MALIBU—On Monday, May 18, various universities in Los Angeles County announced they plan to open their doors in the fall, while others have stated that they will stay closed and continue to hold classes online.
Biola, Pepperdine University and Chapman University all of which are private schools, are some of the universities that plan to reopen in the fall. The University of California indicated its plans to open it campus in the fall as well.
In an online statement from the CSU Board of Trustees meeting they announced they will continue to keep many of their classes online through the fall 2020 semester.
In a letter to Biola University Students, President Barry H. Corey announced that based on adhering to commonsense health standards and permissions set by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the State of California, the university would be reopening in the fall.
An Emergency information plan was released by President Gash of Pepperdine University that stated:
“The COVID-19 strategic recovery plan to re-open for the fall semester will keep the health and safety of our faculty, staff, and students as our highest priority. This plan will also presume an ability to hold classes in-person on all of our campuses worldwide unless or until there are public health restrictions that prohibit us from doing so.”
Chapman University’s President Daniele C. Struppa announced that, “planning has begun in earnest to resume teaching, learning, working and living on campus. The target date for this return is the fall semester, 2020.”
Timothy White, Chancellor of the California State University system, told the trustees during a broad meeting:
“Experts also point out that immunity in the population is now approaching the 2 to 3% range and needs to be in the 60 to 80% range to begin to achieve the so-called herd immunity. That won’t happen during the next 18 months. And there is no vaccine yet. And while hope springs eternal, it is unlikely that one will become widely available throughout the coming, academic year.”
All three schools are counting on staff, faculty members, and students to commit to the health and safety of one another. For students living on campus, continuing with social distancing and wearing a face mask for the classroom setting is expected. If the guidance from L.A. County Public Health changes to require universities to restrict or reconfigure residential housing plans such that they would need to reduce the number of students living on campus, all universities will immediately notify those planning to live on campus.
