TOWARD ENERGY INDEPENDENCE 2
COMMENCEMENT GETS CREATIVE 5
news Breaking
FALL 2020
FALL CLASS SCHEDULE Inside
COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS • THE PROMISE OF OPPORTUNITY SINCE 1969
Nearly 2,000 Classes Offered this Fall
C
ollege of the Canyons will offer 1,994 classes this fall, with the vast majority in online and remote formats. Classes start Monday, Aug. 24. Registration, which is now under way for specific populations, starts July 27 for new matriculated students and July 29 for continuing students. Registration will continue through August. The semester runs through Dec. 12. A significant emphasis is being placed on general-education classes that students need to graduate, transfer, or meet specific program prerequisites.
In-person classes will be limited to those that support essential workforce activities, such as COVID-19 response, housing, and the state-designated essential infrastructure workforce. Approximately 110 classes in programs such as Nursing, Emergency Medical Technician, Welding, and Construction Management fall into that category, per Los Angeles County Department of Public Health guidelines. With most classes delivered online and in distance learning formats, local FALL | 2
Pandemic Triggers Remote Instruction
T
he fall semester will be offered primarily online and remotely to provide as little disruption as possible during the coronavirus pandemic. “The health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and community continue to be of paramount importance,” Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van hook said. “We are working to identify
solutions that provide a wide range of opportunities for current students to continue their educations, enable community members to obtain job skills to secure employment, and give a new group of students – our future alumni – the chance to join us as we kick off the new academic year.” REMOTE | 4
Chancellor Appointed to Reopening Task Force
ON THE FRONTLINE
C
College of the Canyons nursing students joined the pandemic battle by putting their skills to work at the COVID-19 testing site at the Valencia campus. The effort was one of many undertaken by the college to assist health care workers and those affected by the pandemic. FRONTLINE | 3
California Budget Aims to Protect Education Funding
G
ov. Gavin Newsom signed a $202.1 billion state budget that prevents widespread cuts to public services, including apportionments and categorical programs for California community colleges, to close a multibillion-dollar deficit caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The spending plan for 2020/21 protects against cuts to the Strong Workforce Program and Student Equity and Achievement, keeping the programs at previous-year spending levels. “While the governor’s budget reflects the harsh realities of the overall economic climate caused by the coronavirus pandemic, I am encouraged that cuts to apportionment funding have been prevented, and that funding for workforce training and student equity and achievement programs will continue,” Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook said. “The budget also reinforces the significant role California’s BUDGET | 4
College of the Canyons 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road Santa Clarita, CA 91355
ollege of the Canyons Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook was appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Economic Resiliency Task Force to the Education Sector Work Team, which created a framework for the reopening of colleges and universities. Dr. Van Hook was appointed to the 19-person team of education administrators by 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I am honored to have been invited to create a plan for the safe reopening of our colleges and universities,” Dr. Van Hook said. “Besides ensuring that our students can continue and complete their courses of study, this work is essential to our focus on creating safe educational and training environments that will enable people who are unemployed or underemployed to obtain the skills they need so they can enter and move forward in the workforce.” The Education Sector Work Team focused on the rationale for campus reopenings and reported its findings to the L.A. County Economic Resiliency Task Force in July.
Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Santa Clarita CA 91355 Permit 56
ECRWSS
Postal Customer