By Rafael Rodriguez, Staff Reporter
Natalie Gutierrez vividly remembers the day in March of 2020 when she and her classmates first heard rumors about COVID-19 forcing closures at schools across California. It was a Tuesday, and Gutierrez was preparing for her evening art class, but there was a feeling of uncertainty in the air.
Gutierrez and her friends hurried to class, only to receive the official confirmation of what had been circulating: Cal State Dominguez Hills would transition to remote learning due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases.
“We were all just talking about if we were going to be next,” recalled Gutierrez, who graduated from Dominguez Hills in 2024. “When we got a notification that we were not going to hold in-person classes, we were all worried because we were art majors and would leave our projects overnight.”
The transition was initially expected to last just two weeks—or at least, that’s what some CSUDH faculty believed at the time.
It has been five years since CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham issued a memo on Mar. 12, 2020, reassuring the campus community that in-person instruction would resume in one month. It was the last official communication students received before the pandemic led to a two-year lockdown—an event that significantly reshaped the educational journey for many Toros.
For those who experienced COVID-19 on campus firsthand, the memories remain unforgettable—scrambling to adjust to online classes, navigating a digital learning environment, and uncertainty about the future.
At first, many Toros welcomed the idea of school closing, but excitement soon gave way to concern. For some, the pandemic was almost surreal, like living through a dystopian movie.
“We were working in a ghost town, just seven of us,” said Anthony Cervantez, a custodial staff member. “The rest stayed home.”
Toros navigate uncharted waters
The sudden shift from in-person instruction to Zoom-based learning left many students feeling unprepared. Unreliable internet connections, lack of participation, and technical difficulties added to the challenges, especially for those in hands-on disciplines where remote learning was less practical.
“Some of my classmates’ cameras were off or just [seeing] faces and I felt the vibe was simply not there in any of my remote classes,” Gutierrez recalled. “As much as I tried to engage, it was a totally different environment for us.”
Art is in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes, and the nature of the degree coursework required art students to work together closely—they regularly offered each other feedback to support their projects. Going from that sort of interactive environment to a remote setting wouldn’t exactly be conducive to the Art Department’s objectives.
“That transition of having to do everything at home was going to be difficult,” Gutierrez said, noting that much of her painting and sculpting work took place in class.
Some departments adapted quickly by maintaining clear communication with students. The Art Department, for example, implemented a supply pick-up schedule, allowing students to access materials without having to set foot on campus.
Distance learning posed challenges to staff
Beyond academics, campus operations faced significant challenges as they transitioned to remote resources.
“Navigating the online platforms was difficult at first,” said Ally McGregor, a staff member at the Writing Center. “We frequently had staff meetings on Zoom to learn the new operations. It was certainly a learning curve.”
However, there was a silver lining—the shift to e-tutoring made the Writing Center more accessible, allowing students to receive support in multiple formats. “[We] prefer students to be able to choose a form of tutoring that works best for their needs,” McGregor added.
Cain Library faced similar issues when campus resumed in-person instruction in the spring of 2022. Library manager Guy Witherspoon recalled the drastic adjustments required to comply with COVID-19 safety protocols—notably the enforcement of six-foot distancing rules.
“We had to come up with a plan—six-foot spacing, removing chairs, and figuring out how much space we could hold,” Witherspoon told The Bulletin. “Even study rooms had to be reduced. Those that once held eight students were limited to two or three. We were dealing with something we had never encountered before.”
Remnants of the safety protocols are visible across campus, particularly at the library. Signs encouraging social distancing and the use of masks are still posted, though many Toros have abandoned the practice.
A slow and steady return to “normal”
Although Toros have been back on campus since the spring of 2022, the impact of their time away lingers at the university. There are fewer social events and leadership opportunities for students, and some say the overall vibe is subdued.
Some Toros told The Bulletin they felt displaced by the pandemic, as though their academic trajectories were completely thrown off course. Third-year student Dorian Gaffney, a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, believes the campus community has been less engaged since the pandemic. According to Gaffney, the shift to online learning “killed students’ ambitions and drive on getting involved.”
“Students are a little more hesitant to socialize and get in leadership positions because of remote distancing and lack of socializing, student life was harmed as a whole,” he said.
Declining enrollment trends were already evident before the pandemic, according to CSUDH officials. While the pandemic brought a temporary enrollment boom, data suggested the increase would not last. Lower enrollment remains a pressing concern for the university in the face of a $12 million reduction to its base operating budget next year.
“I think we’re running the risk of a vicious circle where we cut classes and people stop coming,” said Ken O’Donnell, vice provost of academic affairs, in November. “So we have to cut more classes, and then no one comes.”
O’Donnell also suggested that many students who disengaged from campus life after the pandemic remained in the California State University system out of habit.
“Students continued to take online classes and enrollment went down,” said Jesica Rodriguez, a student leadership engagement coordinator. “Which in result, makes the campus look less engaged.”
Campus semi-open for business
The campus bookstore in Loker Student Union was once a hub for student activity. Bookstore manager Rick Dorsey believes the shift from textbooks to distance learning did wonders for advancing higher education, but that came at a cost. Dorsey told The Bulletin that he thinks students now struggle to reconnect with traditional methods of learning.
“I think it moved us forward five years in just one year,” Dorsey explained. “I think it hurt students—they kind of forgot how to be students, losing engagement with the school.”According to Dorsey, the bookstore now operates with reduced hours, fewer employees, and limited resources.
“We never fully recovered,” said Witherespoon, the library manager. “With the loss of personnel and loss of budget—we are still working with a skeleton crew.”
Cervantez, the custodial staff member, remembers the early days of the pandemic—hallways emptied, classrooms silent, and only a handful of workers on-site to keep the campus running. While COVID-19 remains a serious health concern, it is no longer a major topic of conversation at Dominguez Hills.
“Now we hear someone coughing, and we believe it’s just the flu, as opposed to COVID,” Cervantez said. “We all just adjusted … I see some people wearing masks, but most seem to move forward. Everyone just seems so normal.”
