Laguna College Of Art & Design Students Discuss Return To Campus

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — In-person classes will once again take place in the fall of 2021, according to a Laguna College of Art and Design spokesperson. While making the transition back to in-school attendance, the College also plans to offer online summer classes. There is no substitute for college students being on campus, working and learning together, especially in a creative atmosphere like the LCAD.

Hélène Garrison, chief operating officer and provost at LCAD, discussed returning to the classroom and what it will mean for this artistic and creative community of students and professors.

“The entire teaching and staff community are eager to return to campus and welcome our students,” Garrison said. “If there is any gift to be found from this pandemic, it is the even deeper commitment and appreciation of LCAD’s mission to support our students. Every conversation and decision has focused on how we can work with our students one-on-one to meet their needs, and we look forward to the day when we can do so face to face, in person.”

The decision to plan for mostly in-person fall classes has been carefully discussed and reviewed by the college's Health and Safety Committee formed and chaired by Caroline Carlson, director of human resources.

Now that there is an increased deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine and the decrease in new cases, the college feels safety measures that meet or exceed the prescribed mandates from the state will keep students, support staff and faculty safe. Such measures include:

• Safe distancing
• Proper use of masks
• Regular sanitizing
• Barriers
• Touch-free sinks
• Tracking strategies featuring a customized tracking app

According to Michael Savas, dean of undergraduate studies and chair of LCAD Illustration, the committee initially met every week, following CDC updates and guidelines and investigating all scenarios through the pandemic.

“We were steering the LCAD community through the unknown to work our way back to the way things were,” Savas said. “LCAD faculty have done an amazing job teaching classes remotely. They are extremely excited to return to LCAD’s beautiful campus in the canyon to experience the collaborative interaction and wonderment of seeing their students being creative in the classroom. Students yearn to experience the social interaction that only the College on-campus experience provides, including extracurricular activities, social and academic events.”

During the darkest days of the government-mandated shutdown, Savas and all academic chairs personally phoned and reached out to students who chose to take a temporary leave of absence. “We wanted to make sure they knew someone here cared about them and could give them their options,” he said.

Limited and highly monitored use of campus facilities were allowed during Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. During the current Spring 2021 semester, six students are housed in individual apartments and students are required to schedule studio space, the LCAD Fabrication Lab and other on-campus facilities. The college plans to offer an adequate number of classes according to projected enrollment needs, which according to Savas, is on target for Fall 2021.

According to Garrison, LCAD will not make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory to return to in-person classes.

“We strongly encourage all to receive it when available to their population group and if it is recommended by their personal physician,” she said. “We know of a handful of LCAD faculty and staff who have been vaccinated, but we are not keeping records since we are not mandating the vaccine.”

In surveying students, faculty, and staff, most express a desire to return with regulations in place for everyone’s health and safety.

Daniel Adoff, adjunct professor of Visual Communications, reflected the students' journey through a pandemic world.

“Even though we have done a fantastic job of recreating parts of the in-person experience, nothing can replace the relationship and connections LCAD's small class sizes provide,” Adoff said. “I personally look forward to being energized by the students and sharing my Hawaiian shirts in person.”

Rachelle Chaung, adjunct professor, teaches package design and print processes. She discussed how in-person will improve the quality of education and experience with the students in her charge.

“In-person teaching creates a better class community which fosters empathy, support and human connection," she said. "These are essential to a student's mental health and well-being.”

David Corona, a senior majoring in Graphic Design + Digital Media who will graduate in the spring of 2021, served on LCAD Student Senate to participate in the eventual transition from online to in-person instruction.

“Unlike the freshmen and sophomores, my experience in comparison is totally different,” he said. Corona misses the hands-on, collaborative dynamic of his classes. “I’d be on campus from morning to night, working with my classmates and instructors, going out for coffee and hanging out in open classrooms,” he said. On-campus, high-powered PCs are available to students to complete graphic motion, animation and other advanced digital design work via remote access software.

“The work we accomplished in classes like Vans Lab and Package Design was very craft heavy and the process was most effective when we could work together as a team," Corona said. He hopes the contributions he and his fellow student representatives make will help the newer students transition back to the more intensive and necessary on-campus experience.

Kayla Lemus, a sophomore majoring in Experimental Animation who also serves on student government, cannot wait to return to the campus. She hopes once again to immerse herself in the social and educational community.

“I had one semester at LCAD before we went into lockdown, and a lot of my creativity blossomed and I met so many people,” she said. “It was my best time so far at LCAD.”

Although she has not yet returned to campus, Lemus returned to Orange County from her Texas home. At present, she is re-engaging with her fellow LCAD community as much as possible. This spring, she and her fellow LCAD students will launch a virtual art market normally held on campus.

LCAD leaders continue to monitor public health guidelines closely and are prepared to transition to online or hybrid learning if necessary.

“Faculty have since gained more experience with online teaching methods, which will make the transition smoother should it again be necessary,” Savas said.

For more information about LCAD’s plans for Fall 2021 re-opening, please visit www.lcad.edu.