March 11, 2020
To the Campus Community,
Over the past weeks and months, we have been carefully following news regarding the spread of COVID-19. Thankfully, there are no confirmed cases at CSUN. Throughout this time, we have been closely monitoring local circumstances in Los Angeles County, which has seen an increase in the number of cases, including the first report of community spread. Out of an abundance of caution, and with the concurrence of the Office of the Chancellor, CSUN will transition to virtual and alternate modalities of learning following spring break, beginning on Monday, March 23 and continuing through April 19. Note, however, that courses currently offered online will continue as usual.
To provide time for planning to make this significant shift, all in-person, face-to-face classes will be canceled Thursday, March 12 through Sunday, March 15. Again, beginning tomorrow, students will not report to campus for face-to-face instruction. Students engaged off campus in field placement or other activities for academic credit will be advised by their instructor of any adjustments. Faculty will receive further guidance from the Office of the Provost about how to transition to virtual learning and alternate modalities. Faculty will notify students of course adjustments prior to Monday, March 23.
Campus remains open and operational during this time. Other than face-to-face instruction, all operations and activities will continue. Any additional changes to campus operations will be updated on CSUN’s COVID-19 website. We will continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) and the Office of the Chancellor.
For every member of the campus community: Continue to follow the well-established measures to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19. If you have a fever at or over 100.4 degrees, cough or shortness of breath, do not come to class and do not come to work. Call your doctor or the Klotz Student Health Center at 818-677-3666, and then press Option 1. Faculty and supervisors should not require notes from medical providers for those who may have absences due to illness.
Students: I understand there may be disappointment at having your academic semester altered in the manner discussed above. I know that our faculty will be working diligently to continue the same high-quality educational experience — just in a different format. Expect that your faculty will be communicating with you the details on this transition. For those who live on campus, Student Housing will remain open and operational.
Parents and family: Please know that I fully understand the fears and concerns you may have for the health of your student. We are closely monitoring public health recommendations and instituting measures to protect each and every student. We also are committed to minimizing the impact on your student’s education, especially those who are planning to graduate this year. You too can be a resource by encouraging your student to persist despite the academic adjustments that are being made, which we hope will be temporary.
Faculty: I know this is a tremendous challenge to occur in the middle of our spring semester. We are committed to helping you in this transition and have initial resources available through the Information Technology academic continuity webpage and the Faculty Development Teaching Through Disruption page. Academic Affairs will be coordinating additional resources and communications to assist you.
Staff: Across every division, I appreciate that our diligent and dedicated staff will be working to support our mission and student success. Your work is vital to our continued operations in an environment more conducive to slow the spread of COVID-19. Should you have any specific workplace questions, please refer to our Faculty and Staff FAQs at /csunasone, contact your supervisor and/or reach out to Human Resources at 818-677-6566 or er@csun.edu.
Please know that we have made this decision after careful consideration and discussion with student and faculty leadership. We are driven by the overarching priority of ensuring the health and safety of every member of our campus community by increasing social distancing and limiting the number of large gatherings on campus. These actions are in accordance with the recommendations of public health officials, which we continue to follow.
Through all of the anxiety and heightened concerns we have heard, I have clearly seen our campus community embrace the prevention and precautionary measures to help us all fight the spread of COVID-19 together. To our students, our faculty and our staff — thank you for your resilience and tenacity, and be well.
As guidance from public health officials evolves, we will continue to keep you informed with the latest information about COVID-19 campus planning, preparedness and prevention at /csunasone.
Sincerely,
Dianne F. Harrison, Ph.D.
President