Coronavirus (COVID-19) Frequents Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will the Belanich Engineering Center (BEC) remain open throughout summer?
  In light of the Governor’s statewide “stay at home” declaration, BEC is closed except for a crew of designated staff who are essential to keep operations running. Most SMSE staff and administrators are working from home. The Dean’s office will have a skeleton crew working Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 - 3:00, but all communication will take place electronically.
• Will academic advising still be available throughout summer?
  Faculty will continue to provide academic advising to their students using email and Zoom. As of now, students will be able to register for the fall 2020 semester beginning April 9, 2020. Samantha Przywitowski (sam@sandiego.edu) is continuing to work with students. She has developed a series of advising videos to help all students. Video appointments with Sam can be made through https://calendly.com/sam-usd.
• How do I have a course taken outside of USD pre-approved for transfer to USD?
  Great News! USD will accept courses taught online at institutions outside of USD for the summer of 2020 only. We invite you to view this short video on how to have a course taken outside of USD pre-approved for transfer to USD. If you have any questions, contact Sam Przywitowski.
• Are there any changes in the times that some Fall 2020 classes are offered?
  Please be aware that some fall class times have been changed as of the week of March 30, 2020 (especially ELEC and GENG), so check the updated class lists.
• How do I gain access to SMSE and USD image backgrounds for my Zoom meetings over the summer?

  Zoom video conferencing provides you with the ability to change your monitor background to a virtual background. We understand that individuals may not feel comfortable sharing their home spaces with others. In response, we have created a new Remote Learning navigation tab under Student Resources to provide an assortment of campus photos that USD students can use to bring a sense of campus community to your remote learning environment.

  Click HERE for Zoom's online instructions on how to change your virtual background. 

If you have additional questions specifically related to USD's Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering that have not been answered on this FAQ page, please email us at usdengr@sandiego.edu.

For all information for the University of San Diego's plan to reopen campus for fall 2020, please visit USD's Torero Blueprint website.

For all information for the University of San Diego community related to the coronavirus outbreak, please visit USD's COVID-19 website.

We are in this together!