President Gayle Hutchinson updates the campus on plans to cancel three days of in-person classes in order to prepare to transition online instruction, should it become necessary. Classes will be canceled March 13–24 and resume Wednesday, March 25, following spring break.

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Message from President Gayle Hutchinson

I know the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation is disconcerting to many of us—especially with the magnitude of unknowns. The University has been working diligently to monitor and adjust as necessary, not only out of concern for the health and safety of our campus community but with a commitment to our holistic well-being and ability to support students’ academic success.

While there are still no confirmed cases COVID-19 in our community, we know that may not always be the case. In order to prepare to move to online instruction, should it become necessary in the future, we have decided to cancel all in-person classes this Friday, March 13 through Tuesday, March 24, which includes the previously scheduled spring break from March 16–20. Fully online courses will continue as usual—they are NOT canceled during this period. This decision was made with an abundance of caution and after significant deliberation with the CSU Chancellor’s Office, keeping your well-being and student success in mind.

Canceling in-person classes during this time will afford faculty the time to make necessary preparations for delivering courses online after spring break if transitioning to online education or alternative format becomes necessary due to COVID-19-related health concerns.

Classes will resume in-person on Wednesday, March 25. If the situation changes, we will notify you immediately.

We know there will be additional questions and we will continue sending regular updates throughout spring break to keep you informed. Please check your email and the COVID-19 website.

Guidance for Students

Students should communicate directly with their professors or department chairs if they have specific questions or concerns related to projects, presentations, exams, coursework, etc.

With the exception of fully online courses, all deliverables (homework/in-class assignments) previously due during the closure (March 13–24) will be rescheduled by your professors to be due after March 24. We request that students check in with their professors for specific guidance.

Online assignments that are part of in-person classes will also be suspended and may be rescheduled.

Student employees may work as usual and should contact their supervisors for direction during the cancellation.

Guidance for Faculty

Faculty also received a separate communication today emphasizing that they must support students for impacts related to the cancellation of in-person classes through March 24. Students' academic standing should not be affected due to this cancellation and no additional class days will be added.

Guidance for Staff

Campus will remain open for non-academic business as usual. Staff and MPP employees should report to work during this period. If you become ill or are unable to come to work, please communicate with your supervisor as usual. Staff should direct any questions to their supervisors.

We will continue to post updates and answer questions on our dedicated COVID-19 website.

As we’ve done previously in response to the Camp Fire, Oroville Dam spillway incident, and many other challenging situations, I ask that we all work together to keep our campus community safe and healthy. I appreciate your patience with each other and the University as we all navigate these changes. Please continue to practice good hand-washing, social distancing, and other preventive hygiene measures. Take care of one another and have a restful and restorative break. I look forward to welcoming students back later this month.





