Editor’s note: “The new normal” is a continuing series that looks into how members of the Los Medanos College community are coping with a shelter-in-place order amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

With more time spent in the shelter-in-place order, for most it is becoming the ‘I’m dealing well with it order.’ Lots of those in the Los Medanos College community have settled into waking up for schoolwork, jobs, or whatever else that takes up new free time.

Vice President of Student Services Dr. Tanisha M.J. Maxwell is one of those members of the community, but she is creating boundaries and routines to maintain a home work/life balance.

“This ensures that I can be prepared and productive in my remote work while also providing space for quality family time and self-care,” she said. 

Maxwell said some of her personal favorite activities are spending time with her family, reading, or watching movies when she is not working with students.

“The swift transition to remote instruction, programs, and services has had its challenges as with any change,” she said. “The most difficult part has been trying to ensure that our students and employees have equitable access to all of the technology, equipment, and training that they need to be successful while adjusting to remote learning and work environments during this pandemic.”

Now that many student resources have moved online due to the campuses closure, Maxwell encourages students to check out the Student Services Online Resources webpage that is now active.

 “The student tab has a live chat feature along with other valuable, just-in-time college and community resources, tutorials, guides, and videos that connect students to remote support programs and services designed to nurture their academic, personal, and career success,” she said. 

Though the transition has been hard on everyone, Maxwell is remaining positive.

 “Being fully remote is not ideal, [but] it gives us an opportunity to transform some of our technological infrastructure to better serve students,”she said. “Things are getting to be a bit more manageable as we become more familiar with remote instruction, programs, and services. However, I still look forward to the day that we can all be back on campus again.”