SRJC Suspends Classes Amid 'Unprecedented' Coronavirus Situation

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Santa Rosa Junior College has temporarily suspended all classes effective at 5 p.m. Thursday as the situation surrounding the new coronavirus continues to evolve on the local, regional, national and global level. All classes, including online classes, and all on-campus activities at both its Santa Rosa and Petaluma campuses, as well as in-person student services, are temporarily canceled or suspended through Sunday, March 15, college officials said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon.

The cancellations include Culinary restaurant services and Theatre Arts and Music performances, with information about refunds for canceled shows posted on the Theatre Arts website.

"The ongoing coronavirus situation, which continues to evolve worldwide, has been very stressful for our entire community," college officials said in a statement posted to SRJC's website.

With SRJC's one-week Spring Break already scheduled to begin Monday, the college decided to suspend classes following recommendations by the Sonoma County Department of Health Services and the California Department of Public Health about public gatherings.

"District offices will remain open and we intend to use this time to work alongside our faculty and staff to plan how best to continue to serve students during this unprecedented situation," administrators said. "We will be assessing the situation and engaging in planning over the spring break and will inform the community of possible future closures."

Students who have questions or need to access support services can do so remotely by emailing or calling the appropriate department or by sending questions or concerns in an email to srjcstudentlife@santarosa.edu.

"At this time, SRJC is actively working with Academic Senate and AFA leadership to determine alternative methods for students to complete their classes and we are relying on the expertise of our faculty to determine the best way to do so," administrators said.

"This decision was not made lightly, and it is our hope that by taking this precautionary step, we can help reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus in our local community. We will continue to rely on the expert guidance of the Sonoma County Department of Health in making the best possible decisions for the college."

The SRJC Coronavirus Taskforce, a division of its Emergency Operations Center (EOC), is to remain active during spring break in order to monitor the situation in Sonoma County.

When possible during the break, students are encouraged to check their email periodically for additional updates from the college.

The college is asking students who plan to travel over the break to review the CDC’s current travel guidelines.

"While it is a personal decision as to whether or not to travel at this time, SRJC recommends careful consideration of all travel, particularly to areas that are heavily affected by the coronavirus," administrators said.

Students are asked to review SRJC’s latest Coronavirus Prevention Guidelines. Additional information is posted to the Student Health Services coronavirus webpage.

"There are currently no known community acquired cases of coronavirus in Sonoma County and we hope to keep it that way," SRJC said.