Due to the coronavirus pandemic, none of the campuses of the University of California (UC) system may fully reopen this fall, a spokesperson told two separate publications.
On Tuesday, the California State University system said its classes will be primarily online this coming fall. If UC decides similarly, it would mean the two systems’ nearly 770,000 students won’t be on campus for the rest of the year.
“…it’s likely none of our campuses will fully re-open in fall,” Stett Holbrook, a UC spokesperson told CNN and CBS2.
Another UC spokesperson, Claire Doan, told KCRA3 that the system is considering a mix of in-person and online classes.
“The health, well-being and safety of our community is of utmost importance,” Doan said in a statement. “We will continue to carefully monitor the rapidly evolving situation and plan ahead. Our campuses will reopen for on-site instruction when it is safe to do so – in alignment and coordination with federal, state and local health departments and authorities.”
On Tuesday, California State University system’s chancellor Timothy White said the reason for staying mostly online is that experts predict another wave of COVID-19 cases later in the year, reported the Los Feliz Ledger. He said in a statement there will be some exceptions for sections of courses that require in-person work, but “only when there are sufficient resources available and protocols in place to assure that rigorous health and safety requirements are in place.”
“The granting of limited exceptions to permit in-person activities will continue to be informed by thoughtful consultation with academic senates, associated students, staff councils and union leadership, and will be based on compelling educational and research needs, while continuing to meet safety benchmarks,” White said. “On some campuses and in some academic disciplines course offerings are likely to be exclusively virtual.”
