Everything we know about what USD will look like in the fall

The answer to most of your questions is probably “it depends.”

Tyler Pugmire / News Editor

Celina Tebor / Editor in Chief

The future of USD’s Fall 2020 semester remains ever-changing and somewhat unpredictable. One thing is for certain, though: the University of San Diego will not look the same as it did before. 

Students are grappling with whether they want to return to campus, renew their leases, even take a break from school completely, and countless other decisions. This article lays out everything The USD Vista knows about what Fall 2020 will look like at USD.

Note that the COVID-19 pandemic presents a rapidly changing situation and the information in this article may change or become outdated. The USD Vista will keep this article as up to date as possible.

Classes

San Diego County has delayed its decision regarding USD’s ability to reopen until August 1 because of the increase in coronavirus cases in California, according to an email sent by USD’s School of Business to graduate business students on July 9.

At this point in time, San Diego County has said that the only activities allowed on USD’s campus are those tied to research activities, according to Melissa Halter, vice president of student wellness.

If USD moves ahead with its six-point plan and the fall semester doesn’t switch to complete remote learning, classes will either be in a hybrid format or remote. 

Neena Din, associate dean of USD’s College of Arts and Sciences, said there will be no more than half of a class in a physical classroom at any given time. 

For example, if students took a Tuesday/Thursday class, half of the class would be in a classroom physically on Tuesday and the other half would watch the lecture remotely. On Thursday, the other half of the class that watched the lecture remotely on Tuesday would attend the lecture in person, Din said.

She said this model also accommodates students who chose to take classes completely remotely for the fall semester.

Some professors opted to teach their classes completely remotely instead of in a hybrid format, according to Rick Olson, associate dean of the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering. 

He said 30-40% of professors chose to lecture remotely during the upcoming semester.

Students should know within the next couple of weeks whether their classes will be remote or hybrid, Olson said. He said that USD will have that information prepared by July 17, and will release it to students soon after.

According to the health and safety protocols document released by USD on June 19, furniture in classrooms will be removed or marked to ensure students and professors are all six feet away from each other at all times.

The document also says new technology is being installed in 125 classrooms to facilitate live stream and recording of classroom activities, and that there will be 20 minutes between classes, instead of the regular 10 minutes, to reduce crowding in paces like hallways, stairs, and elevators.

On-campus housing

Resident Assistants were notified by the Residential Education Team on July 9 that on-campus dorms and apartments will only have single occupancy: each bedroom will have only one resident. About seven hours later, USD President James T. Harris III, D.Ed. detailed a message to all students and parents confirming the single occupancy policy. 

Harris’ email also noted that USD is releasing first- and second-year students from on-campus housing obligations, meaning they can live off campus.

Luke LaCroix, assistant dean of students, said USD housing is taking things on a case-by-case basis. 

The first members of the USD community to know that housing was going to be different this year were juniors and seniors who had decided to live in Manchester Village for the 2020-2021 school year. 

They were notified in an email from housing that they would be forced to relocate and had a few options: University Terrace Apartments (UTA’s), Pacific Ridge Apartments (Carmel), Loma Palisades (an apartment complex about ten minutes away from campus), or they could terminate their housing contract at no fee. Parking costs at Loma Palisades and Pacific Ridge are not included, according to an email sent by Residential Life to students planning on living on campus on July 10.

One thing to note about the living situations at Pacific Ridge and Loma Palisades is that there will be two people in each bedroom, because there is enough space to properly social distance in each room. 

LaCroix estimated that there would be 1,200 students living through campus housing. A Residential Life email sent on July 10 noted that the majority of USD’s second-year students will not be able to remain in on-campus housing. 

In the case that county guidelines mandate students to go home, anyone who needs housing accommodations will be granted one, as stated by Halter.

Halter also confirmed that there will be about 40 extra spaces on campus for students who feel they need to self-isolate or quarantine at any said time. This is available to anyone who would be sharing bathrooms with someone else, and needs to separate themselves. 

Health guidelines and COVID-19 testing

The health and safety protocols document released by USD outlines anticipated safety measures when students return to campus.

The document says “while on campus, a face covering such as a cloth mask, disposable mask, or face shield must be worn.” You do not have to wear a face covering on campus if you’re in your personal residency (e.g. your dorm room).

USD does not have a concrete plan to dole out consequences for those who are not wearing a face covering, according to Halter.

“We are hoping that we can see this as community responsibility,” Halter said. “We probably won’t have much of a problem.”

The university recommends all students go through COVID-19 testing before returning to campus, Halter said. The RT-PCR test is USD’s recommendation and there’s a free county testing site on campus that all students and members of the community will have access to.

The protocols document states that when people arrive on campus, they will be required to participate in a daily symptom screening. Students, faculty, and staff will have their temperature checked and be asked a series of questions addressing other symptoms and exposure to COVID-19 before being allowed on campus. Halter said a regular screening should only take about seven to 10 seconds. 

LaCroix urged students to follow the county and state’s safety protocols, even when not on campus.

“Germs travel,” LaCroix said. “They don’t stop at the gate.”

Tuition

USD will move forward with its tuition increase for the upcoming school year. 

Carmen Vasquez, vice president of student affairs, relayed that the decision for this tuition increase was made prior to USD being affected by the pandemic. Neena Din, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, also said that there have been increased costs for additional technology in the classroom, including 130 classrooms that now have cameras that will have the ability to live stream class and allow for student questions mid-lecture.

Vasquez also mentioned that the university lost an estimated $17 million in the spring semester, with a total estimated loss of over $40 million. She also confirmed that the university’s endowment value has decreased by $50 million due to the stock market plunge.

Vasquez said these costs will not be imposed on students. In order to minimize the loss, some administrators have opted to reduce their salaries. No employees accepted a salary increase that was expected for the school year and all retirement benefits have been decreased by half for each faculty member for this year, Vasquez said.

If USD goes remote for the semester

If USD does transition into a fully remote semester, it will most likely be the decision of San Diego County and not the university, according to Halter.

“Traditionally, the reason that a closure happens is because we see community spread in a way that the county and epidemiologists feel the best way to manage the community spread is to close certain areas,” Halter said.

A 24-hour relocation request by the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency was what suspended all types of gatherings at universities and forced students to move out of dorms last spring when the virus first hit.

And it’s unlikely that USD would return to a hybrid or on-campus model at a later date in the semester if it goes remote, Olson said. 

International students

On July 6, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said that any student who attends college on an F-1 or an M-1 visa must attend at least one class that is considered “hybrid learning” or else they are in danger of being deported. 

Denise Dimone, associate provost for international affairs at USD, stated that about 150 international students have opted into fully remote classes, and that they are working on making sure each student is able to come in the country and legally stay, whether that means making sure each student is enrolled in a one-credit hybrid course or waiting to see if the ICE guidelines change. 

Dimone said about 50% of USD’s international students are currently outside of the U.S., and while it is not recommended, some are going through third countries to be able to come back to school to avoid travel restrictions. In the case that any student is not able to come to America, or if they feel that it is safer in their home country, every lecture will be recorded in order for them to attend lectures at their own time. 

Student workers

Vasquez said there will be both Federal Work Study and casual worker opportunities for students this upcoming semester. 

She did not have more details about how many jobs would be available or where they would be located. 

Dining

All self-serving stations at the Student Life Pavilion are going to be handled by a food worker, wearing gloves and a mask, Halter said. This includes both the salad bar and the soup station. 

While facial coverings are mandated at all times, state and county guidelines will dictate whether indoor dining is permitted. Olson said that a picnic in the Paseo De Colachis, or on the side of Bert’s Bistro will still be permitted. 

This article will be updated as the situation develops.