January 26, 2021 - The Merced Community College District announced on Monday a tentative plan to transition back toboth in-person and online instruction beginning with the Fall 2021 semester. 

Classes for the spring semester, which began earlier this month, remain nearly entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several contingency plans are being developed regarding the Spring 2021 commencement ceremony, scheduled for May 21, including possible face-to-face options; the 2020 ceremony was held virtually.

Faculty, students and staff made a quick and successful transition to online courses in March 2020. As the virus has persisted, the college has continued to find new and creative ways to ensure students have the support they need as they progress toward degrees and certifications that will be more important than ever to their future success. 

Hundreds of students have been provided with mini-desktops, loaner laptops and other equipment in order to continue their studies. In addition, hundreds of thousands of dollars in emergency grants have been disbursed to students to mitigate financial hardships caused by the pandemic.

“Our commitment to supporting our students has not wavered — and has only increased — during this challenging time,” President Chris Vitelli said. “I could not be more proud of the dedicated faculty and staff who have helped make this difficult transition so much smoother for our students. While there are certainly silver linings to be found and lessons to be learned from this pandemic, we will all be grateful to return to in-person instruction and operations.” 

Prospective students can apply by visiting www.mccd.edu/apply. The collegehas been expanding its offering of online certificate and degree programs, and there are many transfer courses available for students taking a gap year, looking to add essential job skills to their resumes, or considering new career options. 

In the coming weeks, the collegewill communicate additional information specific to students, staff and the community regarding plans for the fall term. 
Source: Merced College