Stop the Surge
An Urgent Message from President Harris
Toreros, we need your help.
Over the past few weeks, there has been a significant spike in COVID-19 positive cases recorded on our campus. These numbers — if they continue on this trajectory — will require us to make some tough decisions about the future of the spring semester.
While no one source is responsible for the surge, it is clear from our tracing efforts that social gatherings, coupled with a lack of adhering to our health and safety protocols both on and off campus, are the primary reason for our current situation.
As a campus community, we have adopted the best health and safety measures that state and county officials have to offer. We want to extend a special thanks to those who are embracing these measures. You are setting a standard for care for others that is admirable.
For those who are not, know that your actions can have repercussions. We are all in this together, and we need to act now to stop this surge of COVID-19 cases. We certainly cannot do this if some members of our community are not doing their part to create a healthy and safe campus environment.
Please be diligent in following the health and safety initiatives as outlined in the student and employee guides for the spring semester. Let’s hold each other accountable by encouraging those around us to follow these guidelines.
Our current situation is critical and requires a strong call to action from each one of us. To stop this surge of COVID-19, we are initiating temporary directives for students living on campus during this period of high infection rates.
Effective immediately through the end of February, we are mandating the directives outlined below:
Stop the Surge
Student Directives
On-Campus Resident Students
- All on-campus resident students need to stay on campus and should not go off campus for social, recreational, dining or entertainment purposes. You are only permitted off campus for emergency or essential purposes such as employment, medical care, religious services, or to purchase groceries or other essential items.
- We do, however, want to encourage on-campus residents to exercise and enjoy the outdoors while taking appropriate precautions. If going outside, please wear a face covering, remain physically distant from others and remember to wash your hands on a regular basis. Reserve recreation space on campus.
- Due to the high-risk level, all in-person labs, studios, performance-based courses, undergraduate and graduate student on-campus research, student meetings, classes and other forms of gathering that are currently meeting, must now be held in a remote format.
- All in person co-curricular student organizations and activities may function only in a virtual or remote setting, consistent with student organization guidelines.
Students Living Off-Campus
- We ask students who live off campus, to stay in their own rooms, apartments or households to the greatest extent possible and curtail in-person interactions with others outside of those with whom they live.