June 19, 2020

Dear Dolphins,

I sincerely hope this email finds you well. As you may have learned from President Beck’s video message earlier today, the campus recently received approval from the Chancellor’s Office for our Fall 2020 Semester Plan (PDF, 266KB). I wanted to provide you with more information that will help you develop and finalize your plans for the fall semester.

Schedule of Classes
As you know, our classes will be primarily virtual with limited exceptions. Information about fall classes and the format for each is available in the Schedule of Classes. Class information may also be found via the links below organized by School:

Registration & Enrollment
Good news - the Aug. 3 registration ‘hold’ has been lifted for all continuing students and you are now able to make changes (add or drop) to your fall schedule. We hope that the Schedule of Classes and their modality (in-person, online and/or virtual) will help you plan a schedule that best fits your needs and individual situation. As registration continues throughout the summer, course availability may change based on enrollment. As such, please be sure to reference the Schedule of Classes for the most up-to-date information.

On-Campus Housing
Housing & Residential Education is committed to supporting students who need and desire housing for the 2020-21 academic year. However, due to COVID-19, housing availability for the fall has been reduced to about 28% of normal capacity in order to adhere to safety guidelines provided by Ventura County Public Health. Some important updates about on-campus housing are outlined below and may be subject to change depending on current conditions:

  • All housing residents will be assigned to private bedrooms and bathrooms.
  • Prioritization will be provided to foster youth, homeless, housing-insecure, those living on campus during summer 2020, students enrolled for in-person courses, and students who met their priority application deadline.
  • Application fees can be applied to spring 2021 via the housing portal for those who may want to defer their housing until the spring semester.
  • Penalty-free cancellation date is June 30, 2020 for students who have already applied and have chosen not to live on campus.
  • Students who have applied for on-campus housing can expect regular updates regarding their application, status, requirements, and health and safety guidelines. Our Housing & Residential Education-Fall 2020 webpage will also include all relevant updates for our housing students.

Technology Needs
The campus understands that attending classes remotely may require technology that you do not already have access to, but please know that we are here to help. Laptop checkout and Wi-Fi hotspot access will be made available through the John Spoor Broome Library and our Basic Needs Program.

Student Engagement
We know that a sense of campus community and belonging is so important to the success and well-being of our students. While this can be challenging in a primarily virtual learning environment, please know that there are still many ways for you to stay engaged and involved with our campus community. The Division of Student Affairs has created The Island website as a place for students to stay connected and engaged with our campus community. The site is a 'one-stop shop' where you can find virtual programming and support services in one place. We update the content and messaging on a daily basis, so we hope that you will visit the website regularly.

The University is also in the process of updating the campus’ website for the fall 2020 semester with updated FAQs, campus communication, technology resources, campus services and resources, and other important information for students, faculty and staff. The campus will be notified of its availability as soon as it is ready.

In closing, I want to sincerely thank you for your patience and grace as we have worked to finalize our Fall 2020 Semester Plan. We are fully committed to your success and I am looking forward to working with all of you this fall and beyond.

Sincerely,
Richard Yao, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs

Back to Top ↑
©