SDCCD : Fall Semester Begins August 23 For 60,000 SDCCD Students

Press release from San Diego Community College District:

August 2, 2021

Fall classes begin on Monday, August 23, for 60,000 students enrolled in the San Diego
Community College District (SDCCD). Many students will return to the classroom as
the district’s colleges, City, Mesa, Miramar, and the College of Continuing Education
offer more in-person classes to complement a considerable schedule of online classes.

The district hopes to transition back to normal in-person operations by the spring
2022 semester if the health situation improves.

Registration is still open. For students who need more flexibility, many classes have
late start dates throughout the term. Most students do not pay tuition due to state
and federal financial aid and more than 4,000 first-time college students are expected
to enroll this fall in the tuition-free San Diego Promise program, which is continuing
to accept applications from first-time students.

Apply

Register for classes

Class Schedule

San Diego College of Continuing Education

“Pursuing higher education and workforce training at the SDCCD is among the most affordable
in the nation and the fastest way to start or advance your career in the highly competitive
San Diego region,” said SDCCD Chancellor Carlos O. Turner Cortez. “We are thrilled
to welcome many students back to our campuses following a tough pandemic year.” 

While most courses remain fully online, about 25 percent of classes will be held in
person, including many labs with hard-to-transition curricula—welding, automotive,
healthcare, and culinary arts. COVID-19 protocols are being enforced with all students
and employees on campus required to wear masks when indoors. Students taking in-person
classes will also be required to provide proof they have been vaccinated or have an
approved medical clearance. 

“For many students, this will be their first time back on campus since March 2020,”
said Susan Topham, SDCCD Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Services. “To ensure academic
achievement and personal well-being, the SDCCD is offering special assistance from
financial aid to on-campus childcare. Outreach offices including Student Services,
Counseling, and Disability Support Programs and Services will be open for walk-up
support.”

Beginning this fall, students can select from new degree pathways and short-term certificate
programs that lead to good-paying jobs such as Network Security, Computer Programming,
Web Development, Data Management with Python, Aquatics, Online Retail Management,
Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, and Dental Front Desk Assistant. Another area of expansion
is Ethnic Studies, following new requirements recently adopted by the California State
University (CSU) and California Community College systems. The district’s colleges
are looking to expand in areas such as Black Studies, Chicano Studies and Asian American
and Pacific Islander Studies.

In addition to expanding academic areas, the district is introducing two major facilities
improvements. San Diego City College opened its newest building earlier this summer,
the Early Education Center, which will serve as a learning laboratory for the college’s
Child Development students while providing childcare for enrolled students and employees.
San Diego Mesa College is on track for construction completion in September of a new
community quad, the Mesa College Center Quadrangle, an expansive outdoor venue including
a stage area for campus events and gatherings. The two projects are the last in the
district’s $1.6 billion Propositions S and N bond construction program.

This press release was produced by San Diego Community College District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.