Fall semester classes will be offered online and the cost will remain $46 per unit, said Vice President of Academic Affairs Sheri Berger in a Zoom meeting on Friday, May 8.
Around 130 Pierce College students and faculty joined the We Are Here For You: A Student Forum to have their questions answered regarding summer and fall classes, online communication and virtual graduation.
Berger said some classes will have live instructions and others will not, and students can know the class type by searching the notes under the class listing. Most classes have been assigned a time, even if there is no live instruction to avoid conflict with synchronous learning.
If the system says there is a scheduling conflict but there is no live instruction, students can contact the Admissions and Records office through Cranium Café or by email to resolve the issue.
There will be no life science courses offered over the summer. Chemistry labs will be offered and will use virtual lab programs Labster and Beyond Labs.
Dean of Student Engagement Juan Carlos Astorga began the first “We Are Here For You” forum answering student-submitted questions. He said he hoped to give students an idea of how the college will be moving forward and give an update on how it has transitioned.
Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters addressed how difficult the transition to online may be to some and how the pandemic may have affected students.
He encouraged students to continue communication with academic counselors, faculty and the Student Health Center. All resources provided by Pierce College are still available online.
Dixon-Peters said anyone who missed the May 10 deadline to receive an excused withdrawal (EW) must submit an email to the Admissions and Records office to petition to receive an EW.
Associate Vice President Bruce Rosky said that students who receive an EW on their transcripts will also receive a refund for the course.
Students that wish to return a rented library book should visit the bookstore website and they will send a shipping label. There will also be no shipping fees when students shop at the campus bookstore online, according to Rosky.
