Our Counselors are here to serve you. As our College has transitioned to online instruction and counseling, please make an appointment by phone 562-908-3410, email counselingcenter@riohondo.edu, or AccessRio (in the Academics Tab).

Considering that some students and faculty do not have access to computers, the District has made Chromebooks available for students and laptops for faculty to check out from the Library’s Circulation Desk. The equipment will be available on a loan basis for the entirety of a semester during which a student is enrolled. If you have any questions, please contact our Library’s Circulation Desk at 562-908-3416.

Río Hondo College students have access to Office 365 for FREE from the Cloud. For information on how to access Office 365, click here.

As many colleges have transitioned to online instruction, the following internet services will provide free internet to households with students. To enroll for Charter, call 844-488-8395; for Comcast, call 855-846-8376 (English speakers) or 855-765-6995 (Spanish speakers), or go to www.internetessentials.com.

FACULTY RESOURCE CENTER

The purpose of this Canvas site is to provide faculty and staff with updated, current information and training resources. Consider this site as a “hub” for resources to support you and make it easy to access materials needed to complete your contractual obligations.

FROM THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

Based on the order issued by Governor Newsom on March 19, 2020, and for the health and well-being of the Río Hondo community, the District will implement our planned teleworking and remote operations protocols immediately.

SOCIAL DISTANCING REMINDER

As announced on March 16, 2020, groups of more than 10 people should not gather and avoid all unnecessary travel. The College has created a poster to remind our campus to practice Social Distancing by staying away at least six feet from others and avoiding gatherings of 10 or more people. The Social Distancing reminder (attached) has been posted in current high-traffic areas on campus and on our designated Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage. Additionally, if you are feeling ill, please stay home and notify your supervisor.

EVENTS, MEETINGS, HIRING COMMITTEES, AND TRAVEL

In keeping with recent directives from the White House and public health officials at the local, state and national levels related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Río Hondo Community College District has developed a set of guidelines for events, meetings, hiring committees, and travel for the safety and health of our campus community.

The following are effective immediately and will continue until further notice:

Events & Meetings

All College events, meetings, and gatherings will be cancelled and or postponed to avoid the gathering of groups of more than 10 people. This includes our annual A Taste of Río event, our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Clinics, and remaining Community Education Forums, to name a few.

Hiring Committees

Given the current situation, all hiring committees are frozen until further notice.

Travel

All non-essential travel is restricted until further notice, this includes future and previously approved conference travel. If conference registration fees, airfare and hotel have been paid, please request reimbursement at time of cancellation. If you incur any costs, immediately communicate this with your supervisor. Should you consider any travel to be essential or critical to College operations, please request consideration from the appropriate Vice President.

COVID-19 HIGH RISK POPULATIONS

Per the recommendations from both the Center of Disease Control and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order, we should identify those employees who are the most vulnerable to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and ensure their safety during this time. These populations include:

• Staff who are over the age of 65;
• Pregnant women; or
• Any employee with an underlying health issue, such as blood disorders, chronic kidney disease, asthma, chronic liver disease, compromised immune systems, metabolic disorders, heart disease, or other conditions that make them more susceptible to serious illness.

If you meet this criteria, please immediately notify your supervisor or our Human Resources Department.

During this challenging time, the Río Hondo College Financial Aid Office will respond promptly to emails and calls.

If you have an emergency need, please call 562-463-3370 and we will return your call as soon as possible.

We encourage you to email our office directly at financialaid@riohondo.edu with any general questions or concerns.

Río Hondo College will continue to disburse financial aid as scheduled.

Additionally, we are allowed to pay Federal Work Study (FWS) students for their scheduled hours of work as long as they maintain 6 plus units of enrollment.

We urge you to remain enrolled in your classes, as dropping a class may result in being required to repay some or all of your Spring 2020 Financial Aid.

Financial aid requests for the 2020-2021 academic year will be processed this Spring.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Stay safe and healthy.

GENERAL INFORMATION

How to Check Your RHC Email

Financial Aid: Campus Logic

Online Orientation

Placement Tool

REMOTE INSTRUCTION (ONLINE COURSES)

Navigating Canvas

REGISTRATION HELP

How to Check Your Registration Date

How to Look Up Classes

How to add/drop classes

Adding A Waitlisted Class

Adding Your Support Class

Enrolling in Math & English

Using Cranium Cafe for On-line Counseling

How to Pick Your General Education Pathway

How to Pick Your Major Courses

College Catalog: Understanding Courses of Instruction

To best serve our students, we have created a student services virtual Zoom webpage to immediately reply to questions and provide pertinent information.  Please visit our Remote & Online Student Services webpage at https://www.riohondo.edu/remoteservices/.  These are virtual office hours where students can talk to a staff member live.

Using our new Zoom Room for Remote and Online Sudents Services (Desktop)

Using our new Zoom Room for Remote and Online Student Services (Phone)

• Free COVID-19 Testing
• Resources For Students
• Homeless Resources
• Food Finders – List of Pantry’s
• Community Resources – Case Management
• WIC: Free Food for Families Affected by the COVID-19 Crisis
• Comida Gratuita Para Nuestra Familias Affectadas por la Crisis del COVID-19
• Los Angeles County Resources

Please visit our RioSource webpage for an online directory of services and resources.

Headspace

The LA County Department of Mental Health (DMH) has partnered with Headspace – a meditation and mindfulness resource.  LA County residents can sign up for Headpace Plus for free, in English and Spanish, through the end of the year.  The wellbeing of the people of Los Angeles County remains DMH’s mission.  Headspace offers another inclusive opportunity to help LA residents cope with the stress related to COVID-19 through workout videos, sleep exercises, and informative content about managing stress and anxiety.  Check it out, sign up and spread the word: www.headspace.com/lacounty

Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Are you having trouble paying rent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? This program can help provide you with up to $1,000 towards monthly rent for up to 3 months.
Visit www.211LA.org to learn more.

CHIRLA (COALITION FOR HUMANE IMMIGRANT RIGHTS LOS ANGELES)

Emergency care regardless of immigration status. Free hotline for questions about the Coronavirus.

Phone: (888) 624-4752

https://www.chirla.org/avada_portfolio/community-education/

Click Here for Frequently Asked Questions for Immigrants

View Virtual Press Conference for media who server the Immigrant Community

List of Resources Provided to Dreamers and Undocumented Students

• RHC Canvas orientation. https://www.riohondo.edu/canvas-orientation/
• SPECTRUM Free Internet. Those interested in enrolling are asked to call 1-844-488-8395. Installation fees will be waived for new student households. https://www.fdlreporter.com/story/news/2020/03/13/wisconsin-coronavirus-spectrum-offers-students-free-internet-access/5042351002/
• The coalition of organizations in Orange County and Los Angeles County have comprised a list of resources:
  LA: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SWJaMa4q3yNrEBfSFKEdSQArcNc_MTI2LiUA63Ycyg/preview
  OC: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YTSuGO_HoDbdZnALTYaTt7REAic4VKyUHeeS_m_ihUE/edit?usp=sharing
• Comprehensive list of effective resources:https://schoolchoiceweek.com/37-free-online-resources-for-schools-shifting-online-during-coronavirus/
• Immigrants Rising has created “Tangible Resources for Undocumented Communities During COVID-19” that provides various resources to support our undocumented students and families: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PxLuuH0-hwHXftUXuEi52Q1qWUDegN8_I1L4ulIFwzk/edit
• Click here to view undocumented community resource sheet
• Resource guide created by California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance available at https://ciyja.org/covid19/

Fall 2020 – How to Tell if a Class is Online, Remote or On-Campus

Student Perspective

Student Diana Laureano shares about how Río Hondo College has been supporting her during this crisis and reminds students where to access resources.

As we move forward as a campus community during these challenging times, we have additional information to share with you.

We want you to know that our faculty and staff are here to support you as we prioritize your health, safety, and well-being as well as your academic success.

To best serve you, we have created a student services virtual Zoom webpage to immediately answer your questions and provide information: https://www.riohondo.edu/remoteservices/ These are virtual office hours where you can talk to a staff member live.

If you have any challenges with accessing Canvas or with the online mode of instruction, please reach out to your instructor or the appropriate dean. Please be safe and stay engaged with your studies.

Chromebooks On Loan

Considering that some students do not have home access to computers, the District has made Chromebooks available for students to check out from the Library’s Circulation Desk.

The Chromebook will be available on a loan basis for the remaining of the spring semester. Monday to Thursday: 8 AM to 5 PM, Friday: 8 AM to 3 PM. Hours and services are subject to change. If you have any questions, please contact our Library’s Circulation Desk at 562-908-3416.

Río Hondo College students have access to Office 365 for FREE from the Cloud. For information on how to access Office 365, click here.

California Virtual Campus – Online Education Initiative

Preparing for online learning: https://cvc.edu/keeplearning/

Academic Counseling for Students

Our Counselors are here to serve you. As our College has transitioned to online instruction and counseling, please make an online appointment to speak with a counselor by phone 562-908-3410, email counselingcenter@riohondo.edu, or AccessRio (in the Academics Tab).

Dreamers and Undocumented Students

Rio Hondo College is continuing to support our undocumented students.  Additionally, in collaboration with the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), we are providing free legal services via telephone and online appointments.  For questions or assistance please feel free to call 562-463-7023 or e-mail dreamers@riohondo.edu. You may also visit the Student Success and Dream Center for live support during normal business hours.

EOP&S/CARE

Students can visit their portal (academic tab) and will see the link to directly make an appointment with an EOP&S counselor. In addition, student can call (562) 908-3423 or email eops@riohondo.edu to get questions answered/make counseling appointments. You may also visit the EOP&S/CARE webpage for live support during normal business hours.

Financial Aid

During this challenging time, the Río Hondo College Financial Aid Office will respond promptly to emails and calls. Students can feel free to call 562-463-3370 or email financialaid@riohondo.edu with any general questions or concerns.  Please remember to provide your name and student ID number.

Free Internet

As many colleges have transitioned to online instruction, the following internet services will provide free internet to households with students. To enroll for Charter, call 844-488-8395; for Comcast, call 855-846-8376 (English speakers) or 855-765-6995 (Spanish speakers), or go to www.internetessentials.com.

It’s not too late to apply for federal financial aid for the 2019-2020 academic school year.

With the recent challenges created by COVID-19, we realize that your personal and financial situations may have changed. If you have not completed the 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), it is not too late.

We are here to help you and wanted to make sure you take advantage of the potential federal funding that may be available.

1. To be considered for federal financial aid, apply for a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) at https://fsaid.ed.gov by creating an FSA ID. This will allow you to sign your financial aid application electronically for faster processing.
2. Complete and submit your FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov before June 15, 2020. Be sure to complete your FAFSA using 2018, not 2019, income and tax information.
3. About two weeks after you have submitted your 2019-2020 FAFSA, be sure to check your Access Rio Portal for any additional required documents to be submitted to the Financial Aid Office and to find out how much federal financial aid you may be eligible to receive. The sooner you submit all requested documents, the sooner you’ll know about your financial aid eligibility.
4. If you are determined eligible to receive federal financial aid, choose your refund preference once you receive the green envelope from BankMobile. BankMobile, the College’s third-party financial aid disbursement service, will mail you a green “Welcome Packet” with instructions on how to choose your refund preference.
5. Have any questions? Please contact the Rio Hondo College Financial Aid Office via e-mail at financialaid@riohondo.edu or by phone (562) 463-3370. Please include your name, Rio Hondo ID number and a good contact phone number.

The Rio Hondo College Financial Aid Office looks forward to receiving your 2019-2020 FAFSA and any supporting documents we might request.

Graduation Petition

The deadline to submit your graduation petition for Fall 2020 is November 6, 2020.

Here are some How-To videos to guide you:

• How to apply for AA, AS, or Certificate of Achievement
  https://riohondo0-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/mdeleon_riohondo_edu/Eayl_8mAn8pCtIfW3KDt4x4BbVdTIimg2tIshu1FhZyUSg?e=KgmybB
• How to apply for Associate Degree for Transfer
  https://riohondo0-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/mdeleon_riohondo_edu/EcGGrU_1s4NDibJujMwCpd8BqIPceLV4J91B3-g-vANmJg?e=BUcDSL

Need help? Call the Counseling Center at (562) 908-3410 or for information on how to meet with a Counselor, visit https://www.riohondo.edu/counseling-center/online-counseling/

Library

Library Hours and Spring/Intersession 2021 Checkouts

The Library Circulation Desk is open Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For students taking Intersession/Spring courses, the Library will be accepting technology requests and checking out these items from December 1 through December 22.

For any questions, please call the Library Circulation Desk: (562) 908-3416.

Electronic resources remain accessible 24/7. For research help or additional information, the Chat With a Librarian and Text-a-Librarian services (https://www.riohondo.edu/library/) is available from:

Remote chat/text/Zoom hours:
Monday to Thursday: 7 AM to 9 PM
Friday: 7 AM to 3 PM
Saturday: 9 AM to 1 PM
Sunday: NO REMOTE SERVICES

Circulation Desk/physical Library hours:
Monday to Thursday: 8 AM to 5 PM
Friday: 8 AM to 3 PM
Saturday and Sunday: CLOSED

Due dates will be extended for all items that are currently checked out: NO LATE FEES WILL BE ASSESSED FOR MATERIALS AT THIS TIME. Patrons can return all Library materials in May.

Live Chat Support

The following departments/divisions provide live chat support during normal hours of operation. Please visit their website, if an operator is online, you will see a chat bubble on the bottom right – click to chat!

• Behavioral and Social Sciences
• Continuing Education and Noncredit
• EOP&S/CARE
• Financial Aid
• Mathematics, Sciences, and Engineering
• Student Success and Dream Center
• Transfer Center
• Public Safety
• Outreach & Educational Partnerships

Online Tutoring Appointments

The Learning Assistance Center (LAC) and Writers’ Resource Center (WRC) are providing free online tutoring support for English composition and many other general courses.  Students can directly access the LAC/WRC website (below).  Students will find the “Email Us” section (at the bottom of the website’s homepage), where they can submit a request for an online tutoring appointment.  Please remember to provide your name, student ID number, and the course for which you would like tutoring.

LAC: https://www.riohondo.edu/communications-and-languages/labs/learning-assistance-center-lac/

WRC: https://www.riohondo.edu/communications-and-languages/writers-resource-center/ Make an appointment: https://appointments.riohondo.edu/esars/wrc/esars.asp

The Math and Science Center (MSC) is providing free online tutoring support for Math, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.  Students can directly access the MSC’s website (below).  Students will find the “Contact Us” section (at the bottom of the website’s homepage), where they can submit a request for an online tutoring appointment.   Please remember to provide your name, student ID number, and the course for which you would like tutoring.

https://www.riohondo.edu/mathematics-and-sciences/math-science-center/

RioSource Room

If you have questions regarding our Food Pantry or Housing Insecurity questions/issues, please contact us by email: studentlife@riohondo.edu or phone: (562) 908-3427

RioSource Food Pantry

Reminder: bring reusable grocery bags, as inventory is low, so you can carry your groceries home.  Parking will be available in the students lots for free as the tram is currently not running as we are following CDC guidelines.  You may be asked to wait in the Upper Quad and enter the pantry two guests at a time.  Although there may be limits on certain items per student, our goal is to get as much food home with you as possible while still aiming to serve all our students.  We greatly appreciate your patience and kindness during this time.

Transfer Admission Policies

The UC and CSU systems have provided recent updates about admission policies for transfer students in light of the COVID-19 epidemic.  Information pertaining to CSU can be found here. Information pertaining to the UC system can be found here.

Highlights:

CSU Policy: allows you to satisfy your GE Oral Communication, English 101, Critical Thinking, and Math courses with a “P” (same standard practice).

CSU Policy: allows you to satisfy major preparation courses with a grade of “P” if taken Winter 2020, Spring 2020 and Summer 2020.

UC Policy: will allow flexibility in the maximum number of units completed with a “P”.

Major preparation courses have not been determined yet; some campuses require specific letter grades. We are expecting further guidance soon.

Some private universities are being flexible with P/NP. For example, Biola University will allow “P” grades for admissions. We are working on gathering information about other private universities.

You are encouraged to apply to multiple schools/systems.  It is important to know how these policy changes may impact transfer admissions across the board.  Please discuss your transfer plans with a counselor. Counselors are providing services by email, phone, live chats, and Cranium Café.

The Transfer Center is also here to support you. Please call (562) 463-4619, email transfercenter@riohondo.edu, or live chat with a Transfer Counselor on our transfer website during business hours.

Social Distancing Reminder

Please remember to practice “Social Distancing” by keeping 6 feet away from others. Avoid groups of 10 or more people. The Social Distancing poster is below.

Student Health & Psychological Services

The Student Health and Psychological Services (SHPS) is adhering to the Los Angeles County Public Health guidance and in-person services are not available to our students during the College’s period of remote instruction.  During this time, our modified services include individual and group psychological counseling, and referrals to mental health resources. To make an appointment for mental health counseling, call (562) 463-7302 or email dsanchez@riohondo.edu.  Since counselors are not on call, please do not leave messages of urgent/critical concerns here.

If someone is reporting suicidal thoughts/intentions or experiencing a mental health emergency please use the following resources:

• 24 hour Suicide Hotline:  1-800-273-TALK
• Crisis Text Line:  741741 with the word “COURAGE”
• Exodus Urgent Care Center:  (323)276-6400
• Emergencies:  911
• LA Department of Mental Health Crisis Counseling: Students:  (855) 952-9276 or 211

Additional Resources

For a list of community resources, including our very own campus RioSource Food Pantry and a variety of social and public services, please visit our RioSource online directory at: www.riohondo.edu/riosource/.

If you have any questions about Student Services, please contact Henry Gee, Vice President of Student Services at hgee@riohondo.edu or 562-908-3489; or Loy Nashua, Executive Dean of Student Affairs at lnashua@riohondo.edu or 562-908-3498.

We will continue to provide updates as they become available. Please routinely check your email, Canvas, and our website, as the facts related to COVID-19 are changing rapidly.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during these unprecedented times.

Teresa Dreyfuss, Superintendent/President
Stephen Kibui, Vice President of Finance & Business
Angel Obregon, Executive Director of HR
Cynthia Nunez, Human Resources Coordinator
Rudy Rios, RHC Faculty Association President
Sandra Rivera, CSEA President
Kevin Smith, President, Academic Senate
George Lopez, Manager Operations & Maintenance
Catherine Page, Dean of Health Science & Nursing
Dorali Pichardo-Diaz, Counselor, Student Success
Gita Runkle, President, Management & Confidential Council
Grant Linsell, Dean of Arts & Cultural Programs, Distance Education
Angelica Martinez, Faculty Liaison, Guided Pathways
Ruthie Retana, Director of Marketing & Communications
Gary Van Voorhies, Director of IT
Russell Castaneda-Calleros, Director of Government & Community Relations
Loy Nashua, Executive Dean of Student Affairs & Student Financial Services
Laura Ramirez, Vice President of Academic Affairs
Jason Dwyer, Lead Custodian