San Diego State announced this morning the first two weeks of the next semester, from Jan. 19 through Feb. 4 will be virtual.
The decision comes shortly after Sacramento State, all colleges under University of California and others have announced the same temporary virtual switch.
Campuses will remain open during this two-week period and day-to-day services are still available, including Student Health Services, Counseling & Psychological Services and the library.
Instruction will be online with some exceptions and in-person classes are to resume on Feb. 7, according to the university email.
“If you are enrolled in a specialized course which will have in-person activities during that window, you will receive an email from your instructor,” the university said in an email.
Check your student email and Canvas for messages from your professors to see if you are enrolled in a specialized class.
Faculty may petition to their dean this week for approval to teach in-person for the first two weeks of the spring 2022 semester, the email states. If approved, faculty will need to provide virtual options for any students who request to learn virtually for the first two weeks of the spring 2022 semester.
The university said the reasoning for “the temporary virtual start is to allow the January COVID-19 case spike to subside and allow for those who recently received their COVID-19 booster an additional two-week period for it to take full effect.”
Residential students are encouraged to not move back to campus until Feb. 5 or Feb. 6, according to the university email.
“On-campus housing will continue to be open as scheduled for students who are unable to delay their return,” San Diego State said in an email. “Residential communities will reopen for the spring semester on Jan. 17, as scheduled.”
As a reminder, and as announced last month by the California State University system, all students, faculty and staff, (including auxiliary employees) eligible for the COVID-19 booster are required to have their booster on file in HealtheConnect by Jan. 18 to be considered fully vaccinated. The Jan. 18 deadline remains in place, according to the university email.
Almost 10,000 SDSU community members have already uploaded their booster files, the email adds.
Faculty and staff whose jobs can be successfully completed virtually will have the option to work remotely through Jan. 31, according to the university email. Faculty and staff who elect to work remotely through the month of January but are not otherwise approved for ongoing telework should plan to return to on-campus work by Feb. 1.
