CSUDH President Thomas F. Parham today announced that as of tomorrow, Thursday March, 12, all face-to-face classes on campus are suspended until March 17. After that, alternative instruction will begin March 18-April 12, with hopes to have face-to-face classes start again April 13 “pending consultation and advice with medical experts and public health officials.”:
Here is the text to his full email. The Bulletin will be updating this story and covering all aspects of this unprecedented closure as they develop.
DATE: March 11, 2020
TO: Campus Community
FROM: Thomas A. Parham, Ph.D.
President
SUBJECT: COVID-19 Update from CSUDH
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Campus Community,
Like all of you, I have been intently following reports of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is an exceptional event with a global impact, and our primary concern is to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors. We consider the campus community’s well-being to be of the highest level of importance, and we will continue to do our best to protect our beloved California State University, Dominguez Hills community.
The CSUDH leadership team, in consultation with medical professionals and public health experts, has been meeting daily to monitor and plan for COVID-19 and the safety of the campus community. This extensive work is a dynamic engagement of a situation that is changing rapidly, according to Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the California Department of Public Health.
Currently, no cases of COVID-19 have been reported among our community; however, in the best interest of all concerned, we must do our due diligence and take the necessary precautions to limit exposure. I write today to update you on significant near-term changes that will maximize social distancing and minimize exposure among members of our campus community.
Accordingly, I have decided to take the following measures:
INSTRUCTION
CSUDH is temporarily suspending the in-person, on-campus convening of classes. To allow our faculty to make final preparations for alternative delivery of instruction, face-to-face classes are cancelled beginning tomorrow, Thursday, March 12, through Tuesday, March 17, although the campus will remain open. Current online courses will continue as normal.
Alternative instruction will begin Wednesday, March 18 through Sunday, April 12. For many classes, that would include online modalities of instruction. Some classes that require more hands-on activity may continue to meet in person in a limited capacity based on preferences of the faculty in consultation with campus officials.
The decision to move to alternative instruction was not made lightly. The goal of these changes is to minimize the need to gather in large groups or spend prolonged time in close proximity in spaces such as classrooms, dining halls, and residential buildings.
Students: Please look for communications from instructors about plans for individual courses. Reach out to your instructors if you have questions.
We expect face-to-face classes to resume Monday, April 13, pending consultation and advice from medical experts and public health officials.
CAMPUS OPERATIONS
Again, the university is not closing. Campus offices and buildings will remain open and many operations will continue normally, including student housing and related dining facilities. Students who need computers or Wi-Fi can continue to use the library and computer lab spaces on campus.
Staff should continue to report to work on site. However, if individuals have underlying health concerns that they believe put them in a high-risk group, please notify supervisors so that appropriate accommodations may be considered in consultation with the division vice president.
The university will continue to employ good public health measures that protect our campus.
EVENTS
To maximize social distancing and out of an abundance of caution, all events on campus, including third-party bookings, scheduled through April 12 will be cancelled and/or rescheduled where possible. Planning should continue for events already scheduled after April 12; however cancellation and/or postponement may be necessary based on the health assessment moving forward.
No new events should be planned until further notice.
TRAVEL
Effective immediately, all international and non-essential domestic travel is suspended through May 31. The determination of essential domestic travel will be made by the president in consultation with senior executives. Please refer to the Chancellor’s Office memo concerning travel.
IN SUMMARY
Thank you for the continued steps you are taking to protect your health and the health of the campus community. I ask all Toros to be supportive of their classmates and colleagues as we navigate this difficult time together. You can find the latest information about COVID-19 campus planning, preparedness and prevention on the CSUDH.edu/alert webpage.
We recognize and empathize with the fact that these actions may pose challenges; however, they are necessary to avoid putting the campus community at risk.
Warmly,
Thomas A. Parham, Ph. D.
President