The halls of campus have gone silent as over 13,000 SBVC students and hundreds of faculty, classified professionals and administrators have transitioned to fully online or remote instruction and work in the wake of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Just as the novel coronavirus is the first of its kind, this historic operational transition to slow its spread in the region is a first in the college’s 94-year history: never before has so much instruction and work been performed outside of the campus’s physical premises.

Campus will be closed to the public from spring break until further notice, with very limited facilities remaining operational on campus for registered students only: the Library and Valley360 Resource Center. These limited facilities were deemed essential for continuation of physical operations due to the irreplaceable technological and food assistance they provide to SBVC students, many of whom are under-resourced and do not own home computers or technology that could enable them to successfully transition from in-person to online instruction.

Although SBVC, like many other colleges across the state, is wading into uncharted waters during this radical transition, campus leaders believe it is imperative to do so in order to stay true to the college’s mission, no matter how sudden and brief the deadline. “I know this is a huge task to undertake in just one week,” said President Diana Z. Rodriguez, thanking employees for their willingness to make the changes necessary to help students continue on their educational pathways during a time of such uncertainty.