President’s Message to Campus: Start of Spring Semester Update
Friday January 07, 2022 10:58 amDear Titan Family:
Since March of 2020, we have been making decisions that align with and support our twin pandemic touchstones — the health and safety of all Titans and unobstructed paths to degree for all students.
Today, in light of the increasing spread of the Omicron variant in Orange County and California, we are continuing that decision-making with this announcement: We will begin our spring semester by delivering our courses remotely for the first two weeks of the semester (January 22-February 6). During this time, the campus will remain open and all services will be available.
Temporarily delaying face-to-face instruction was not what we hoped for, but we believe that this decision allows us to prioritize health and safety without sacrificing academic quality and access. As the anticipated date of returning to primarily in-person teaching and learning approaches (Monday, February 7, 2022), we will continue to assess the best path forward.
Again, our campus remains open and safe for all Titans who continue to work on site and anyone utilizing our in-person services. Nearly 100% of our faculty, staff, and students are following our vaccine, testing, and mask mandates, and we will continue to bolster our protection and preventative measures. To that end (and in alignment with CSU policy), all eligible students and unrepresented employees must provide documentation of their COVID-19 vaccine booster shot between January 14 and the campus deadline of February 7, 2022, or when eligible to receive the booster. Directions on how and where to report and verify booster information will be sent out next week.
As previously announced by the CSU, the system’s COVID-19 vaccination policy continues to allow students and employees to seek exemptions based upon medical and personally held beliefs/religious grounds. Further, represented employees will not be subject to the booster requirement until the CSU concludes its meet-and-confer process with its labor unions.
Students, you will soon receive further instruction and information via email from Dr. Vincent Vigil, associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students.
Faculty and staff, while current telecommuting agreements will continue during this time, all offices and spaces, including the library, TSU, and all student centers will remain open and staffed accordingly. Staff will soon receive more information in an email from Dr. David Forgues, vice president for HRDI while faculty can expect a communication from Dr. Carolyn Thomas, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
Our Titans Return website is also fully updated with further information for all Titans.
Thank you for your ongoing patience and collaboration as we strive to adapt and address the ever-evolving challenges of this pandemic. Together, we will continue to persevere and prevail, and I look forward to seeing you all in-person on campus again soon.
Sincerely,
Fram Virjee
President