SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Students will be able to go back into classrooms as in-person instruction resumes at UC San Diego Monday, but some classes will continue to be virtual, according to school officials.
The university started the winter quarter online because of the surge in omicron cases. The initial plan was to keep classes online for the first two weeks, but was extended until January 31.
UCSD is giving professors the option to stay remote for the rest of the quarter. The university released the following statement in regards to the matter.
"We are delighted that the COVID-19 situation on campus and in our community continues to improve, allowing for a greater return to the in-person modes of operation that afford our students so many opportunities for engaged learning, hands-on experimentation, and in-person research and co-curricular activities. At the same time, we recognize that there are certain situations where remote delivery of instruction continues to be a necessity and we want to make appropriate provision for these cases. In response to the Omicron surge and in order to phase student move-in so as not to create a crisis for isolation housing, we began Winter quarter instruction in a remote modality for the first four weeks of classes. Beginning in week 5, the Academic Senate has made an exception to the Senate’s Distance Education Policy and granted instructors the flexibility to determine the best modality for their courses that will best support student learning for the remaining weeks of the Winter 2022 quarter."
UCSD said the course modality is determined based on a number of factors, including the following:
- Whether course content is able to be effectively delivered in-person with current public health restrictions. For instance, indoor masking is required for all, which may prove challenging for courses such as language or music instruction. These programs must consider alternatives such as holding the course remotely, in-person with masking, or meeting in an outdoor classroom.
- Instructors may be facing health, quarantine or caregiving concerns.
UC San Diego school officials said they were excited about the return to campus on Monday and posted a link on their Twitter page informing students of the safety guidelines for COVID.
UCSD On-Campus Checklist:
COVID-19 Testing Requirements
- Residential undergraduate students moving in need to complete a rapid antigen test 24-48 hours before arrival. If the test is positive, isolate where you are.
- All undergraduate and graduate students on the day they return to campus, regardless of vaccination status, must complete a PCR test at a campus vending machine, unless they have had COVID-19 in the past 90 days.
- All employees on the day they return to campus, regardless of vaccination status, must complete a COVID-19 PCR test via vending machine or by appointment at a drive-thru site or at the Price Center clinic, unless they have had COVID-19 in the last 90 days.
- We recommend employees who are completing their first-ever UC San Diego COVID-19 test make an appointment at the Price Center clinic or a drive thru testing site to test, afterwards they can then use the self-administered vending machine testing kits.
Students and Campus Employees: Ongoing Testing
Twice weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 PCR testing required (every 3-5 days):
- You have received the initial vaccination doses and you received your booster less than 7 days ago
- You have received the initial vaccination doses and you are eligible for a booster but you have not yet received a booster
- You have not received the initial vaccination doses or you are unvaccinated
Weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 PCR testing encouraged:
- You have received the initial vaccination doses and you received your booster more than 7 days ago
- You have received the initial vaccination doses and you are not yet eligible for a booster
Please note: You are not required to conduct a COVID-19 PCR test if you have had COVID-19 in the last 90 days.
Learn more on the Student Screening and Testing page and on the Employee Screening and Testing page.