Cal State Fullerton plans to start the fall semester with virtual classrooms and will gradually ease restrictions when it is safe to do so, officials said Monday, April 20, in a virtual town hall for faculty and staff.

“We are assuming in the fall we will be virtual,” Provost Pamella Oliver said. “And of course, that can change depending on the situation, depending on what happens with COVID-19. But at this point that is what we are thinking.”

Oliver said the decision came amid a number of concerns, including the state’s ability to do sufficient testing and case tracking for the coronavirus to make sure it is safe to lift the shelter-in-place order for faculty, staff and students.

As for plans to gradually open the 40,000-student campus, the university must be able to ensure adequate physical and social distancing and also take into account that there could be spikes of the virus in the future that would require flexibility, she said.

The town hall, moderated by CSUF spokeswoman Ellen Treanor, also included President Fram Virjee, Vice President for Student Affairs Harry Le Grande and David Forgues, vice president of human resources, diversity and inclusion, answering questions from faculty and staff. Another virtual town hall for students is scheduled for Wednesday. Related Articles Back to school in Orange County: Some confident, some concerned

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When making the decision to reopen, the university will heed the advice of state officials, the Chancellor’s Office, the Orange County Health Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Forgues said.

The campus will look much different at that time, he said. Masks, gloves and other protective gear will be required or highly encouraged. Workplaces and classrooms will be configured based on social distancing, and faculty and staff may be required to work on a rotation or staggered hours or days, he said.

“When we do return, what we know is that we will be able to utilize and capitalize on the amazing sense of teamwork that has taken place across campus as we’ve shifted to our current reality,” Forgues said.

The announcement of the plan to begin with a virtual fall semester is the latest at CSUF prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, Oliver and Virjee reported a temporary change to allow students taking online classes to request credit/no credit grades at the end of the spring semester, after they learn their letter grades.

In addition, officials extended the deadline to withdraw from a class for non-medical reasons to May 8, the last day of classes.

“They do not need to give any additional documentation other than write COVID-19,” Oliver said in the town hall. “It is a compelling reason … outside the students’ control.”

Summer sessions will be virtual, officials have said, and Saturday’s Welcome to CSUF Day for admitted students was held with webinars online.

Oliver said she and others are looking at what courses or student experiences would need to be in person this fall, and what is the best way to teach those classes. Those courses, including research labs and performing arts studios, were largely canceled this semester.

“What we know is we jumped very quickly this semester into a virtual environment, and having to jump very quickly without having time for in-depth plans added to the difficulty,” she said. “I know that the faculty and staff are thinking a lot about these questions. They’re thinking in terms of their own teaching, their own research, their own work, and we encourage you to make plans.”

For more information, visit http://coronavirus.fullerton.edu/