As Citrus College begins to bring classes back on campus, Citrus’ COVID-19 Task Force is taking health and safety precautions to ensure a safe return for staff and students.
The COVID-19 Task Force includes Citrus’ vice presidents Joumana McGowan, Claudette Dain and Richard Rams, Shauna Bigby of student health services, Benjamin Macias of campus safety and Robert Sammis, the director of human resources.
“The COVID Task Force is working to follow California Department of Public Health, Los Angeles Department of Public Health and CAL OSHA guidelines to make sure that we are aligned with their requirements,” Bigby said.
Citrus College has a set of protocols and an exposure management plan in place that is consistent with state requirements, Sammis said. The limited number of students and staff allowed on campus must remain six feet apart and masked at all times.
Vice President Claudette Dain said the COVID-19 Task Force has implemented more PPE (masks, gloves, sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, face shields, etc.), enhanced cleaning and disinfecting, contact tracing, COVID testing, expanded online services, technology, and technology-related items to support a remote teaching and learning environment, portable HEPA air filters and contactless items/activities – (touchless ADA access buttons, touchless sanitizer dispensers, contactless thermometers, textbooks shipped to students’ homes, contactless drive-up distribution events, etc.).
“Citrus College is committed to ensuring a safe environment for all students, faculty and staff. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the college has prioritized resources for ensuring a safe environment,” Dain said.
The students who are on-campus use the Citrus Mobile App to scan a QR code for any building they enter for contact tracing purposes.
The COVID-19 Task Force helped to create the health portion of the Citrus Mobile App, which is one of the implementations to ensure a safe environment on campus. The app can be used for thorough symptom checks of both students and staff, Sammis said.
Before entering campus, students and staff must check-in via the app to show how they are feeling that day to make sure no one on campus has any COVID-19 symptoms.
The Citrus College Reopening Plan: An Incremental Approach explains how the college will proceed with on-campus instruction in the summer and fall based on what tier they are in.
Now that Los Angeles County is in the yellow tier, more students and staff will be allowed to return to campus. Citrus is looking into a partial or full return for staff on Aug. 2 once the state announces the new protocols in June, Sammis said.
The college hopes to bring more students back to campus in the fall for courses such as health sciences, automotive, athletics, visual performing arts and science labs.
“For those few that will have a class in the fall, know that everything is being done to keep everyone safe,” Sammis said.
Citrus is abiding by and taking every precaution necessary to ensure health and safety, Bigby said.
Online classes will continue to be offered in the fall for those who are not ready to return to campus.
“Next year is going to start feeling more normal,” Sammis said. “We probably won’t be back to normal operations until winter or spring, but we are going to continue to be able to offer some form of remote learning for those who aren’t able to get back yet.”
Citrus College will not require students or staff to be vaccinated at this time because they are not allowed to until they reach full FDA approval; however, that is the key to returning to campus, Sammis said.
Even though the college cannot require the vaccine, Sammis encouraged everyone to get vaccinated to help return to normal again.
