A copy of this message is also being sent to UC Santa Barbara parents and loved ones.
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Dear UCSB Students:
Wherever you are reading this message – home with family, studying and researching remotely, or living here in Santa Barbara County – I hope it finds you and your loved ones well. There is no doubt that this is a difficult time on many fronts, and while the ongoing global pandemic does not affect us all equally, it is exacting a toll on everyone. With cases trending upward in California, we are in a situation that we could hardly have imagined at the start of the winter quarter. Adapting to different ways of living and interacting has been challenging.
And there is hope. It is important for all of us to keep a collective goal in mind: to follow medical and public health guidelines carefully so that we can return together, in-person to our scenic campus during future quarters when the pandemic is better controlled. And to remember that even during necessary periods of remote instruction, we are fortunate to be part of our vibrant UC Santa Barbara learning community. Our shared values, collegiality, and passion allow us to continue to learn, teach, research, and convene virtually and maintain our forward momentum.
Each one of us has a role to play in bringing this bright future to fruition. UCSB has been working to enact public health guidelines and cautiously resume some in-person activities to the extent allowed by public health policies and UC, county, state, and federal guidelines. Still, it is very likely that most classes and activities will have to be offered online this Fall quarter. As the Chancellor’s June 18 memo noted, we will need to be flexible and ready to adapt should circumstances require us to change course.
In this message
- Information about upcoming webinars open to all students and parents
- Summer Activities
- Campus Health
- Undergraduate Instruction this Fall
- Isla Vista
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Student Affairs Summer Webinars
Save these dates!
In this webinar series, we will share the latest information about what’s happening on campus, new developments in planning for the fall, and how to make the most of campus resources.
- Wed., July 22, 5-6:15pm PST – Summer Session B Info & Fall Forecast – Register Here
Topics include: campus planning updates, what to expect during Summer Session B, programs and resources available this summer, local medical perspectives on COVID-19, and updates from our campus partners. - Wed., August 26, 5-6:15pm PST – Fall Logistics, Part I – Registration TBA
- Wed., September 9, 5-6:15pm PST – Fall Logistics, Part II – Registration TBA
Registration space is limited; however, all webinars will be recorded for viewing afterward.
We also welcome your questions and suggestions. We will do our best to address submissions during upcoming webinars and in future written communications.
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While it is quiet on campus, this is a busy summer at UCSB
- Nearly 12,000 students are engaged in virtual classes
- Research is continuing online and in-person as appropriate
- Summer programs like Pre-College Programs, the Freshman Summer Start Program (FSSP), Transfer Edge, the EOP Summer Transitional Enrichment Program (STEP), and the EOP Summer Transfer Transition Program (STTP) are all active
- Faculty and staff are working harder than ever to deliver summer programs and prepare for the fall quarter
Whether you are a new or continuing student, and whether you are taking classes this summer or not, you are welcome and encouraged to participate in summer activities.
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Browse and register for events in Shoreline
Every day is packed with offerings – academic lectures, yoga and wellness practices, cultural events and support, office hours, games, and more!
New Students: Your Shoreline account should be activated by this weekend. If you have trouble accessing Shoreline after that date, contact shoreline@ucsb.edu.
We also want to remind you that Student Affairs resources remain operational over the summer. You can browse our departments and services online. We hope to hear from you!
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Plans for COVID-19 testing, monitoring, and contact tracing of all members of the University community will be central to the possibility of resuming some in-person instruction. The campus is conducting a thorough analysis of buildings, taking into account needs for physical distancing, reduced density, ventilation, and airflow.
To facilitate the re-entry of the campus community – informed by scientific, medical, and public health guidance – a number of measures will be taken including:
- A COVID-19 testing protocol upon return to campus including a daily symptom assessment,
- Required training for all campus community members on COVID-19 prevention and campus response,
- Limited population of campus spaces in order to permit physical distancing,
- Required face coverings,
- Cleaning and disinfection of door handles, bathrooms, elevator buttons, etc.
- Where needed to facilitate physical distancing, one-way pedestrian traffic through buildings, adjustments to seating arrangements, etc.
As you consider returning to campus, it’s important to consider your individual responsibility for making personal health-related decisions. The campus will follow all applicable government and public health guidelines.
Each of our individual actions will have a significant effect upon the welfare of our campus community. Our goal is to have a community engaged together in fighting COVID-19 – one where we are all motivated to take steps to minimize virus transmission.
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Undergraduate Instruction
As noted by the Chancellor, we anticipate that all courses with an enrollment of more than 50 students will require remote instruction. We expect that most remote lecture courses will have remote sections, as was the case in Spring Quarter. There may be few, limited opportunities to hold some in-person discussion sections for some courses, consistent with the new classroom assignment and COVID-19 protocols.
No classroom will be assigned for any class if it does not accommodate physical distancing, and have adequate ventilation, entrances and exits, and a cleaning regimen.
Information about specific courses is published in the schedule of classes on GOLD.
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As the Chancellor’s memo noted, keeping the population density low in Isla Vista will help protect our campus community. Students should be mindful about the importance of physical distancing and reduced density in living situations. Any leasing arrangement that exceeds double occupancy in a bedroom can increase the risk of spread and is strongly discouraged.
Students (and all campus community members) should wear face coverings, observe physical distancing, and avoid large gatherings both on and off campus. Again, our individual actions will have a significant impact upon the welfare of our campus community. The collective actions of the Isla Vista community are likely to affect the campus' ability to resume in-person instruction. Specifically, disregard of medical and public health guidelines could delay our return to in-person instruction.
While we do not have authority over privately-owned residences, we continue to be in contact with Isla Vista property managers, and University and Community Housing Services provides resources and mediation that can assist students and their families navigate private leases during this challenging and often unpredictable time.
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I hope that you find this information helpful. I look forward to answering your questions during the upcoming Student Affairs webinars, where I will be joined by campus partners who can share additional insights about our campus plans. In the meantime, I hope that you take some time to care for yourself and your family and friends, and have a chance to recover after a difficult year.
I wish you a healthy and productive remainder of the summer.
Sincerely,
Margaret Klawunn, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
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