Dear Campus Community,

Last month, I shared with you that Long Beach City College (LBCC) had established a Reopening Task Force Steering Committee composed of faculty, staff, and constituent group leaders and that we would be starting to reopen a few critical areas throughout the Spring ’21 term.  Since then, the City of Long Beach and Los Angeles County has moved from the Red Tier (Substantial) to the Orange Tier (Moderate).  Recently, vaccine eligibility has expanded to everyone 16 and older.  These are all signs that our community is moving in the right direction as we continue to follow required safety protocols for masking, distancing, and infection control.

With the Governor’s intent to lift restrictions beginning June 15, LBCC is planning to offer additional on-campus sections in Fall of 2021 with a goal to offer approximately 40% in person.  We plan to launch the Fall 2021 schedule on April 30, 2021, which reflects a lot of careful planning and consideration about how best to serve our students while operating safely. Thank you to the faculty and staff who have collaborated to develop the schedule. As we expand our on-campus supports and services at the college, we will continue to collaborate with constituent group leaders and listen to our students and their needs during this time.

We will soon start to plan LBCC’s Spring 2022 Semester with the goal of returning to our pre-COVID-19 operations. This goal is contingent upon state, regional and local health orders. It is our hope that we will be welcoming all students, faculty, and staff back to our two campuses to receive instruction and return to work in person. I urge you to continue your vigilance in wearing your masks and following safety protocols.

I know that these decisions will impact faculty, classified, and managers, along with our families. I will send a communication to you next week, which will include more detail on what we can expect in the upcoming months.  

Before I close, however, I would like to recognize the essential personnel who have been working on campus throughout the past year, from custodians sanitizing classrooms to faculty teaching the next generation of health care providers, auto mechanics, welders, and other trades professionals.  As a result of their efforts and the cooperation of our outstanding students, we have not had a report of COVID-19 transmission on campus. 

In the meantime, thank you for your continued patience, fortitude, and flexibility. We are getting through this Viking Strong!

Long Beach Community College District

Sincerely,

Dr. Mike Muñoz
Interim Superintendent-President
Long Beach Community College District