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Virtual Campus Update 
 
  

I hope this message continues to find you and your loved ones safe and healthy. As we come to the end of our spring semester, I wanted to share a few updates with you.

Excused Withdrawal (EW) Process

If you feel you cannot reasonably continue in your courses this semester, there is a process in place for you to receive an excused withdrawal (EW). You can request an excused withdrawal online via Self Service through June 1, 2020, by selecting COVID-19 as the reason for the drop. You are strongly urged to contact your counselor prior to requesting the EW to discuss how this may impact your specific educational goals.

Students who withdrew from classes, or were dropped by faculty for non-attendance, and received a withdrawal (W), may submit an EW form requesting that the withdrawal (W) be changed to an excused withdrawal (EW) if they dropped as a result of COVID-19. Faculty have recently been given the option to drop students for non-attendance. Any students dropped prior to this must submit an EW request form.

Information from the federal government indicates courses receiving an EW will not count toward/against a student's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), but students will be held to GPA requirements. If you are a student receiving financial aid, please make sure to discuss your status with your counselor/financial aid advisor prior to applying for an EW.

Commencement Reminder

Congratulations to the class of 2020! Despite the many challenges faced this semester, they have reached their goal of graduation. For those eligible to graduate, I encourage you to sign up and participate in our virtual ceremony. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, May 20. Please visit Grossmont.MarchingOrder.com to sign up today.

Textbook Return and Purchase

The current textbook rental due date has been extended to June 15. Rental returns can be done via a prepaid UPS label that is available via the end-of-term rental return email reminders or the "Textbook Rentals" section of the Grossmont College Bookstore website. If you don't know your order number, it is included in the rental return email reminders that you will receive during finals week, which takes place May 26 through June 1. The bookstore asks that students not mail back their textbook rentals until finals week, as they are unable to accept deliveries while campus is closed.

For summer classes, students can order and/or rent textbooks online and have them shipped for free. For the fall semester, the bookstore hopes to have staff back on campus and able to provide both shipping and counter service for students.

Summer Registration

Grossmont College will offer online-only classes this summer from June 22 through July 30. Summer registration has begun and classes are filling fast. If you want to stay on track or get ahead on your educational plans, please consider taking a summer class. Remember, counselors are available to discuss your educational goals.

Fall Registration

Grossmont College plans to offer classes mostly online this fall, with exceptions for on-campus classes restricted to career education, some science labs and exercise science courses that will include physical distancing and safety precautions. While we are still finalizing the fall schedule, please know that we are committed to offering the classes students need to stay on track for their educational goals in an environment that is safe for students and employees. Fall registration will start in late June; please expect a fall registration appointment email in mid-June.

Mental Wellness Resources

We know this is an extremely stressful time for many students. There are resources available through Grossmont College to help students, including virtual appointments with our mental health counselors and Wellness Ambassadors on Instagram. We also refer students to other local agencies for walk-in mental health counseling (due to COVID-19, please call for current walk-in policies). There is always someone here for you, so please do not hesitate to ask for help.

Virtual Campus Resources

We have updated our Virtual Campus website with additional information. I encourage you to review these resources to see if they could of assistance to you or others.

While this has not been an easy semester, I want to congratulate you on making it to this point. The finish line is not far - please keep up your hard work!


Be well,

Aaron Starck
Interim Vice President of Student Services
Grossmont College
Grossmont College
8800 Grossmont College Drive
El Cajon, California 92020
(619) 644-7000