San Diego State will require all in-person courses to transition to a virtual platform immediately following spring break, according to a campus-wide email sent by President Adela de la Torre.
“Immediately after spring break, and effective April 6, all courses shall be conducted using fully online or distributed modalities,” the email said.
The decision was made after a vote of the University Senate held today.
Exceptions for smaller lab courses and those with a clinical component, field schools and art studios will be granted on a case-by-case basis by the deans of the respective colleges.
The transition to virtual platforms leading up to April 6 will be voluntary and up to the discretion of individual faculty, but the university is encouraging all courses to move to a virtual setting as soon as possible.
Campus will remain open for business, academic and other services — with the exception of study abroad courses. All other non-essential domestic and international travel has been suspended.
Explore SDSU, the university’s open house for prospective students and other community members scheduled for March 21, has also been cancelled. The university will continue to evaluate the status of other campus events and large-scale meetings with guidance from the California State University system based on the following criteria:
- The essential nature of the event to the mission of the university.
- The availability to offer or host the event using alternative modalities, including virtual options.
- The necessity for air travel and out-of-area participants.
- Susceptibility for the audience to be at increased risk for infection by COVID-19 (e.g., individuals over age 60, individuals with compromised immune systems).
- Current direction or guidance from local health departments.
- The event size (a specific threshold has not been determined).
There are currently no cases of COVID-19 within the SDSU community.
SDSU will continue to provide daily updates on its efforts regarding coronavirus.
This is a breaking news story. We will continue to update as more information becomes available.
