By Leonardo Cervantes
Students were allowed back on campus to participate in class thanks to the proper precautions East Los Angeles College faculty members took. ELAC was forced to close and remote learning became the norm for this semester. Few exceptions and the campus was allowed to have a few selected classes like the Nursing department. With the proper protocols, the Nursing department was allowed to have classes on campus.
Pauline Sunda is with the Nursing department. “My students completed their hours early. This was done in case we were told we needed to cease on-campus activities,” Sunda said. l Although some classes resumed on campus, instructors were aware of the fact that something could go wrong and decided to finish classes early as a precaution. Learning Nursing through remote learning would be a tough act to do since it often involves a first-hand approach.
“Nursing is hands-on so it may not have necessarily been mandatory but it is necessary for students to be safe nurses,” Sunda said. The proper precautions are taken so that classes on campus are possible.
“We take many precautions. Students come on campus wearing a mask. They wash their hands before entering the building and put a new mask on as well as having their temperature taken,” Paulina said. All of the students practice socially distancing in class as they stay 6-feet away from one another, she said.
In the beginning of the pandemic, the scheduling of classes and the participation of students was an obstacle. However, classes resumed as normal as possible. ELAC purchased procedure masks for all the students to ensure safety. Some faculty members decided to wear their own masks so that students in need can get them instead. Paulina decided to wear an N-95 mask as extreme precaution for herself and students. With the cooperation of both faculty and students, they were able to have classes on campus.