Cal State Long Beach has become the latest CSU to turn to remote instruction out of “an abundance of caution” due to the latest surge in omicron-driven COVID-19 cases, officials said.
CSULB, which begins its spring semester on Jan. 20, will be offering primarily remote instruction to students for two and a half weeks, delaying most in-person classes until Feb. 7.
“The safety of our community has always been our chief concern throughout the pandemic,” CSULB President Jane Close Conoley said in a statement today. “Delayed in-person instruction was not what we had intended for this spring, but the rise of the Omicron variant warrants this adjustment.”
CSU spokesperson Toni Molle said that all 23 campus presidents have been delegated to make changes to their campus plans based on conditions in their regions.
As of today, these nine of 23 CSU campuses have made the decision to transition to virtual instruction for the first few weeks of the semester: Sacramento, Los Angeles, Channel Islands, San Diego, Fresno, San Marcos, East Bay, Long Beach and San Francisco.
CSULB will remain open during the first two weeks of the semester; however, some university staff will be asked to work remotely over the next few weeks in an effort to reduce the number of people on campus.
Campus facilities such as the University Student Union, the library, bookstore, the Horn Center and Student Health Services will continue operations while maintaining proper health and safety protocols in place.
Some other campus operations may face short-term changes as well. Modification details regarding athletic events, audiences for the performing arts, facilities reservations and hours at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center will be shared in the coming days, Conoley said.
“We’ve had a strong record of safety at The Beach, which we intend to continue,” Conoley said. “I’m confident we will still have a rewarding and enriching spring semester even as we make these temporary modifications.”
In accordance with the CSU’s recent updated policies, Conoley announced yesterday that CSULB faculty, students and staff would be required to receive a booster shot by Monday, Feb. 28 if they plan to access university facilities and programs.
“This is an appropriate modification to our approach given the current surge in infections of the Omicron variant,” Conoley said Wednesday. “Omicron is now the most prevalent form of the virus in the United States. In fact, the number of infections nationwide has increased five-fold in just the last week.”
Conoley said that the policy will be immediately applicable to students and non-represented staff, however, represented employees will be exempt from the booster requirement until the CSU concludes its meet-and-confer process with labor unions.
CSULB officials said they will continue to monitor prevailing conditions and public health recommendations over the coming weeks.
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