Accelerating Virtual Instruction and Assuring Social Distancing for Students and Employees

Monday March 16, 2020 5:51 pm

Dear Campus Community:

In light of the most recent updates from the CSU Chancellor’s Office as well as public health officials, we are again bolstering our COVID-19 precautions.

To be clear, this is NOT in response to a confirmed or presumptive case at CSUF (there continues to be zero), but rather to comply with all health directives, and because we believe these actions to be in the best interest of the health and safety of all Titans, their families, and our extended Orange County community. 

Effective tomorrow, March 17, 2020, CSUF is temporarily suspending all non-essential on-campus functions AND expanding mandatory virtual instruction to include labs, studios, and all other face-to-face teaching modalities until at least April 26, 2020.

During this time period, all instruction must take place virtually, and the only on-campus student activities permissible are delineated below. Further, all employees are directed to work remotely to the fullest extent possible with the exception of essential staffing that includes but is not limited to the services below.

1. Technology Trial.
   • Faculty will participate remotely in our upcoming technology trial (March 17 & March 18) and may need to access campus resources (e.g., IT or FDC resources). In those instances, faculty members may return to campus during the trial period; all others should engage in the technical trial remotely.
   • Students participating in the technology trial with their professors must do so virtually.
2. Housing and Food Services.
   • All resident students are strongly encouraged to temporarily leave campus and return to their permanent homes to complete their virtual course work.
     • Resident students with limited or no options to leave campus will be permitted to continue living on campus.
   • Dining options will be limited to these remaining housing students only; all food will be provided using the safest social distancing methods possible, including “grab and go.” No in-service dining will be permitted.
3. Student Services.
   • Clinical and health services, including Student Wellness services, will remain available, albeit on a drastically reduced time frame and with a substantially reduced staff.
     • Except in emergencies, students must set an appointment before coming to campus to access such services and must adhere to strict social distancing and hygiene measures.
     • Students can also access virtual counseling resources by calling the CAPS Crisis Line at (657) 278-3040, or text “home” to 741741. Students may also visit you.fullerton.edu for additional resources.
   • All other support and recreational services, including but not limited to those provided in the TSU, the WoMen’s Adult Re-Entry Center, the Veterans Resource Center, Pollak Library, and all our Resource Centers, will be available only on a case-by-case basis and only if they are deemed essential and cannot be provided virtually.
     • These facilities will otherwise be unavailable to faculty, students, staff or the public.
4. Research.
   • Principal investigators with critical ongoing research must work directly with their respective dean with guidance from the Provost to determine if and how the research will continue.
5. University Police Department
   • Campus police are paramount to the safety of our community and will continue to patrol and serve the campus while observing strict social distancing and hygiene measures.

Non-Instructional Days.

• We are also increasing our non-instructional block of time €“ it is now March 19 through March 24.
  • As before, regular asynchronous online classes may continue as scheduled during this time period.
  • During these non-instructional days, students should not come to campus unless otherwise scheduled for a specific purpose and service that they cannot receive virtually.
  • Similarly, during these non-instructional days, faculty should not come to campus other than to access support services (e.g., IT or FDC services) that they could not access virtually.
• Mandatory virtual instruction will resume March 25.

Spring Break.

• Spring Break will continue as scheduled (March 30-April 5).
• Mandatory virtual instruction resumes again on April 6.

Moving Forward.

Employees: Divisional vice presidents, deans, chairs, supervisors, and HRDI will be further identifying critical campus functions and telecommuting options in the coming hours and days, and we expect that all employees will be updated of their official status quickly and responsibly. To that end, unless otherwise already approved with a Temporary Telecommuting Agreement in place, all staff should report to work tomorrow (March 17, 2020) to help facilitate this process. Any questions can be directed to your supervisor.

Students: Your professors and, in some cases, Student Affairs professionals, will be reaching out to further support you as we expand our virtual teaching mandates and relegate the campus to essential services only.

As always, we will continue to provide relevant updates via email, social media, and on our official COVID-19 website, coronavirus.fullerton.edu.

And finally, fellow Titans, I want to thank you for your patience, kindness, and care. This is an unprecedented moment in history, but we will get through it by recognizing a truth best articulated in theNew York Times this morning:

“Contagion is real, but it doesn’t just work for viruses. It works for kind words and generous thoughts, and acts of selflessness and honesty.”

Be well, my fellow Titans, and be kind. We will get through this together.

Sincerely,

Fram Virjee
President