Shasta College Fall Classes Start Online August 17

Shasta College courses for the fall semester will commence on August 17, with most being held online. Shasta College decided to move the majority of fall classes online back in May 2020 in response to the national pandemic and out of concern for student’s and faculty’s safety and well-being. 

Superintendent/President Dr. Joe Wyse said this about the decision to move classes online, “College leadership values the trust of our students and communities. Our timely adoption of an online instructional format reflects our priorities for their safety and that of our staff and faculty.” Dr. Wyse continued by saying, “The college is a partner in the communities we serve, and we will continue providing access to quality, affordable higher education in the safest, most effective manner available.”

Since that decisive action in May, the college staff and faculty have been working diligently to fully develop classes and services, and implement the technologies required for students to succeed in an online format. Essential student services like tutoring, financial aid, counseling, and more will now be readily available to students online. Health and Wellness will also be available online and by appointment to students for in-person nursing, psychological counseling, and doctor visits. Those appointments will be coordinated through the Campus Safety team to help control and monitor access to campus. The college also moved up the final implementation of its new, fully responsive website in development for the last two years. The new site is live and built to be fully responsive for any screen—from phones and tablets to desktop and laptops and will allow students to interact online with the college and their instructors more seamlessly and quickly than before. The campus bookstore will be open to students by appointment only starting August 3. Students will need to call the campus bookstore at (530) 242-7574 and make an appointment to be allowed access on campus. Students looking for help from a counselor for the fall semester can call the Counseling office at (530) 242-7724 and get an “express” 10-minute appointment. 

Not all classes lend themselves as easily to an online format. The college has responded to the needs of students seeking instruction in many career technical classes by offering hybrid and flexible learning options for those classes, as allowed by State and local guidance. The college’s Fire Academy, emergency medical training (EMT) program, nursing courses, dental hygiene, automotive/diesel mechanic, welding, forestry, animal science, horticulture courses, and some associated labs that serve as requirements for those programs will have in-person components this fall. Instructors have also developed 8-week compressed courses for classes such as welding, diesel, automotive and advanced manufacturing. The 8-week format has proven very successful for working adults or those looking for a faster entry point into the workforce. The college’s Emergency Operations and Campus Safety teams have worked with each instructor to ensure students will be able to learn the subjects required while staying safe by adhering to stringent safety measures. New signage has been placed throughout campus, in hallways, and in classrooms to help students and staff comply with the new on-site requirements. Periodic, unscheduled check-ins by campus safety and information presentations on the new in-person learning requirements are being used during the summer semester with great success to maintain everyone’s vigilance in adhering to the new requirements. 

The Shasta College Early Childhood Education (ECE) center and lab school, and the Shasta Head Start program on the main Redding Campus will resume in-person operations starting in the fall. All staff members will engage in self-screening before reporting to work. Children will receive a screening curbside or outside the facility before being admitted. Staggered drop-off and pickup times will help reduce the risk of exposure for staff and children. Children will be dispersed in small groups of 10 or less, and all materials will be sanitized throughout the day. Tami Johnson, ECE Center Director, glowed when discussing resuming operations, “We are all looking forward to welcoming back the youngest members of the Shasta College community this fall,” Tami said. “Being able to provide this resource to working parents and students in our community is another way Shasta College can help during these challenging times. All of our teachers have many exciting plans in store for our young students.”

Fall sports are being shifted to a spring start to best ensure the safety and health of the student-athletes, coaches, and staff involved in those programs. In limited situations, specific sports will be conducting conditioning exercises during the fall semester. Coaches and staff committed significant time and effort to develop comprehensive plans on how to minimize exposure and contact between student-athletes and follow all safety protocols. Coaches will communicate specific details directly with their student-athletes. State championships will not be played for the 2020/21 season. Mike Mari, athletic director for the Shasta College Knights, commented about the plan for the fall semester, “Once the CCCAA made the decision to move all sports to the spring, we were able to dial in on specific plans for helping our student-athletes stay in shape, stay motivated, and stay safe.”

All college locations continue to have restricted access. Specific approved student services and activities are open on an appointment-only basis. The majority of employees continue to work remotely for the fall semester. The Redding Main Campus, Downtown HSUC, and extended education sites in Tehama, Trinity, and Burney remain closed to walk-in or drive-up access. 

The experiences of the past and current trends in this ever-evolving situation dictate a flexible and resilient strategy. As further changes become necessary, Shasta College will continue to prioritize the safety of students, staff, and community members in all planning and decision making.

For admissions assistance, please call our Admissions and Records staff at (530) 242-7650. For all other questions, please contact Campus Safety at (530) 242-7910.