Stanislaus State plans for virtual classes in spring 2021 because of coronavirus
Stanislaus State students will continue learning primarily online for the spring semester, officials announced Thursday, keeping in line with the California State University system’s safety plans during the coronavirus pandemic.
Officials anticipate giving limited exceptions for in-person activities, University President Ellen Junn said in an message to the community, prompting a range of initial student reactions.
History junior Jillian Bates welcomed the announcement, describing remote classes as more manageable while her 12-year-old son also continues distance learning and her husband serves in the Navy in Japan.
“I think they made the best choice they could make, especially with the outbreaks happening with the schools and universities opening,” Bates said in a direct message to The Bee on Twitter. “When COVID is no longer a risk, I will feel safe (returning to campus). I have too many loved ones that are at high risk of getting it.”
CSU Stanislaus transitioned to virtual classes in March, as did the rest of the system. Colleges have become hot spots for the virus. San Diego State University and Arizona State University are among the campuses with reported outbreaks.
After less than two weeks of holding a limited number of in-person classes and subsequently requiring all instruction be online, San Diego State on Wednesday reported 509 COVID-19 cases among its student population. Arizona State University also began the fall semester with a hybrid model and reported that nearly 1,400 students, including at least 200 who live on campus, have tested positive since Aug. 1.
Stanislaus State plans to keep student housing open at reduced capacity in the spring, Junn said in the announcement, but she did not specify what or how many in-person classes may be allowed.
“This decision continues to put the health and safety of our faculty, staff and students first, while also putting our focus on delivering a high-quality education to as many students as possible, allowing them to make timely progress toward their degree completion,” Junn said in the message. “We will communicate our campus specific plans in the near future, along with other important updates.”
While business administration senior Tristan DeMauri said he appreciates the safety considerations, he called the decision heartbreaking. If the university reduced class sizes, required masks, provided hand sanitizer stations and spaced out desks for social distancing, DeMauri said he would feel safe returning to campus in January.
For now, he said, students are dealing with technical difficulties and professors who forget to record meetings or accidentally set time limits.
“It’s hard to ask questions or ask your professor to slow down because you can’t technically raise your hand to (ask) the professor to do so,” DeMauri said in a direct message to The Bee on Twitter. “I’m doing OK grade-wise in my studies, but I don’t feel like I’m retaining the information learned as well as I would in person.”
To engage students, Senior Associate Vice President Rosalee Rush said faculty and staff work closely with the university’s technology offices. Stanislaus State has also provided faculty and students with Wi-Fi hotspots and laptops to help with accessing programs, Rush said in an email to The Bee.
When it comes to accreditation requirements for online classes, CSU Chancellor Timothy White said announcing the decision now gives staff time to get authorization from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Campuses must commit to their January schedules by next month to meet those requirements, White wrote in a letter.
The first day of classes for Stanislaus State’s spring semester is scheduled for Jan. 28. Instruction for the three-week-long winter session in January will also be primarily online, Rush said. Registration for winter session classes begins Sept. 21.
