Dr. David Viar
GCC Superintendent/President

Usually, when a new semester begins, the Verdugo Campus bridges from the upper parking structure and from the west side of Verdugo Road to the lower campus and the Garfield Campus bridge connecting that campus’s two buildings are filled with students. They are literally on their
way to class and metaphorically crossing a bridge to their future. These bridges unfortunately are empty these days as GCC enters another semester of remote instruction due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, the metaphoric bridge remains stronger than ever.

In March 2020, shifting to remote instruction was not a choice. We had to follow state and county health officials’ directives. Initially we were focused on surviving the situation and helping keep our students, staff, and community healthy and safe. When it became obvious that this was going to be a long-term situation, we recognized that we did have a choice in how we responded. We chose to shift from surviving to thriving.

Our teachers embraced technology to deliver quality instruction. Our counselors, librarians and staff created approaches to provide student services remotely.

Socially our students found ways to stay connected through club gatherings and events offered on Zoom. Through it all, GCC proved “Ready and Able” to serve our students.

Our success has not gone unnoticed. Financial website “WalletHub” recently ranked GCC among the top twenty best community colleges in America for quality and cost. While that is a nice honor, we are more concerned with what our students think. In May, we conducted a student survey. It revealed that nearly two-thirds of our students believed remote instruction was working well or very well for them. Unfortunately, five percent said it was working badly for them. That is not acceptable. As the GCC vision statement says, we aspire to be “the Greater Los Angeles Region’s premier learning community where all students achieve their educational goals.” The GCC board, faculty, and staff are focused on providing the necessary resources for that success.

“When it became obvious that this was going to be a long-term situation, we
recognized that we did have a choice in how we responded. We chose to shift from surviving to thriving.”

The Glendale College Foundation is our strong partner in helping us provide those resources for success -- funds for student emergency needs, new technology necessary in the remote learning environment, expanded professional development for our faculty, facilities improvements to prepare the college for the day we return to the physical classroom. It is a new semester and GCC again is proving it is Ready and Able. As you, our alumni and friends know so well, GCC is reliable, adaptable and affordable. With your support we will make this school year remarkable.