Aug. 3, 2021
Hartnell College will make a major return to in-person instruction for the Fall 2021 semester, while taking extensive precautions against the spread of COVID-19 beyond those required by Monterey County.
Roughly half of all class sections will be either in-person or a hybrid of in-person and remote learning. This continues a restoration of face-to-face learning that begun during the summer term, which concludes July 31. Plans call for a full return of in-person classes for the Spring 2022 semester.
Student registration for fall classes will continue up to and after the start of the semester on Aug. 30. For more information, visit www.hartnell.edu. Admissions staff are available to assist with walk-in inquiries in the Student Services Building (Building B) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday.
For academic counseling, call the Counseling Department at (831) 755-6820 or go online
to set up an in-person or virtual counseling appointment. College entrance assessments
are no longer required, and counselors can help students develop a personal education
plan, provide information on degree requirements and answer questions on careers.
“We are fully committed to providing outstanding instruction to meet the many preferences of students for class formats, times and locations,” said Dr. Cathryn Wilkinson, vice president of academic affairs. “We know a varied schedule will serve more students who are juggling family, work and transportation constraints.”
In fact, when the fall semester starts on Aug. 30, Hartnell will offer classes in more teaching formats and more locations than ever:
- Eight in-person or hybrid classes will be taught at the college’s new Soledad Education Center, and nine will be offered at the newly expanded King City Education Center. These are in addition to classes at the Main Campus and Alisal Campus, both in Salinas. Construction continues on a new Castroville Education Center, as well, scheduled for completion in spring 2022.
- Depending on their preferences and educational needs, students can choose from options ranging from fully face-to-face to fully online, with a range of fixed or flexible class times for online classes.
- Classes are offered in both eight- and 16-week schedules and also during the day, evening and on Saturday.
Both Hartnell education centers in south Monterey County are offering two-day evening registration fairs this month. The Soledad center, at 1505 Metz Road, will hold its event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 and 17, and the King City center, at 117 N. Second St., will hold the fairs at the same times on Aug. 12 and 19. The first sessions will deal with application and financial aid, and the second will focus on student placement and registration. For more information, call 831-759-6051 in Soledad and 831-386-7100 in King City.
Enrollment for this fall is trending up from Fall 2020, and Hartnell is actively reaching out to hundreds of students who interrupted their studies since Hartnell went online in March 2020. Staff have been encouraging them to return to Hartnell this fall and providing personalized guidance.
With support from employee bargaining units, Hartnell will employ these measures to protect the health and safety of students and employees:
- Urging everyone in the college community to be vaccinated for COVID-19, with plans to hold an on-campus vaccine clinic either right before or soon after the start of fall classes. Hartnell hosted two clinics this spring.
- Hosting free walk-up or drive-through coronavirus testing in parking lot #4 (West Alisal Street) on the Main Campus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
- Requesting use of an online self-screening app before coming onto a campus to check for symptoms of, or possible exposure to, COVID-19.
- Requiring wearing of masks or similar face covering.
- Limiting classroom occupancy to 75% of room capacity to maintain social distancing.
- Ensuring that building ventilation meets or exceeds OSHA standards.
- Frequently sanitizing classrooms and other shared facilities.
Hartnell will present Week of Welcome activities for new and returning students during the week of Aug. 30.
The Grille in the Student Center on Main Campus will resume a full schedule, offering food service from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Plans call for Hartnell’s Starbucks location to reopen in the Student Center as early as late September.