September 29, 2023
  • 12:08 pm Fall Convocation 2022: “The State of this University is Strong”
  • 9:37 pm Ogrin Brings the Thunder in Toros 12-3 rout; team plays for playoff championship tomorrow
  • 7:00 am Outstanding Professor Award Recipient’s Mic Drop Moment at Last Month’s Virtual Ceremony
  • 9:10 am Bookworms of the World Unite!
  • 7:46 pm Breaking News: All Students Living in Campus Housing Required to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine
  • 9:00 am CSUDH Esports Creates International Competition
  • 9:35 am Spring Commencement Ceremonies Get Brighter
  • 3:46 pm Breaking News: Spring Commencement Ceremonies Recieve Stadium Upgrade
  • 8:00 am Testing the Teachers (and All the Educators)
  • 9:30 am CSUDH Educators and School Employees, Vaccinated Next
  • 10:30 am For White People Only: Anti-Racism Workshop Addresses Racial Bias and Unity
  • 2:43 pm Greatness Personified: Remembering Kobe Bryant
  • 10:02 am Straight Down the Chimney and Into Your (Digital) Hands: Special Holiday Edition of The Bulletin!
  • 2:44 pm Did You Wake up Looking this Beautiful?
  • 11:43 am A Long History for University’s Newest Major
  • 5:15 pm Issue 5 of Bulletin Live! Collector’s Item! Worth its Weight in Digital Paper!
  • 4:06 pm Special Election Issue
  • 4:03 pm Three best Latinx Halloween & Horror Short Films available now on HBO Max
  • 9:49 am Issue 3 of CSUDH Bulletin Live if You Want It
  • 3:24 pm Hispanic Heritage Month Update
  • 2:00 pm South Bay Economic Forecast Goes Virtual
  • 3:52 pm BREAKING NEWS: Classes for Spring to be Online, CSU Chancellor Announces
  • 9:39 am “Strikes” and Solidarity
  • 8:30 am March Into History: Just 5 in 1970, CSUDH Growth Shaped by Historic Event
  • 8:30 am Will the Bulletin Make Today Tomorrow?
  • 9:04 am Different Neighborhoods Warrant Rubber Bullets or Traffic Control For Protesters
  • 5:07 pm STAFF EDITORIAL: Even Socially Distant, We All Have to Work Together
  • 5:47 pm Transcript of CSUDH President Parham’s Coronavirus Announcement
  • 10:46 am Cal State Long Beach Suspends Face-to-Face Classes; CSUDH Discussing Contingency Plans
  • 5:26 pm Things Black People Should be Able to Get Away with This Month
  • 10:25 am Latinx Students Need a Place to Call Home
  • 2:35 pm Will Time Run Out Before Funds for PEGS? [UPDATED]
  • 8:41 am Year of the Rat? What’s That?
  • 6:20 am Artist Who Gave Life to Death and Inspired Countless Others Gets His Due at Dominguez Hills
  • 5:16 pm Why I’m Rooting for Dr. Cornel West
  • 5:00 pm Under Fire from the Feds, Vaping’s Future is Cloudy
  • 3:28 pm We’re Going to Need a Bigger Boat; Tsunami 3.0 Hits Campus, Enrollment Swells
  • 1:22 pm THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE BULLETIN IS HERE
  • 4:48 pm University Weathering a Wave of New Students
  • 9:21 pm The Bulletin’s Public Records Request Offers Springboard to Launch Gender Equity Discussion at CSUDH
  • 4:27 pm Black is the New Black: Raising the Capital on the “B” Word
  • 10:53 am Guns Up for Arrest: Student advocacy group pushes for CSU No Gun Zones–Including the Police
  • 4:09 pm Staff Editorial: Words on the First
  • 8:42 pm Carson Mayor Blasts Media, Landmark Libel Case in Keynote Address
  • 9:27 am Free Speech Week Calendar of Events Update
  • 6:02 am Food for Thought: 40% of Students are Food Insecure
  • 3:12 pm Academic Senate Rejects CSU GE Task Force & Report
  • 3:06 pm Work To Be Done
  • 5:56 pm ASI Elections: What You Need to Know
  • 8:02 pm CSUDH President Parham Announces Cancer Diagnosis
  • 9:47 am CSUDH Art Professor’s 20-Year Journey Results in First Local Showing of Film
  • 9:13 pm Free Speech or Free Hate area?
  • 9:08 pm CSUDH’s Best & Brightest Shine at Student Research Day
  • 9:05 pm Academic Senate Approves Gender Equity Task Force
  • 12:37 pm When Dr. Davis speaks, Toros Pay Close Attention
  • 3:38 pm Investing in the Future: Dr. Thomas A. Parham Reflects on the Past Eight Months and Contemplates​ the University’s Future
  • 3:24 pm Green Olive to Open By End of Feb; Starbucks Not Until Fall
  • 3:20 pm Gov. Newsom’s Proposed Budget Hailed for Extensive Funding Increases
  • 3:08 pm Out of the Classroom: Labor and Community Organizing Course Aims to Teach Students How to Organize for Social Justice
  • 2:54 pm The Other Route in Professional Sports
  • 9:02 am Hail to the New Chief, CSUDH President Thomas Parham
  • 3:36 pm Career Center Holds Major/Minor Fair
  • 5:34 pm After Unexpected Delay, Undocumented Becomes More Intimate Theatrical Production
  • 1:30 pm What to Expect When You’re Expecting New Buildings
  • 6:30 pm September Events For Suicide Prevention Month
  • 6:30 pm Higher Parking Fees Squeeze Toros
  • 6:25 pm Study Abroad Opportunities Abound
  • 7:49 pm CSUDH offers qualified students free laptops
  • 1:17 pm Peaches, Peaches, Peaches

Photo by Robert Rios.


By Daniel Tom, Staff Reporter
Additional reporting by Carlos Martinez, Robert Rios (Campus Editor), and Brenda Fernanda Verano (News Editor)

Welcome to five more months of the new (un) normal. 

California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White announced Sept. 10 that all 23 CSU campuses will continue with mostly virtual instruction in the spring semester. That meant for the vast majority of CSUDH students nearly 18 months will pass between the last time, and the next time, they step foot on this campus.

This is the second time White has announced a virtual semester. On May 12, two months after the spring semester was disrupted by the suspension of in-person classes, White announced that the continued uncertainty around the pandemic meant the entire fall semester would be virtual with a few exceptions for certain classes.

Fast forward four months and the only thing certain is still uncertainty.

In his announcement, White mentioned administrative and logistical challenges, such as a fast-approaching deadline for campuses to publish spring 2021 classes, as one reason for the relatively early decision. 

“The result of the decision being made four months prior to the start of the spring semester allows universities to plan their online course offerings for students ahead of time and to make other arrangements if necessary,” he said in his announcement.

The CSU’s accrediting body, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) plays a big role in this as it requires each campus to seek authorization for courses offered virtually. 

A predicted wave of coronavirus cases in October and November, larger than the summer resurgence, and another projected wave in March, 2021, were also factors, White said. 

In a Sept. 11 statement, CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham assured the campus community that school administration is continuously working to support students and staff as we continue the virtual experience.

“Your administration and executive leadership will create a workable plan moving forward this spring and the university will continue to support students, faculty and staff.” 

CSUDH Academic Senate Chair Laura Talamante believes this was the most responsible decision to make at this time.

“I think that it’s the right decision and that it was really important he made it at this stage,” Talamante said. “This allows both students, professors, and the staff to prepare as much as possible for the spring semester. And to start asking questions now about what’s working, where do we need to improve, how can we meet student needs, faculty, staff needs because everybody has had to make major adjustments to how they do their jobs and how learning and instruction takes place.”

Student reaction to the announcement was mixed. 

“I’m very sad but at the same time, what can we do,” said senior psychology major Kimberly Ramirez. “We’re in the middle of a pandemic. Our safety comes first and I’m on board whether I like it or not. All we can do is adjust and be here for each other”

Fifth year senior John Otero, a film/media & television major, isn’t quite as resigned. 

“It’s a bummer,” he said. “I really engage and accomplish more being able to meet in person with my peers and professors so I’m not looking forward to another semester of Zoom University.” 

However, not everybody minds another semester at Zoom University.

“I can honestly say I enjoy online classes more than in person,” senior biology major Sylvia Sky said. “Not having to look for parking or rushing to work from class has brought my stress levels down. I find content provided during class more organized and easier to access because everything is online.” 

No one knows how the rest of this year and early next year will unfold. 

Will a safe and effective vaccine be readily available at some point during the spring semester? 

Could we potentially return to campus after spring break?   Will graduating seniors, for the second consecutive year  not have an in-person commencement?

Whatever the answers  to those questions ,this much is known:  the decision to have a virtual spring semester means COVID-19 will  continue to be a reality for all of us for at least eight more months.

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