Cosumnes River College extended the campus shutdown to Feb. 22 with the exception of difficult to convert classes, which resumed on Jan. 31.

Professors have said they are looking forward to going back on campus, although they are aware that the reopening will come with its own array of challenges.

Lauren Wagner, who is an RTVF Professor, is teaching three hybrid classes that fall under the “difficult to convert” category.

“The stress of it comes in because I’m building the schedule I’m trying to project out, right, like we are going to need a certain amount of time to get certain things done,” Wagner said. “Also, keeping in mind, if students get sick, if I get sick, if we have a bunch of people with exposure, now they can’t come in and you know what’s that going to do and how are we going to get through it.”

Once the second email went out stating that online learning was extended until Feb. 22 except for certain “impossible to convert” courses, Wagner immediately contacted her dean to see if some of her film production courses would fit under that category.

“The deal was, or the way it was kind of explained to me, was everything you can do online, keep it online and then everything that must be done on campus, schedule those times on campus,” Wagner said.

British Literature Professor Lesley Gale said she predicted classes would be delayed because of how fast Omicron was spreading. Noting that the transition this semester was much easier than in March 2020 because she had been teaching online for two years and had previous modules to work with.

“We all signed up to be in person, so it was a bit disappointing to start the semester online, even though we know it was necessary,” Gale said.

As for returning to campus, Gale said that she believes in-person learning will resume and when it does she hopes there is clear protocol on mitigating exposure to the virus.

Wagner said she is concerned about the constant stress of ensuring everyone’s mask remains on and tracking people’s movements in the room in case contact tracing is needed.

“On one hand, I’m super excited for whenever the day is that I can just go back to normal. But then also, I truly wonder, maybe this is it, this is the normal,” Wagner said.
Wagner said she hopes students and faculty understand that everyone is making the best decisions they can with the available information and that it’s subject to change at any moment given the uncertain times we are living in.

“You do get the sense that we are in this together, you know what I mean, and remembering that. And so for students to remember that of their professors, for professors to remember it of our students,” Wagner said.