District cancels classes after emergency session

Valley College suspends classes until March 30 and moves Spring Break.

By Savannah Simmons, Opinion Editor

Photo by Rogelio Joseph Caedo/The Valley Star

With the COVID-19 situation constantly changing, The Los Angeles College Faculty Guild Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting Sunday that led to a suspension of all classes until the end of the month which included a change to Spring Break.

Valley College students received emails Sunday afternoon noting that all classes, including online classes, will be suspended until March 21. Following the suspension, Spring Break will be moved from April 6-13 to March 23-29, pushing a return to class to March 30. All in-person student services, excluding safety and health services, will not be available for the next two weeks.

“We apologize for this disruption,” wrote Valley President Barry Gribbons in his email sent to students. “But your health and safety is our primary concern at this time of emergency.”

The original two-day cancellation of classes with online instruction beginning March 18 has been scrapped, and Spring Break has been pushed up from its previously planned week in April. Now, online instruction and student services are projected to start March 30.

President Gribbons stated in his urgent update that this closure will allow for the college to prepare courses and services for remote and online platforms. The campus and facilities will also be thoroughly sanitized during these next two weeks of closure.

As of Sunday, March 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that events consisting of more than 50 people be postponed for the next eight weeks. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti placed restrictions on public spaces such as bars, movie theatres and gyms, effective March 16, to prevent large numbers of people gathering. These restrictions will be in place until March 31, unless extended.

Students should check their emails for updates to stay current on the constantly changing situation. If students have any questions or concerns about the recent changes, contact the college at (818) 947-7218.