Dear Campus Community:

In order to limit the transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on our campuses, and in an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff, I am writing to let you know of actions Long Beach City College will be taking over the coming days and weeks. Please note that as of today, March 11, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at either campus at this time, and LBCC is not closed for business.

Moving to Online Classes

• By Wed., March 18, LBCC will convert most in-person classes to temporary remote instruction wherever possible through Canvas, ConferZoom, and other modalities. The anticipated date of return to campus is Mon., April 13. However, this date may change as this health crisis continues to evolve. LBCC will update the campus community on the date of return.
• Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSP&S) is in the process of contacting all faculty who provide instruction to students with a disability or chronic illness or injury, to help address any questions regarding course adaptations or accommodations as we move to remote teaching. DSP&S will help you understand responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and provide you further assistance with arranging accommodations. Students with a disability or chronic illness or injury may also reach out to DSP&S for further support with arranging accommodations as LBCC moves to remote teaching. Please contact DSP&S at (562) 938-4558 (LAC) or (562) 938-3921 (PCC), and www.LBCC.edu/disabled-student-services. 
• Students and Faculty can find helpful guides to assist them at www.LBCC.edu/Coronavirus.
• Faculty received an additional email from Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Kathy Scott today to give more detail about the transition to moving most classes online.
• A list of classes that will NOT be moving online will be available on the www.LBCC.edu/Coronavirus website by the end of this week.

Postponement of District Sponsored Events

From Thurs., March 12, through Sun., April 12, events sponsored by Long Beach City College where the public have been invited will be postponed. This action is to reduce the number of events where a large mass of people are gathering to help slow the COVID-19 outbreak. Please visit www.LBCC.edu/Coronavirus for a full list of events that have been postponed. Re-scheduling these events will be announced at a later date.

Exceptions to this is the March 16 Personnel Commission meeting, and the March 25 Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees meeting.

District Travel

For District employees, Long Beach City College is halting any LBCC-sponsored travel now until after Sun., April 12. Exceptions must be approved by LBCC executive leadership.

LBCC is Not Closing

Long Beach City College is not closing. College facilities will remain open, and operations will continue normally. Unless they are actively sick, non-faculty employees should report to work as normal.

The LBCC COVID-19 Response Team continues to work through issues related to this evolving health crisis, including bringing in extra cleaning crews to perform a deep clean of areas that people on campus touch frequently, and ensuring that we have ample stock of cleaning supplies.

Traveling During Spring Break

At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people avoid all nonessential travel to countries that are most affected to COVID-19. Check the CDC COVID-19 Information for Travel webpage for up-to-date recommendations. The CDC is also recommending that travelers, particularly those with underlying health issues, defer all cruise ship travel worldwide.

Mental Health

These changes may cause some stress and uncertainty. If you notice someone who has been impacted by the situation created by COVID-19, please remind them that help is available. For students, please contact Student Health Services. For employees, please contact LBCC’s Employee Assistance Program. Please contact Human Resources if you need additional guidance with this resource.

Please visit LBCC’s website for tips on keeping healthy and other Coronavirus information.

LBCC continues to monitor this situation and thank you in advance for your patience and flexibility as we navigate this extraordinary situation together.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kathy Scott, Ed.D
LBCC Executive Vice President
Academic Affairs