9:00 pm, Zoom will be unavailable as the following events take place:

  • The ConferZoom accounts are migrated to the LACCD.Zoom.us subaccount.
  • A new and improved Canvas Zoom menu link will replace the existing ConferZoom and TechConnectSSO menu links

The changes should be completed by noon on Sunday, June 14, 2020.  There will be an announcement made as soon as the account migration has been completed.

It is POSSIBLE that Zoom user accounts will be available much earlier than Noon on Sunday.  Those users with accounts in laccd.zoom.us will be the first to have their accounts restored to full functionality.

Please view the PDF about Zoom Changes for LACCD Accounts for full details. This email only placed the first portion of the information in the PDF for you.

Please view Creating Zoom Account and Connecting to Canvas to create a laccd.zoom.us account if you have not already done so.

For additional help with remote education, a full list of user guides are provided on the LACCD Remote Education page.

Posted: 06/10/2020

CHANCELLOR'S MESSAGE TO LACCD COMMUNITY

Dear LACCD Colleagues,

BRAVO!

Yesterday, thanks to each of you, we completed the Spring 2020 Semester in the midst of a worldwide public health emergency with nine virtual recognition ceremonies celebrating our graduating Class of 2020 with about 4,000 graduates of the 15,000+ Associate degree earners participating in videos shown throughout the day on our colleges’ social media platforms.  This year, our youngest graduate was 14 years of age and the most mature, 80 years – and where else could that occur, but at a community college!

Our 2020 theme was, Brilliant Minds for Resilient Times, and it could not have been better stated.  The celebrations included congratulatory remarks from California Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, and Mayor Eric Garcetti.  My sincere appreciation to the 2020 Virtual Recognition Celebration Planning Committee and its tri-chairs, LASC President Seher Awan, WLAC President Jim Limbaugh, and LATTC President Katrina VanderWoude.  Simply outstanding work by the entire recognition celebration team.

If you were unable to join in the celebrations yesterday, below is a taste of the half-time entertainment by our talented students and faculty:

Los Angeles City College Latin Ensemble: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jr3k7f4qwejlftj/La%20Vida%20es%20un%20Carnaval%20VIDEO_FINAL.mov?dl=0

Los Angeles Harbor College Music Ensemble, Club 107: https://youtu.be/otXDQpdFbe4

Los Angeles Pierce College Virtual Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riOyADlWcmw&feature=youtu.be

To get to this point, your resiliency, your persistence and your dedication paid off.  Together, we moved academic and operational mountains by shifting nearly our entire in-classroom instruction schedule to remote learning and our business continuity to online, remote platforms to accommodate more than 150,000 students and 10,000 faculty, professional staff and administrators – all in two weeks!

The world we find ourselves in today is dramatically different from the one just a few, short months ago.  A vaccine to the COVID-19 virus remains elusive, the economy has been ravaged, inequities have been exacerbated, and the necessary, crucial conversations and actions around racial equity and social justice are finally occurring.  The type of world we will share and the more just society we envision is at stake.  Many more challenges and opportunities are in front of us, for certain, and we will need to work together, united, to find common ground and to craft sustainable solutions.

We have proven that we are strong, that we are resilient.  We are the Los Angeles Community College District, and you are indeed the best of us.

Our Board of Trustees, college presidents and administrators, and District executive team thank you and congratulate you on a job well done, and encourage your active engagement and assistance for the heavy lifting that lies ahead.

With admiration and respect,

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Los Angeles Community College District

Posted: 05/29/2020

ZOOM 5.0 UPDARTE REQUIRED AFTER MAY 30

Please be informed that you will need to upgrade your Zoom application to continue using it after May 30, 2020 due to security enhancements.

Zoom has released an announcement that no one can join a Zoom meeting after May 30 without upgrading to the new Zoom 5.0 software.

Please do the update so you will not miss an important meeting.

Here is a link to their announcement

There is a download link on that page so you can upgrade your Zoom software on your computers and other devices.

Posted: 05/28/2020

CHANCELLOR'S COMMUNICATION - COVID-19 UPDATE: MAY 28, 2020

Dear LACCD Faculty, Staff and Administrators:

I hope this message finds you and your families well and safe.  In moving forward as one District, the goal has been to prioritize the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, while maintaining the integrity of our teaching, learning and business environments, and sustaining operational continuity of a very large and complex organization.

STATE BUDGET MAY REVISION

Earlier today, Governor Gavin Newsom released his State Budget May Revision proposal for next year’s state budget, which begins officially on July 1, 2020.  The May Revision report is attached and to watch the Governor's full press conference, click here.

The budget news for California is sobering–a $54 billion budget gap to resolve–but not defeating, and clearly points to the unprecedented and devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency on our State’s challenging financial condition.  Our District Administration is engaged now with reviewing and analyzing the May Revise and its potential impact to LACCD.  The state Department of Finance is conducting a briefing for California Community Colleges on Friday, May 15, to provide further guidance for our two-year system.  Our community colleges are key to this state’s and nation’s economic recovery, and our District will leverage every resource, including our robust advocacy teams in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C., to ensure our voice and influence are present to continue the investment in higher education when it is needed the most.

YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY ARE OUR PRIORITY

These are troubling, unsettling times for all of us and it’s natural to be concerned or anxious.  If you feel sick, stay home, notify your healthcare provider and let your supervisor know.  If you do become ill from COVID-19, we want to know and want to help you if we can.  You can report your status using the hotline number, (213) 221-5112.

If you are feeling stressed, depressed or anxious and need to talk with someone, contact the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health 24 hours a day at (800) 854-7771; send a text message, “LA” at 741741, or at https://dmh.lacounty.gov/.  All LACCD personnel also can take advantage of our Employee Assistance Program, online at http://laccd.edu/Departments/HumanResources/Total-Wellness-Program/Pages/HR-ARFLbenefits.aspx , or by phone, 24/7, at (800) 327-0449.

Thank you all for your uncommon dedication to our students.  We will get through this, and we’ll be stronger and more unified as a result.  Resilience and resolve must prevail here, and please stay safe.

LACCD Proud. You are the best of us.

With admiration and respect,

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Los Angeles Community College District\

Posted: 05/15/2020

LACCD CHAT WITH THE CHANCELLOR VIDEO RECORDING

The Los Angeles Community College District has posted a video recording of the LACCD virtual Chat with the Chancellor that took place on Tuesday, May 12 on YouTube. 

Posted: 05/14/2020

CHANCELLOR'S COMMUNICATION: GOVERNOR NEWSOM'S STATE BUDGET MAY REVISION (MAY 14, 2020)

Dear LACCD Faculty, Staff and Administrators:

I hope this message finds you and your families well and safe.  In moving forward as one District, the goal has been to prioritize the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, while maintaining the integrity of our teaching, learning and business environments, and sustaining operational continuity of a very large and complex organization.

STATE BUDGET MAY REVISION

Earlier today, Governor Gavin Newsom released his State Budget May Revision proposal for next year’s state budget, which begins officially on July 1, 2020.  The May Revision report is attached and to watch the Governor's full press conference, click here.

The budget news for California is sobering–a $54 billion budget gap to resolve–but not defeating, and clearly points to the unprecedented and devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency on our State’s challenging financial condition.  Our District Administration is engaged now with reviewing and analyzing the May Revise and its potential impact to LACCD.  The state Department of Finance is conducting a briefing for California Community Colleges on Friday, May 15, to provide further guidance for our two-year system.  Our community colleges are key to this state’s and nation’s economic recovery, and our District will leverage every resource, including our robust advocacy teams in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C., to ensure our voice and influence are present to continue the investment in higher education when it is needed the most.

YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY ARE OUR PRIORITY

These are troubling, unsettling times for all of us and it’s natural to be concerned or anxious.  If you feel sick, stay home, notify your healthcare provider and let your supervisor know.  If you do become ill from COVID-19, we want to know and want to help you if we can.  You can report your status using the hotline number, (213) 221-5112.

If you are feeling stressed, depressed or anxious and need to talk with someone, contact the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health 24 hours a day at (800) 854-7771; send a text message, “LA” at 741741, or at https://dmh.lacounty.gov/.  All LACCD personnel also can take advantage of our Employee Assistance Program, online at http://laccd.edu/Departments/HumanResources/Total-Wellness-Program/Pages/HR-ARFLbenefits.aspx , or by phone, 24/7, at (800) 327-0449.

Thank you all for your uncommon dedication to our students.  We will get through this, and we’ll be stronger and more unified as a result.  Resilience and resolve must prevail here, and please stay safe.

LACCD Proud. You are the best of us.

With admiration and respect,

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Los Angeles Community College District

Posted: 04/28/2020

CHANCELLOR'S COVID-19 UPDATE: APRIL 28, 2020

Dear LACCD Faculty, Staff and Administrators:

I hope this message finds you and your families well and safe.  As we begin our fifth week of instruction in our “new normal,” I wanted to communicate with you on several important COVID-19 related matters.

In moving forward as one District, the goal has been to prioritize the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, while maintaining the integrity of our teaching and learning and business environments, and sustaining operational continuity of a very large and complex organization.

We will remain committed in the days and months ahead to keeping our employees and students safe and informed.  I am proud of the leadership of our administrative teams at the colleges and at the Educational Services Center (ESC), and I am fully confident that we will continue to make good decisions.  Our faculty and professional classified staff have proven that they have the grace and intelligence to do astounding things under extraordinary pressure.  Consider this, prior to March 30, 18% of our classes were online. Today, it is close to 95%—simply amazing and a real testament to the excellence and innovative spirit of our colleges and the grit of our students.

The District has taken extra precautionary measures and policies through our Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to mitigate the spread of the virus by limiting the number of employees performing essential functions at our colleges and the ESC.  The EOC has also helped coordinate districtwide communications, including the www.laccd.edu/coronavirus website, and new training opportunities for District personnel—from Zoom usage and FEMA classes to workplace pathogen cleaning—while also coordinating the use of resources districtwide and leveraging purchases of new personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff. 

While no one can predict the probable duration of this public health crisis, there are additional data that have emerged that will serve to inform our thinking of when and how to “return.”  As one example, Morgan Stanley published the model below that illustrates the probable life of COVID-19:

cid:image005.png@01D61962.8B8050A0

Medical experts indicate a vaccine for COVID-19 currently remains about a year away, predicting the first three months of 2021 for a vaccine to be broadly available.  Experts also are warning about a potential second wave of COVID-19, which is typical for widespread pandemic scenarios.  Right now, there are so many known and unknown factors that could influence the acceleration or deceleration of our return to our physical campuses and normal way of life.  The complete article is available here: https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/coronavirus-peak-recovery-timeline

CURRENT COVID-19 STATUS AT LACCD

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, the District’s Spring 2020 classes at all nine colleges will continue in remote teaching and learning platforms for the remainder of the semester, currently scheduled to end on June 8, 2020.  While all of the colleges and District facilities remain open for learning and business operations in remote platforms, all facilities are physically closed to all except for pre-identified essential staff.

As of April 28, LACCD has the following number of self-reported cases of staff, faculty and students reported to the EOC:

  • 42       Self-reported testing positive for COVID-19
  • 22       Self-reported symptomatic, but not tested
  • 26       Self-reported case of possible exposure
  • 1         Fatality (included in the 42 testing positive)

There is currently one (1) reported case of exposure that has been reported to the EOC within the 14-day window, and this individual is self-quarantined.

The County of Los Angeles, meanwhile, remains the epicenter for the outbreak in California, with more than 20,400 confirmed cases and 942 deaths.

The EOC continues to aggressively track all LACCD cases reported to the colleges and to the information hotline at (213) 221-5112 and by email at:  coronavirusinfo@laccd.edu

As appropriate, and needed, notices continue to go out to the colleges and District personnel regarding these reports, including closure notices to campus facilities by essential staff for their own safety.

SUMMER AND FALL SESSIONS

Given the present health and safety restrictions, all summer session classes, scheduled to begin June 15, 2020, and all fall semester classes will be offered in remote learning/online environments, at this point, with the possibility of returning for a limited number of “hard to convert” courses/programs, if health and safety allow at any point in the semester.  Student support services and most of the District’s business operations will continue to be conducted in similar remote service environments. 

We are mindful of those classes that have been “had to convert” to remote teaching and learning.  We have been working with state agencies and faculty leaders to identify flexibility, simulations and solutions for laboratory, clinical, and other hands-on course and program requirements.

We ask for your patience and support as we work through these issues.  Some spring semester classes, especially in the allied health and sciences, and career education areas may need to be extended into the summer session or modified to satisfy course and program requirements.

COMMENCEMENT

A LACCD 2020 Virtual Graduation Planning Committee was formed on April 1, 2020, with representatives from each of the nine colleges and ESC, including student leaders from three of our colleges.  A final proposal is expected by May 1 to plan and potentially organize a “virtual recognition” of 2020 graduates.  We are also reaching out to all students who have filed petitions to graduate in June through a new survey issued last week.  We will have more information from the survey soon, but preliminary responses indicate while there is some support for a virtual recognition, most wish to walk in a traditional commencement ceremony when health and safety restrictions allow.  Stay tuned.

STUDENT BASIC NEEDS AND PHILANTHROPY

LACCD has mobilized quickly to do our part to mitigate the community spread of COVID-19.  However, this call to action in the public’s interest has had a deleterious impact on our District’s ending balance reserve—about $15.0 million to date that has been or is projected to be spent to address COVID-19 matters. 

COVID-19 has disrupted our students’ educational and career pathways, as well as their daily lives, and is particularly difficult for our neediest and most vulnerable students, who cannot complete online/remote learning because they do not have access to a computer or reliable internet connectivity.  Many of our students come from families who work in service industries for minimum wages or have experienced job losses.  At a time when many of our students are having a difficult time meeting basic needs, the impact of COVID-19 has only exacerbated these gaps.  The District also continues to wait for federal monies through the approved CARES Act for direct student assistance.  Our colleges stand ready to distribute these funds as soon as we receive the federal aid.

Meanwhile, thanks to the generous outpouring of personal giving, corporate philanthropy and local foundations, college foundations and Associated Students, LACCD has been able to respond quickly to meet some of these student basic needs addressing food insecurity, emergency aid and technology tools.  Since March 15, I am proud to share that LACCD has raised more than $1.5 million in support of students’ basic needs.  While impressive, it only begins to address the vast needs of our amazing and resilient students.  If you are compelled to support our students, the time is now.  Just click “Donate” in the following link: http://laccd.edu/About/foundation/Pages/default.aspx

LACCD RECOVERY PLANS

The EOC has begun its work to outline our “recovery plan” for LACCD—that is, “when and how” we expect to return to our physical campuses and work environments.  Our recovery will occur in phases over several weeks and months, guided by governmental and public health orders and guidelines on testing, social distancing, and congregations.  Our recovery planning is being done in conjunction with the colleges and we’ll share more about our thinking at the May 6 Board of Trustees meeting.

STAY INFORMED

While we continue to communicate with everyone on a districtwide and college-specific basis, I encourage you to stay informed using the following resources: 

YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY ARE OUR PRIORITY

These are troubling, unsettling times for all of us and it’s natural to be concerned or anxious.  Nothing is more important than your physical and mental health—and that of your family or loved ones—and I urge everyone to please take care of yourself and your families.

If you feel sick, stay home, notify your healthcare provider and let your supervisor know.  If you do become ill from COVID-19, we want to know and want to help you if we can.  You can report your status using the hotline number included in this report.

If you are feeling stressed, depressed or anxious and need to talk with someone, contact the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health 24 hours a day at (800) 854-7771; send a text message, “LA” at 741741, or at https://dmh.lacounty.gov/.  All LACCD personnel also can take advantage of our Employee Assistance Program, online at http://laccd.edu/Departments/HumanResources/Total-Wellness-Program/Pages/HR-ARFLbenefits.aspx , or by phone, 24/7, at (800) 327-0449.

We’ll get through this, and we’ll be stronger and more unified.  Thank you all for your uncommon dedication to our students, your resilience and your patience.  Please stay safe.

LACCD Proud. You are the best of us.

With admiration and respect,

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Los Angeles Community College District

Posted: 04/08/2020

CHANCELLOR'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF SAD NEWS: COVID-19

Dear LACCD Colleagues,

It is with a very heavy heart that I share with you the sad and tragic news that one of our LACCD colleagues has passed away as a result of complications from COVID-19.

Out of respect for the employee’s family and their privacy, I am not sharing our colleague’s name.  Our colleague was hospitalized on March 29 after exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.  I was informed only a short while ago that our colleague passed away this morning.  I have no other information to share about plans to help support the family during this time of immense grief.  I will be reaching out at the appropriate time on behalf of our LACCD family to extend our deepest condolences and support.

Our colleague worked for the District’s Information Technology Office for more than 15 years and was very well-respected, especially in response to this public health emergency.  Our colleagues in IT and those who worked closely with the employee over the years are especially devastated, so I humbly ask that you allow them space and time to grieve for their loss.

Please know that all appropriate steps and notifications have been made to any employee who may have come into contact with our fallen colleague prior to their hospitalization.  We will continue to remain in contact with them.

This is a terrible loss for all of us and the news will impact many of us very hard.  I encourage you to utilize our Employee Assistance Program or the County Mental Health Hotline for any grief counseling you may need.  The County’s Mental Health Hotline is available 24/7 at (800) 854-7771, or send a text to  "LA" to 741741.  Our EAP is also available 24/7 at (800) 327-0449.

This is a very sad, sad day for the entire LACCD community.  Please continue to take care of yourselves, your families and take all necessary precautions to combat the spread of this coronavirus.

Rest in peace, dear colleague.

With admiration and respect,

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Los Angeles Community College District

Posted: 03/30/2020

WELCOME BACK,  THANK YOU, LACCD FACULTY, STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS

Dear LACCD Faculty, Staff and Administrators:

It is with the greatest pride that I welcome you back to classes today!  Without your tremendous commitment, resilience and sacrifice over the past weeks, this would never have been possible – THANK YOU!

LACCD Board of Trustees President Andra Hoffman and I have put together this short video to express our heartfelt appreciation on behalf of the Board, College Presidents and executive staff.  Words cannot express the gratitude and pride we feel, and the accolades you each deserve.

LACCD Proud. You are the best of us.

Please click here to watch the video.

With admiration and respect,

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Los Angeles Community College District

Posted: 03/27/2020

CLOSED CAPTIONED VERSION FOR THE FB LIVESTREAM OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AD-HOC COMMITTEE ON INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY (ITS) 

Greetings to All Faculty and Staff,

Chancellor Rodriguez wanted to make sure you had this link https://youtu.be/JhlU_l0qGVo  regarding a closed captioned version for the FB livestream of the Board of Trustee’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Innovation, Technology and Sustainability (ITS) that took place on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.  It was completed via Zoom and the FB livestream. This version is on our YouTube page.  

Chancellor Rodriguez also wanted to share please that during his meeting, several important topics concerning our District’s COVID-19 response were discussed, including:

  • Use of Information Technology in Remote Learning and Remote Work
  • Use of Social Media and Communications Moving Forward
  • Overview of District’s Emergency Operations Center
  • Conversion to an Online Teaching and Learning Environment
  • Federal, State and Local Advocacy
  • Commencement/Graduation Ceremony

It may answer several of the questions you may have concerning our COVID-19 response and plans moving forward.  This posted version is closed-captioned and is the official LACCD transmission.  Please share with others who may be interested.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Chancellor, College Presidents and Executive Staff, THANK YOU for your flexibility and support.

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District

Posted: 03/27/2020

MESSAGE FROM LACCD CHANCELLOR RODRIGUEZ

To Our Amazing Faculty, Staff and Administrators:

I hope this message finds you and your families well, as we prepare on Monday, March 30, to execute the largest transformation to online education in our state and District’s history.  I recognize and thank each of you for your amazing personal resiliency, uncommon dedication to our students, and your innovative spirit over the last several weeks.  The pace of decision-making has been unprecedented and the most fluid in my 35 years as a college professional and administrator.

LACCD PROUD
The many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted every part of our daily lives.  I am proud of the people who are leading by example during this strenuous and demanding period– people like you ­–persisting with grit, intelligence and grace, as you shoulder the critical responsibility of sustaining this academic year and beyond.  The rapid transition to remote teaching and remote work required a great deal of flexibility, resilience and patience.  Our teams have been working tirelessly to help our organization successfully adapt to our new and unpredictable realities.  We are working around the clock to secure additional funding, and provide policy recommendations and additional solutions in support of community colleges.

Thank you for doing your best to deal with the difficulties and uncertainties we are facing. Together, we will keep the academic year on course and fulfill our mission and promise to provide an affordable, high quality and accessible education to our students.  It has not been easy and we will continue to face many challenges, but together we will weather this storm.  We are all in this together.

COMMUNICATION IN REAL TIME
The Los Angeles Community College District and our Board of Trustees are committed to providing up-to-date information, resources and support to keep you and our students safe.  We are posting timely information to the District’s website at www.laccd.edu/coronavirus. The resource includes Frequently Asked Questions and a page bearing useful information for staff and faculty. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news.  

STAY THE COURSE
Our colleges now play an even more important role to the communities we proudly serve.  For so many of our students, our colleges represent “home,” a safe place, and many rely on us for basic needs beyond education – food and shelter, financial assistance, internet access and more.  Our students are feeling the severe impact of this social and economic upheaval caused by COVID-19, and some are frightened about their future.  LACCD endeavors to be a beacon of light and fountain of hope for our students.

Together, we’ll do our part to protect the health of our communities by providing much-needed access to and success in higher education, and by forging a more prosperous tomorrow. 

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, college presidents and executive staff, THANK YOU for your flexibility and support, as we navigate through these unprecedented times.

Salud, fuerza y corazón.  Health, strength and heart.

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District

Posted: 03/26/2020

From the LACCD - New Protocol for Staff Regarding COVID-19 Exposure Incidents

Any staff that has positive for COVID-19 OR is experiencing the symptoms of COVID-19 exposure must report the incident immediately to their supervisor. Any staff that has a co-worker who contacts them about testing positive for COVID-19 or is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should also reported to their supervisor.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the current symptoms include: 

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath

The CDC’s “emergency warning signs” of coronavirus includes:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion or inability to arouse
  • Bluish lips or face

Initial Supervisor Response to Report from a Co-Worker Related to COVID-19

If an employee reports to you that they have tested positive for COVID-19, or a coworker informs you that one of their co-worker tested positive for COVID-19 give the affected employee the following information:

  • Immediately home isolate
  • Call your doctor or healthcare provider for further direction
  • Continue to monitor your symptoms closely and seek medical care as soon as possible if symptoms get worse
  • Keep in contact with their immediate supervisor with updates on your condition
  • Encourage them to make arrangements with their supervisor for any special needs or help
  • Remind them to contact with, and remain in contact with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
  • If they are having difficulty breathing or keeping fluids down, go to an emergency room, urgent care, or call 911

Further Guidance to Supervisor

If an employee reports to you that they have not tested for COVID-19, but are experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus, including fever, cough and/or difficulty breathing, the instructor will give the following instructions to the student:

  • Immediately home isolate
  • Call your doctor or healthcare provider for direction
  • Monitor your symptoms closely and seek medical care as soon as possible if symptoms get worse · Keep in contact with your supervisor with updates on your condition
  • Encourage them to make arrangements with their supervisor for any special needs or help
  • Call your doctor if you have had close contact with a person who has a confirmed case of COVID-19
  • Stay informed with official information from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
  • If you are having difficulty breathing or keeping fluids down, go to an emergency room, urgent care, or call 911

Supervisor’s Steps To Informing Other Employees

If an employee has been in the office or workplace environment within 14 days of reporting to you of experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or has tested positive, you should tell other co-workers who may also be impacted:

“A co-worker in our (INSERT NAME OF Department/division, workplace environment, NOT co-worker’s name) is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (OR INSERT “has tested positive for COVID-19”) and you may have been exposed to the virus. Please monitor yourself for symptoms of respiratory illness, such as fever and dry cough. In an abundance of caution, it is recommended that you voluntarily self-quarantine and make arrangements with your supervisor for any work projects or assignments to be done remotely. If you experience any symptoms, please call your doctor before going in to seek care. Additional information is available at: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/.”

Any staff member who has a co-worker reporting a positive test for, or experiencing symptoms of, COVID-19 should follow the same instructions given to employee if they have been in contact with the employee within the past 14 days. Namely, they should home isolate for 14 days and carefully self-monitor for symptoms, and call their doctor for direction. The staff member should also immediately inform their direct supervisor so that any additional notifications can be sent as needed.

Posted: 03/19/2020

LACCD: SAFER AT HOME ORDERS

Dear LACCD Colleagues,

Late this afternoon, the Health Officer from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, in conjunction with the top elected leaders for Los Angeles County, the Cities of Los Angeles, Pasadena and Long Beach, gave the order for all residents within the County of Los Angeles to stay home until April 19, 2020.  California Governor Gavin Newsom also announced this evening that “Safer at Home” orders are now expanded statewide until further notice.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR LACCD

Effective immediately, I am directing that all LACCD faculty, staff and students to follow the “Safer At Home” health orders issued today to limit the community spread of COVID-19.  While we are still technically “open,” the vast majority of services and buildings are closed to the public as we transition to a remote work and learning environment.

During this time, the only personnel, including faculty and staff, who are engaged in “essential functions” for the academic and business continuity of the District are required to come to their workplace using social distancing guidelines. 

For now, these essential services are defined as follows:

  • Accounts Payable
  • College Incident Command Centers
  • Custodial Services
  • Emergency Operations Center
  • Farm Staff at Los Angeles Pierce College
  • Information Technology
  • Legal
  • Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Community College Bureau personnel
  • Maintenance & Operations
  • Payroll
  • Presidents & Executive Staff at the District and the Colleges
  • Procurement & Contracts
  • Receiving

We have shifted rapidly into a remote work and learning environment where there will be a minimum of essential functions with personnel on each campus and the District Office.  Please check-in with your supervisor to make arrangements to recover any personal items or necessary materials at your office in order to work remotely.

STAY INFORMED

We will continue to keep you informed through our website, www.laccd.edu/coronavirus, telephone, Zoom and emails.  We are reviewing the health orders now for additional clarification, but the orders become effective by midnight.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the College Presidents and our Executive Team, thank you for your patience and professionalism as we navigate together through this fluid public health emergency.  I am extremely proud of how we have risen to meet these unprecedented challenges.

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor

Posted: 03/15/2020

CHANCELLOR'S MESSAGE #2 (MARCH 15, 2020): GOV NEWSOM'S DIRECTION, HOME ISOLATION

Dear LACCD Colleagues:

This is my second message for today, as this situation is fluid and dynamic.

This afternoon, California Governor Gavin Newsom held a press conference and gave direction for individuals to immediately home isolate for the next 14 days, if:

  1. You are 65 years of age or older, and/or
  2. You have existing chronic health conditions, regardless of age.

As such, LACCD is following the Governor’s direction and adhering to the HR Guidelines for Absences Related to COVID-19: Absenteeism Guidelines.  Individuals in this situation should follow Item 5 of the HR Guidelines. 

Let me be clear and be assured that no employee shall go into less than full paid status if illness days are insufficient to cover the leave period – no employee will lose pay.  An ethic of care and responsibility must prevail here.

LACCD Human Resources is developing further guidance for employees impacted by the Governor’s guidelines.

Please contact your direct supervisor as soon as possible if you are in one or both of these categories of individuals.

Thank you for your attention to this important message.

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor 

Posted: 03/15/2020

CHANCELLOR'S MESSAGE: MARCH 15, 2020

Dear LACCD Colleagues:

Since yesterday’s message, we have had a series of questions come forward that need additional clarification.  In addition, a separate message with additional guidance will be sent later, per Governor Newsom’s press conference earlier this afternoon.

  1. Do I come to work tomorrow?

Yes.  All employees are to come to work tomorrow as regularly scheduled (except student workers, see below).  All colleges, centers, and the ESC are open until further notice.  If you are sick, stay home, and let your immediate supervisor know.   We understand that for some of you, childcare arrangements, may be an issue and you need to report that to your supervisor.

  1. Do student workers come to work tomorrow?

No.  Student workers (including tutors, cadets, CGCA’s) are not to report to work for the next two weeks.  They will be paid what they would have regularly earned for those days.

  1. Is the faculty training for remote/online learning still happening at all of the colleges?

Yes.  The training will take place March 16-20 because we must transition as many courses to remote learning as quickly as possible for a go-live date on March 30. This pertains to all courses, including dual enrollment and non-credit.

  1. Are all classes suspended for the next two weeks, even the ones that are currently online?

Yes.  Classes resume on March 30.

  1. Are the Child Development Centers open this week?

Yes.  The Child Development Centers will remain open March 16-20, but they will be closed March 23-27 for spring break.  If severely impacted by high absenteeism, the centers may be required to close.

  1. Will all employees convert to telecommuting within the next two weeks?

No.  We are working as quickly as possible to transition as many functions to remote delivery. Consult with your direct supervisor.

  1. Will I still get paid if I don’t come to work?

All employees are to follow the Absenteeism Guidelines issued last week by the Human Resources Division.

PLEASE:

  • Use good personal hygiene, per the Los Angeles County Public Health Department Guidelines
  • If you are sick, stay home.  Self-monitor for symptoms; call your healthcare provider for directions
  • Stay informed with reliable sources of information, include our LACCD Coronavirus webpage for information directly about the District and our colleges
  • The most current LACCD news release March 15 is online
  • We must work together and stay calm.

Thank you for your professionalism and patience, as we navigate this enormous challenge together.

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor

Posted: 03/14/2020

CHANCELLOR'S MESSAGE: MARCH 14, 2020

Dear LACCD Colleagues:

Earlier today, the Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting to hear how the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) and our nine colleges have responded to the public health emergency known as COVID-19 Coronavirus and to explore various options for moving forward as an organization.

This global pandemic is serious; however, we have an important responsibility to provide for the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, while maintaining the integrity of our learning environments and the operational continuity of our large, complex organization.

LACCD will do its part to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through social distancing and the other measures noted below.  Effective immediately, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the following steps at its meeting today, including to:

  • Suspend all classes Monday, March 16 through Sunday, March 29.
  • Move the District’s Spring Break to run Monday, March 23 through Sunday, March 29 instead of the currently scheduled break, April 6-11.
  • Suspend in-person services at the colleges, March 16-28.  During this time, there will be many offices at the colleges that will also be closed to the public and some staff will begin to work remotely throughout this period with supervisorial approval.
  • Begin remote learning (online education) and remote business operations on Monday, March 30 through the end of the spring semester.

This action provides our colleges two full weeks to transition to online education for as many disciplines and student services as possible, without impacting the academic schedule.  This plan also alleviates the need for additional instructional days.

It is important to note that all of our colleges and the District’s Office will be open during this time.  The planned professional development for faculty to transition to distance education will now be expanded to the full week, March 16-20.  Our Student Health Centers and Child Development Centers will also remain open next week to allow parents time to make childcare arrangements, but they will be closed during Spring Break.  Police services will be available continuously.

The situation is fluid and changes daily.  We must be flexible, nimble and responsible stewards of the public’s trust and resources, while committing to keep our employees and students safe and informed.  There are still many unanswered questions and we will get answers to you just as soon as possible.  Our District and college leadership teams, with our employee bargaining groups and District Academic Senate leaders, have worked endless hours to bring clarity to this unprecedented situation.  I appreciate their guidance and consultation, and commend the work we are doing together.

The Board of Trustees, the college and district administrators and I thank each of you for your support, professionalism and patience, as we navigate this enormous challenge together.

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor

Posted: 03/13/2020

CHANCELLOR'S MESSAGE: MARCH 13, 2020

Dear LACCD Colleagues:

I am writing to share important information concerning the District’s COVID-19 Coronavirus response and our projected plans moving forward. 

The events that have unfolded across the world, the nation and in our own communities have been unprecedented.  While there have been no confirmed cases directly connected to the Los Angeles Community College District’s colleges, prudence dictates that it is just a matter of time before that occurs.  Therefore, the District is taking extra precautionary measures to help mitigate the spread of the virus as outlined in my message to the District on Wednesday, March 11, and more efforts will follow.

On Saturday, March 14, 2020, the Board of Trustees will hold an emergency meeting beginning at noon to hear how the District has responded to this public health threat and to explore various options for moving forward; balancing the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, and maintaining the integrity of our learning environments, while sustaining operational continuity of this very large and complex organization.

I want to assure you that we are committed in the days ahead to keeping our employees and students safe and informed.  I am proud of the leadership team we have in place at both the District and at our colleges and I am confident that we will make good decisions.

I know that you have many questions as to what is in store for our colleges, our students and for you, personally.  I also understand that it is frustrating that some of those questions cannot be answered just yet.  I thank each of you for your support, flexibility and patience as we navigate this enormous challenge together.

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor

Posted: 03/11/2020

LACCD TRANSITION TO ONLINE EDUCATION/COVID-19 UPDATE

LACCD Colleagues:

I am announcing today that the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) will move as many classes as possible into an online education platform for all nine colleges, including Los Angeles City College, East Los Angeles College, Los Angeles Harbor College, Los Angeles Mission College, Los Angeles Pierce College, Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Los Angeles Valley College and West Los Angeles College.

Online instruction is expected to begin on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.  During this time, all LACCD colleges and the District will remain open, subject to the direction of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) or the California Department of Public Health.  As of March 11, 2020, LACCD has no confirmed evidence or official notice from health officials about any coronavirus cases or exposure risks related to any of the District’s colleges or facilities.

This decision was made with the thoughtful consultation of many district leaders, and out of an abundance of caution to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff and to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.  LACCD stands united with our higher education colleagues locally and throughout the nation that safety is our top priority as part of our mission to provide excellent educational opportunities for our students.  Prudence needs to prevail here.

On March 16-17, all classes at all colleges will be canceled to provide two days of professional development and training for faculty to access and teach in the online platform, Canvas, and other platforms such as Zoom.  Faculty may attend the training sessions at any LACCD college and will not be required to drive to their college of employment.

Effective March 16 through April 13, all public events and other activities estimated to draw more than 100 people at any of LACCD’s colleges and District facilities will be postponed, modified or possibly canceled.  This change is in accordance with LACDPH recommendations to increase social distancing and to limit large events.  All athletic events are also under review.  No decision has been made regarding cancellation, modification or postponement of graduation ceremonies for any of the colleges currently planned for June 9.

There will be some exceptions for courses that do not lend well to an online format, especially for career education programs.  Exceptions and other modifications are under review for hands-on labs, performance classes, adult education classes and physical education/kinesiology courses.

LACCD Board of Trustees President Andra Hoffman said the Board supports these changes. “The Board of Trustees fully supports the proactive leadership of the District and Colleges during this time of uncertainty.  We want to assure our students, faculty, staff and the entire campus community that their health and welfare is our primary concern,” Board President Hoffman said.

The changes will remain in effect until at least April 13.  LACCD officials will continuously evaluate the status of the transition to the online platform.  LACCD will also evaluate the ongoing impacts to the District due to the local public health emergency declared by LACDPH and the recent declaration made March 11 by the World Health Organization that the situation is now considered to be an official worldwide pandemic.

All updated information will continue to be posted on the District’s website: www.laccd.edu/coronavirus.  All of the colleges’ websites have links directing viewers to this same webpage for the same information.

LACCD will activate an Online Learning Call Center to help students and faculty with specific online education questions or concerns.  The Online Learning Call Center will be open starting Wednesday, March 18 and will operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday at (818) 938-8418.

For all other calls regarding coronavirus and COVID-19 as it relates specifically to LACCD, the telephone number to call is (213) 221-5112.  Or, send an email to coronavirusinfo@laccd.edu.  For general information about the virus, county health officials ask the public to call 2-1-1.

Other measures already in place for LACCD include the suspension of all non-essential travel by District and College executives and deans.  The travel restrictions are currently under review for expansion to all LACCD personnel and students.

Additional information is being posted to the District’s main social media accounts, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LACCD/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/laccd.  Statewide information for the California Community College system on this situation can be found at: https://www.cccco.edu/About-Us/Chancellors-Office/Divisions/Communications-andMarketing/Novel-Coronavirus.

Prevention and Hygiene recommendations from LACDPH continues to be:

  • If you are sick for any reason, stay home
  • If sick, self-monitor and call your primary healthcare provider for advice.
  • Symptoms to watch for include a fever over 100.4 degrees; cough or shortness of breath
  • Frequent and complete hand washing for at least 20 seconds
  • Stay six feet or more from strangers and those who are ill
  • Stop shaking hands with others to reduce the spread of germs
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
  • Sneeze and cough into a tissue or your sleeve, safely throw away used tissues

Thank you for assistance, cooperation and flexibility, as we navigate this unprecedented situation together.

Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Chancellor

LAVC Communication to Students

A complete list of Coronavirus-related communication sent to the students is available on the LAVC Coronavirus Updates for Students Webpage.