Columbia, CA – New operating procedures are coming to the Mother Lode’s community college system due to the coronavirus.
Today, Yosemite Community College District (YCCD) Chancellor Henry Yong informed all employees at Columbia College, Modesto Junior College and YCCD Central Services via an internal communication that all offices will close next Monday, March 23 and remain so until April 3.
He notes that the closure of the offices will be seamless to students as remote instructional programs will continue without interruption.
Yong explains, “MJC and Columbia are transitioning to remote or Distance Ed environments for most of their course offerings and many of our workstations and spaces are not designed to meet Governor Newsom’s new requirement for social distancing.”
He continues, “The rapidly changing community dynamics, and the lack of adequate testing – at this time – have made it clear that we must be proactive and take steps to protect the health of our students and employees.”
During the office closure, Yong says managers will closely work with their teams to complete their work remotely and that ahead of the planned reopening date, officials will reassess and determine if a continued closure might be necessary.
Since facilities must be maintained to keep electrical, plumbing and facilities infrastructure functioning, Yong says some departments may still operate onsite due to the vital functions they perform. For those, he shares, “Managers will adhere to health guidelines with specifics to distancing and other safety concerns.”
This post was last modified on 03/17/2020 2:06 pm