A limited return to campus: What this means for USD faculty and students
A limited return to campus: What this means for USD faculty and students
Emma Valdiserri / Assistant News Editor
As of Friday, Aug. 28, USD’s President James T. Harris III, D.Ed. announced that the university will be making efforts for a limited return to its campus. Despite San Diego remaining under a stay-at-home order, the county has introduced new regulations for the Institutions of Higher Education on Sept. 1, allowing USD to make a limited return. Certain classes will be able to have in-person learning, and a limited number of students will be able to move in on campus to hopefully attain some level of the college experience they’ve hoped for since March.
Classes that are scheduled to return to campus will do so beginning the week of Sept. 21. While many faculty members and students are eager to return to campus, the classes that are planned to return are specific to certain labs, capstone courses, and other specialized courses. The buildings where these courses are being held will be open and will require those who enter to wear face coverings.
Under normal circumstances, USD’s campus hosts countless university events and activities. Despite situations having changed due to the pandemic, there are parts of campus that are and will be open for faculty and students to enjoy as the university is making efforts to restore a degree of normalcy on campus.
As of right now, the Student Life Pavilion (SLP), Hahn University Center, and Learning Commons are all open for individual studying. San Diego County has not permitted libraries to open; however, USD’s Copley Library will continue providing faculty and students with the online services and resources they need. As can be expected, face coverings are required in these spaces for individuals to feel safe and comfortable in their environment. USD is also experimenting with options for campus activities that can be conducted safely.
For faculty and students in need of some exercise between in-person or Zoom classes as the University returns, USD’s Campus Recreation plans to reopen the Bosley Fitness Center (BFC) and the Sports Center (SC), which includes the outdoor pool and adjoining tennis and pickleball courts, on Monday, Sept. 21.
Along with the return of classes and re-opening of university facilities, there is also a plan to have students who’ve expressed interest in on-campus housing to move in over the weekend of Sept. 18. According to Cynthia Avery, Ph.D., assistant vice president of Student Life at USD, a survey was sent to over 1,000 students who previously had a housing assignment. Of those students, approximately 550 indicated an interest in relocating to campus; most of these are first-year students.
Housing will be prioritized for first- and second-year students, students who live in a different time zone, and students who are enrolled in labs and capstone courses. Most of the university’s residence halls will be open for housing with the exception of Founders and Camino Hall, which are both currently under construction, and Valley B, which has shared bathrooms. While certain residence halls can normally house up to four students per room, dorm rooms and bathrooms will be limited to one student each.
As part of USD’s plan for a safe and limited return, all individuals who visit campus are required to undergo a daily screening process at a screening station where their temperature is taken and afterwards they are given wristbands which allows them entry into any of the open buildings. Members living on campus or those who make consistent visits for work and class will receive daily emails from the USD COVID Action Team. These emails ask the members to participate in screening via a link.
As fall and flu season approaches, USD strongly recommends its members to get the flu vaccine as an extra safety precaution. The university is making strong efforts to keep the campus community safe, healthy, and COVID-free.
Since Aug. 24, San Diego State University has recorded 184 positive cases of COVID-19 on their campus, forcing them to pause their in-person classes for four weeks. USD says it has been very careful in monitoring the pandemic within the county and across nearby and local universities, and is still planning to move ahead with its limited return agenda.
“We have heard from many students and families about their strong desire to be on campus to engage in their learning,” Avery said. “For some students, this is the best learning environment for them.”
USD is driven to get members of its community back on campus in a safe manner. However, for this to happen, the university must rely heavily on its faculty and students to be personally responsible both on and off campus. Students are strongly urged to follow the student guide for the fall semester and comply with the student pledge that recognizes the importance of the health and safety measures for all Toreros.
Safety is USD’s top priority. With that being said, there is no room to bend the rules when it comes to practicing safe behavior as USD sets out to return to its beautiful campus. For more information about the transition, faculty and students can visit the Torero BluePrint website.