Chancellor’s announcement: COVID-19 update
While we remain open and offer classes remotely, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in our country, our state, and our local community. On December 6, 2020, Alameda County joined several counties in the Bay Area to implement the state’s new regional Stay Home order. The new order, Number 20-21, began on December 7, 2020 and remains in effect through January 4, 2021. This Order reflects new restrictions imposed by the State of California in its Blueprint for a Safer Economy for Counties in the Purple Tier of the State’s reopening framework and adds additional restrictions.
So what does this mean for the Peralta Community College District? In short, work and study from home. The health and safety of our students and employees remains our top priority and following this order to stay home will help slow the spread of COVID-19. Please continue to work and study remotely and do not come to a college campus or the District office during the mandated Stay Home order unless it is absolutely necessary. Employees who need to access the college campuses to perform essential functions, should use your college access protocol to obtain approval.
All athletics team outdoor activities have been paused for the remainder of the Stay Home order.
As we head into the Spring 2021 semester that begins on January 25, 2021, we remain open yet all classes will be offered online, including non-essential Career Education (CE) courses and science labs. Essential CE courses may be limited to capstone courses only and /or may have a start date that is later than January 25, 2021. Athletics, including conditioning classes, will remain paused during the Spring 2021 semester.
We realize this is a difficult time for most of us to remain sheltered in place or to regress to earlier closure guidelines. We are doing all we can to keep our community safe and support student educational needs, now and into the future. We are open in the spring. Our dedicated faculty and staff are available online to support students. We have resources available including free Chromebook laptops and discounts for Internet service. We offer financial aid including grants like the California Promise Grant, which allows students who are first-time full-time community college attendees to do so for free. Additional grants and scholarships are available from the Peralta Colleges Foundation.
Visit https://safe.peralta.edu/ for the latest information about the COVID-19 pandemic and Peralta Community College District.
Thank you, stay and be well,
Dr. Carla Walter
Interim Chancellor
Peralta Community College District