Message to Students from the Provost and VP Student Affairs: Spring 2022 Registration

Thursday October 14, 2021 9:16 am

Dear Titans,

We write to let you know that this November, when you go to register for the spring semester, you will find more in-person classes and fewer online classes offered than were offered this fall. This fall about 60% of our undergraduate course offerings were in-person, while the rest were either fully online or hybrid (part online and part in-person). This spring, about 80% of our courses will be offered in-person, while the remaining 20% will be offered online or hybrid. This means that this spring, while there will be some online courses, most courses will not be offered in an online modality and accordingly, it will be quite difficult for students to register for a completely online schedule. Registration for spring classes begins on Monday, November 1, and will follow the typical pattern.

For those of you who were here as students before the pandemic, you will likely remember that over 90% of our courses were in-person. When we pivoted during the pandemic, nearly all moved online. This semester, we allowed faculty to continue to offer some courses virtually that were not normally approved for virtual instruction so as to assure flexibility in case health and safety guidelines required it.

We are now, thanks to improving health and safety guidelines in our region, planning for a much more regular spring semester on campus. At the same time, we also recognize that some students and faculty have found online and hybrid courses appealing. As a result, we have doubled the number of online and hybrid offerings for spring, when compared to pre-pandemic offerings—going from 10% to 20%. It is our expectation that we will continue to adjust and possibly increase the offering of online and hybrid options in future semesters, depending on demand, the increased effectiveness of online and hybrid modalities, and other factors.

Some may wonder why we are not planning to offer more online or hybrid options this spring. One reason is because typically each online and hybrid course must be reviewed and approved so we know it offers a high-level learning experience for students. Another reason is because a Titan education is intentionally a primarily in-person experience. The classes students take are, of course, an important part of the experience of higher education that transforms your life. Also important, however, are the co-curricular opportunities offered on campus, the relationships that form on campus, and the exchange of ideas that happens—often unplanned—on campus. For these reasons and others, even as we embrace more online and hybrid learning options, we will continue our primary focus on in-person education experiences.

We want to thank you for all you have done to help us stay safe and healthy this fall. Thank you for following our mitigation measures (e.g., vaccine requirement, face covering indoors, personal health assessment, weekly testing, etc.) from President’s Directive No. 22. Thank you for giving us something to be proud of with the very low cases reported on our transparent  on-campus case count tool and following our process to report a case or exposure. We also want to make sure you know all the changes around you that are keeping you safe (like our improved ventilation system) which are explained in our instructions for a safe return. 

We look forward to seeing even more of you on campus this spring and discovering the ways that your presence will enrich our community.

Best wishes,

Carolyn Thomas, PhD
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Tonantzin Oseguera, EdD
Vice President for Student Affairs