LTCC to resume limited, in-person student services and face-to-face classes

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With local coronavirus cases falling and vaccines becoming more widely available, Lake Tahoe Community College is bringing back limited, in-person student services and face-to-face classes to campus in the days and weeks to come.

“Our students have let us know for many months how much they miss campus and want to return,” said LTCC Superintendent/President Jeff DeFranco. “While this isn’t a complete return to normalcy, we’re starting to bring back in-person essential services safely so students can get the help they need from staff and faculty, and be better able to keep up in their studies and succeed.”

Beginning Monday, March 29, limited in-person support services in select departments for enrolling and current students resumes on campus. Staffed service days and hours will be Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., and Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Only enrolling or registered students will be able to enter LTCC’s buildings to access these services and support, along with essential college staff and faculty. More in-person support services will be added in the weeks and months to come as conditions permit.

Available staffed services will include: two-hour reserved library study space availability and Distribution Center pick-up and drop-off of loaner textbooks, Chromebooks, calculators and Wi-Fi hotspot devices in the library building; Enrollment Services in the Main Building (pay fees, help with registration or applying, transcript requests and more); Counseling Department services in the Main Building’s One-Stop Office (appointment encouraged but not required); Disability Resource Center testing and other support in the Main Building (by appointment only).

In Spring quarter starting on Monday, April 5, students will be able to attend a limited number of face-to-face classes. Hybrid and fully online classes, both traditional Distance Education and Enhanced Virtual Education classes, will also be available. Visit LTCC’s online schedule at www.ltcc.edu/schedule to see what’s being offered in Spring quarter and how it will be delivered. The schedule will continue to be updated as pandemic conditions warrant, and students are encouraged to check back to ensure their classes are still being offered in the manner they anticipated when registering for them. Registration for Spring quarter is open.

Face-to-face classes in Spring will be offered with limited seating in three select classrooms located in LTCC’s Main Building. Lecture courses will be held in select classrooms with new HVAC systems that can turn over fresh air quickly. Labs were chosen based on the space that best matches the discipline being offered. Students in these classes will be physically distanced and mask wearing will be strictly enforced. Hours and days for these classes will extend beyond the limited department service days and hours.

Students who wish to access in-person services or attend a face-to-face class inside LTCC must adhere to strict safety protocols and guidelines. These can be found at www.ltcc.edu/coronavirus. There will also be ample signage both outside of and inside college facilities to encourage maintaining social distancing and correct use of masks. Proper mask wearing will be strictly enforced at all times.

There is a single entrance and exit point located at the library building for all students, staff and faculty wishing to access college facilities. Entry doors face the main LTCC parking lot and library plaza. In order to enter the campus, students, staff and faculty must:

• Download the #CampusClear app and respond to it on the days campus needs to be accessed (available for iPhone and Android);
• Have valid student/staff ID and the #CampusClear app and results available;
• Have a temperature check conducted by security personnel;
• Wear a properly fitted mask made of acceptable material at all times while indoors that fully covers both the mouth and nose;
• Masks will be provided to anyone who needs one.

Security personnel will be on hand around campus to ensure that masks are worn properly at all times, and to keep people from congregating in common areas inside the college. Anyone coming to LTCC to attend class or access student services inside is asked to conduct their business in a timely way and leave promptly when done to reduce the chance of virus spread.

Student services such as Counseling, Financial Aid, and all Enrollment Services can still be fully accessed in a virtual setting via Cranium Café (ltcc.craniumcafe.com) for those who prefer virtual assistance. For updates about staffed student services and classes in Spring quarter and beyond, visit www.ltcc.edu, or follow LTCC on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).