With the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continuing to spread as more cases are identified throughout California, the California State University Office of the Chancellor has provided additional guidance to its 23 campuses.
Guidance on Alteration of Operations or Campus Closures
In an effort to protect the health of students, employees and visitors to CSU campuses in the event of widespread transmission of infectious disease, it might become necessary for campus leadership to consider temporary reduction or alteration to campus operations or campus closure.
In this event, to minimize disruption and progress to degree for students, campus leadership should consider shifting the delivery of as much of the curriculum as possible to non-face-to-face modalities.
- In-person instruction should cease for two-to-four days while faculty and administration focus on the final details of converting to non-in-person instructional modalities. Courses already being delivered in an online format or other non-in-person manner should continue without disruption.
- Employees will continue to come to campus to maintain operations and support the academic enterprise.
Guidance on Campus Events and Meetings
The hosting of near-term events and meetings (those scheduled to occur in the next 1-2 weeks) and future events and meetings (1-2 months or further out) should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for a determination of any potential cancellation or postponement.
Several factors including alternative modalities, the necessity for air travel, susceptibility for the audience to be at increased risk for infection by COVID-19 and current guidance from local health departments should be considered.
Related to near-term meetings and event, the Chancellor's Office has encouraged campuses to cancel or reschedule events and meetings that are less essential and are not time-sensitive in nature.
Guidance on Travel
On March 9, the Chancellor's Office advised campuses and associated auxiliary organizations to immediately suspend all international and non-essential domestic travel from that date through May 31, 2020.
Guidance for Study Abroad
Campuses should help students remain abroad if, based on the most current information available, it is deemed to be a safer course of action. Campuses should provide any students studying in countries that have reached State Department Travel Advisory, Level 3 or CDC Level 3 Travel Health Notice status with the option to remain or to return with as much assistance as possible.
The health and safety of all members of the CSU community is always the university's foremost priority. All campuses have pandemic plans as well as continuity of business operations plans to utilize in the event of communicable disease outbreak in their respective regions. Please visit the CSU's informational website about the coronavirus for additional information or for the latest campus-specific updates.
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About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 53,000 faculty and staff and 482,000 students. Half of the CSU's students transfer from California community colleges. Created in 1960, the mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity, and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards more than 127,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 3.8 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.