The majority of classes available at the Peralta Community College District’s four colleges will be offered in remote or hybrid formats for the upcoming summer and fall 2021 semesters, according to an announcement circulated by Interim Chancellor Carla Walter this morning.
Although most learning experiences at Peralta will carry on in distanced pandemic fashion, the announcement does indicate that restrictions will likely loosen, especially in the fall. Currently, there are a few technical education classes happening in-person and some athletic conditioning. The district office and four campuses are officially closed through the end of July.
College leadership at the four schools — Berkeley City College, Merritt College, College of Alameda and Laney College — will determine which specific classes will be offered in hybrid or in-person modalities this summer and fall, but the announcement did specify which types of classes will be eligible to move partially or entirely in-person.
During the summer, in-person opportunities will be “a limited number” of career education and athletic conditioning courses. During the fall, a few more courses might be hybrid or in-person, including career education, athletic conditioning, science laboratories, and “selected courses and/or programs to be determined by the College leadership,” according to the announcement.
Meanwhile, student services — such as admissions and records, financial aid and counseling — will continue to be offered online this summer. It’s possible some of those will come back in-person by the fall, but the announcement noted that “no formal determination has been made.”
All offerings across the district must be compliant with COVID-19 safety protocols, officially through the fall semester and possibly longer.
Walter noted that in making these decisions, “we continue to work closely with local public health officials and the state chancellors office while we serve the community and meet our mission.”
Students can visit Safe Peralta, a COVID-19 resource hub the district started last year, for updated information about these issues.
