Foothill College Increases In-Person Instruction for Fall

Foothill College will accelerate the return to in-person instruction and student services in Fall Quarter 2021. Fall registration begins July 12, and classes start Sept. 20.

Students who wish to return to campus will be able to choose from a robust face-to-face schedule of more than 400 sections offered on campus. This represents a return of approximately 70% of the number of on-campus classes offered prior to the pandemic in fall 2019.

While some programs are returning to campus for the first time since the pandemic began, Allied Health programs have been working on campus, serving the community, and staffing local hospitals and clinics since May 2020. Athletic programs returned to on-campus conditioning classes in May 2021. More than 2800 apprentices in various trades such as HVAC, electrical, and pipefitting have also returned to in-person classes around the South Bay.

The college began back-to-campus preparations last summer. This gradual return has been predicated on the health and safety of students and staff and has been guided by the principles of equity and flexibility. The robust fall face-to-face class schedule was implemented in anticipation of the Governor’s June 15 loosening of COVID restrictions and is also a result of a student survey indicating that students wanted both on-campus and online options in the fall. In 2020, Foothill College was ranked the #1 community college in the nation for its online program. The college offers 26 degrees that can be completed fully online.

The library will reopen in fall to support students on campus. Students will also be able to take advantage of health services, tutoring centers, accommodated testing, and food services. All services will also continue to be available virtually. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) and Extended Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS) program will also be on campus be distributing assistive technology and books to students. This is to assist students who indicated that their greatest needs were study spaces and internet access. Foothill College also is continuing to distribute emergency funding to support students with Wi-Fi hotspots, computers, and food and housing assistance.

Foothill College will also reopen to the community in the coming months. The Music Theatre Department returns with a production of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown,” running from July 2 to Aug. 1 in the Smithwick Theatre. Athletic teams will play competitively starting in August. Community education classes and some rental programs will also return to campus in the fall.

This month, the college will survey students to further ascertain their needs and determine which other services programs will be available face-to-face. The Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees will consider mandatory vaccinations for students and staff at the July 12 Board meeting.

“Foothill College’s drive toward educational excellence and innovation has enabled our college to pivot successfully in response to the pandemic. We are also proud of our safety record these past 16 months. Our college’s nimbleness and focus on equity put us in a very good position to return more to on-campus instruction, as we continue to monitor the progression of the pandemic to ensure the health and safety of students and employees,” says Thuy Thi Nguyen, president of Foothill College.