President's Office

Fall Mid-Semester Update

October 16, 2020

To the Campus Community:

We are at the half-way point in the fall semester and have much for which to be thankful. Across the university, students are continuing progress toward lifechanging degrees. Faculty and staff have found new ways to engage with students and colleagues. However, as a campus community, we must remain vigilant to take care of ourselves and each other.

We continue to provide regular updates on the status of campus operations, services and community members impacted by COVID-19 on the CSUN as One website. As I shared in September, all CSU campuses will remain in a primarily virtual environment through the spring semester to maximize health and safety. Should circumstances change, we will communicate further. Some have asked why segments of our economy, including other universities, have been able to loosen restrictions while CSUN maintains our numerous precautionary measures. We are guided by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which has stricter regulations for universities. The sobering truth is that Los Angeles County remains in the highest tier due to elevated COVID-19 statistics in our region.

Whether you are working, living or learning on or off campus, the public health advice is consistent. Wear a face covering when outside of your home. Practice good hygiene through washing your hands or using hand sanitizer. And always maintain a physical distance of six feet or more with everyone outside of your home. These practices are not mutually exclusive — they should be practiced together. Even Matty the Matador wears a face covering when out and about. Please visit our new campaign, Mask On Matadors!, which encourages every member of our campus community to embrace these health measures both on and off campus. As a reminder, every student, faculty, staff or visitor who comes to campus must complete the health screening survey through the CSUN app or CSUN as One site.

As we head into the second-half of the semester, persistence and consistency will be key. Faculty and staff remain dedicated to student success, and students will likely need to tap into their reserves of tenacity to keep moving forward. I know the longer we remain in this mode, the harder it becomes to focus. But the goal is clear for our students — earning degrees that open doors to opportunity unavailable to those without degrees. The return on investment for your effort now is unparalleled.

Now is also the time to be planning for spring. Advisors are already actively working with students in The Hub and across all colleges helping to develop plans for spring class registration. For our students, if you have not yet mapped out your plan, start on this course as soon as possible.

Finally, one of our most important duties and privileges as a citizen of a vibrant democracy is the right to vote. CSUN is committed to ensuring that our community has every opportunity to participate in this election and exercise their right. CSUN is proud to host a vote center in Redwood Hall that will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Oct. 24 to Nov. 2. On election day, Nov. 3, the center will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please note that these hours have changed. Hosting this vote center is just one of the many ways that CSUN is working to increase civic engagement within our campus community and beyond.

I hope you and your families remain healthy and safe.

Sincerely,

Dianne F. Harrison, Ph.D.
President