Plans for Stanislaus State’s Fall 2021 re-opening continue amid Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement that he hopes to fully reopen the state’s economy and end the COVID-19 color-coded tier system on June 15.
The University continues to prioritize safety measures as it plans for the gradual return of students, faculty, staff and administrators.
“We have reached out to the Office of the Chancellor and will be reaching out to Stanislaus County Public Health Services Agency (HSA) officials to obtain additional and more specific guidance,” President Ellen Junn wrote in her April 8 message to the campus, in which she urged everyone to get the vaccine.
Strategies for return to campus plans can be found in the draft of Stan State’s Return-to-Work plan for Fall 2021, as well as the Introductory and “Evolving” Overview Framework Document. Both are posted on the Fall 2021 Planning webpage, which includes related University communications and the Fall 2021 Schedule and Registration Dates and Deadlines document.
This week’s planning updates:
New Schedule and Registration Dates and Deadlines
- March 15: At 8 a.m., PICWEB locked and departments turn in the schedule.
- March 22-29: 25Live/PeopleSoft updated with 3 feet social distancing capacities per facilities data.
- March 29 to April 1: Schedule uploaded into PeopleSoft, 25Live class placement occurs, Unplaced Class List created.
- April 2: Unplaced Class List sent to departments for those sections currently in-person or hybrid.
- April 5-16: SOC Updates Page opened for departments to submit a second round of classes to be updated as in-person or hybrid in consultation with College Deans.
- April 19-23: Classroom assignments made for second round of classes identified as in-person or hybrid.
- April 26: Second round Unplaced Classes List sent to departments.
- April 26-30: Coordinate Unplaced Class section updates with Noah and Ciara.
- May 5: Fall 2021 Class Schedule posted online.
- May 5-31: SOC Updates Page opened for New Student Orientation “Reserved Seats” class max changes & other necessary class updates to be done prior to registration beginning. Focusing on NSO Reserved Seats enrollment cap changes here because this data should be changed before registration and because registration ends very close to the first NSO on June 14.
- June 1-14: 1st and 2nd Pass Priority Registration.
Faculty Providing Early June Advising
With student registration now occurring after the end of the semester, the college deans will be reaching out to department chairs and program directors to establish faculty within each program who are willing to provide advising to students for additional compensation. Instructions will be made available from each college on how to participate in compensated advising work extending into the few weeks following the end of the Spring 2021 semester.
Academic Space Planning Committee Bi-Weekly Meeting
Faculty will be able to reserve smaller (unused) classrooms and conference rooms for office hours and advising spaces.
On-Campus Testing Rooms
The committee is working to determine how much testing space might be needed; again, it is considering utilizing unused classroom space for testing options on campus.
Risk Assessments
Department managers are currently assessing their workspaces and ways to safely accommodate staff. Their reports are due to Safety and Risk Management by June 30.
Staggered work schedules are likely, both in terms of hours and days on campus, said Kellie Marshall, interim director of Safety and Risk Management Kellie Marshall said during the first Fall on Friday Zoom conversation with faculty and staff members. Furthermore, any decision will have to meet California Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA) restrictions.
Fall 2021 in-person instruction and campus repopulation will be in compliance with guidelines outlined by the state’s Beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy emergency standards. We will continue to work closely with our local public officials to meet our regional health guidelines.
Return to campus will require mask-wearing and social distancing, as well as continual sanitizing of workspaces and communal areas. An analysis of classroom and workspace is ongoing to determine how many people can safely return to campus.
Planning updates will be shared in emails, Stan News, Warrior Weekly and on the University website and other platforms.
The weekly "Fridays for Fall" Zoom meetings are intended to provide updates on progress made during the week and serve as a platform for questions from faculty and staff. The meetings are 3-4 p.m. every Friday through summer. Those who want to participate in the conversations must register using the link on the Fall 2021 webpage.