MSJC Begins Registration for Fall 2020 Semester
Registration for the Fall 2020 semester at Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) is now open, with classes beginning on Monday, Aug. 17. Visit msjc.edu/schedule today.
The arrival of COVID-19 in the spring forced the closures of all MSJC campuses and in-person courses, leading the college to creatively and successfully transition instruction and student support services online to complete the semester.
The Fall 2020 semester will look different, with about 80 percent of classes scheduled for online and about 20 percent returning to campuses. Many of the latter category will be Career Education courses and science labs that require hands-on instruction.
To ensure proper social distancing to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, programs and instructors will be strategic in how they conduct in-person classes and labs.
“We’ll be on campus, but we’ll do a lot of creative scheduling,” said Dr. Peter Zografos, director and chair of the MSJC nursing program, which has about 100 students. “We’ll have to stagger our students. We can’t have 30 students in a classroom at the same time. It’ll be down to about 10. Our faculty have been amazing and flexible to make that happen.”
Many of the college’s theory courses will be Online Real-Time, meaning they’ll be held virtually but on a specific schedule. Other theory courses will be Online Anytime, meaning course materials will be available 24/7, though students will still need to check in and meet assignment deadlines as instructed.
Like Zografos, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Instructor Patricia McBee faces challenges in ensuring her students complete their coursework in one semester, receive hands-on experience in nursing care facilities and take their tests to earn their certifications before heading into the in-demand healthcare workforce.
“We’re working closely with our healthcare system partners in the community for our students to continue getting that real-world training,” McBee said. “You learn a lot with live patients, more so than with interactive simulations online.”
Students can see the Fall 2020 schedule at msjc.edu/schedule and can learn more about MSJC Career Education programs at msjc.edu/CareerEducation.
Fall registration began July 6 and the semester starts Aug. 17. Transform your life at MSJC.
Mt. San Jacinto College serves about 27,000 students in a district covering 1,700 square miles from the San Gorgonio Pass to Temecula, with campuses in San Jacinto, Menifee, Banning and Temecula.
In May 2020, Mt. San Jacinto College awarded a record-breaking 3,554 degrees and certificates to 1,958 graduates.