Welcome to the Spring 2022 semester! We hope that you and your families are doing well as we all continue to manage the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are so pleased that you've chosen SD Miramar College to support you through your educational journey and we look forward to seeing you in-person as we continue to expand our face-to-face course offerings and services throughout the Spring term. As you prepare for the start of the semester, we wanted to share some critical information about what to expect when you return to campus.
In this communication, we will share information on the following topics:
- Recent Change in SDCCD Vaccination Exemption Policy
- Extension of Remote Instruction and Services
- Campus Safety Protocols
- Parking Passes, Food Services, and the Bookstore
Please take the time to read each section carefully as some information has changed since the Fall semester.
Change in SDCCD Vaccination Exemption Policy
As part of its efforts to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, effective June 2021 SDCCD required proof of vaccination for all students wishing to take in-person classes or to participate in in-person activities/services that may last over 15 minutes. For the Fall 2021 semester, students who had an approved medical or religious exemption were also allowed to enroll in in-person classes or access in-person activities/services. With the significant increase of COVID-19 cases during the winter season, SDCCD now requires students to be fully vaccinated or have an approved medical exemption in order to take in-person classes or to participate in in-person activities/services that may last over 15 minutes. Students who do not meet these criteria may only access online courses and remote services (when lasting over 15 minutes).
Extension of Remote Instruction and Services
Similar to the item above, due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, SDCCD extended the delivery of remote instruction and activities/service though February 22nd. This means that most courses that were planned for in-person delivery will start in a remote delivery format during the start of the Spring semester. Some career and technical education courses, exercise science, public safety and lab courses will be delivered in-person as originally planned. Students are encouraged to look for information on their canvas course shell and/or contact their instructor to verify how their course will be delivered at the start of the semester.
Similarly, all Student Services Offices will offer remote-only services until February 22nd. During the initial weeks of the semester, remote services will be offered between 8:00am - 6:00pm Monday - Thursday and 8:00am - 1:00pm on Fridays. Students are encouraged to visit the Department web pages to access support from the various Offices. Additionally, staffed information booths will be available on campus during the first week of classes to answer quick questions, provide resource information, and guide students to the appropriate department websites.
Lastly, the Miramar Library and Academic Success Center (tutoring) will also be offering remote services through the first few weeks of classes. In order to ensure that students can still check out requested library books and laptops, the College will have two Learning Resource Distribution events on February 8 & 9 and February 15 & 16. Further details will be distributed in the coming week.
Campus Safety Protocols
In order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 throughout the campus community, SD Miramar has implemented several health and safety measures. These measures include:
- Face masks Required While on Campus: All students and visitors to campus must wear a face mask at all times while on campus. Free face masks are available in multiple locations on campus, such as building lobbies, service offices, and in the classroom. While we understand that there may be instances where students forget to use their facemask, students will be considered in violation of the Student Code of Conduct and may be subject to disciplinary procedures if they refuse to wear a mask or are identified as repeat offenders of this policy.
- Social Distancing: All students and visitors are encouraged to maintain social distancing when interacting with others on campus.
- Wash your Hands or Use Hand Sanitizer: While COVID-19 is primarily spread though the air, regularly washing your hands or using hand sanitizer can also help to mitigate the spread of the virus. Similar to face masks, the College has placed free hand sanitizer in multiple locations throughout the campus.
- COVID-19 Vaccinations and Testing: The Student Health Center offers free COVID-19 vaccinations and flu shots available to students by appointment. The College will also continue to offer free COVID-19 testing on campus at various days and times throughout the semester. More detailed information about these services and hours of availability will be posted on both the College and Student Health Center websites.
Other Useful Information
Parking Passes: In an effort to support students' return to campus, SDCCD is offering free parking for the Spring 2022 semester. Students who had already purchased a parking pass will be automatically refunded. Students are reminded to park in student lots as parking passes are required for faculty/staff parking spots and violators will be ticketed.
Food Services: The Campus C-Store and Cafeteria Grill will provide limited hours during the start of the semester. The C-Store will be open from 8:00am - 4:00pm Monday - Thursday and the Cafeteria Grill will be open for lunch from 10:00am - 2:00pm and dinner from 3:00pm - 4:30pm on these same days.
Bookstore: The Bookstore will continue to process online orders and serve students in-person via their service window. The Bookstore will be open full days on Monday - Thursday and half days on Friday, hours will vary. For the week of January 31 - February 4, window services will be offered from 8:30am - 5:30pm Monday - Thursday and Friday from 9:00am - 12:00pm. Students are encouraged to visit the College website for specific hours of operation during the first several weeks of the semester.
Again, we are excited to have you attending SD Miramar College and we welcome you to the Spring 2022 semester. We apologize for the length of this letter, but we hope you find this information useful. We look forward to supporting you through your educational journey and look forward to seeing you in-person very soon.
SD Miramar Student Services Team
https://sdmiramar.edu/students
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