LOS ANGELES (CNS) - For the upcoming winter quarter, UCLA will continue to offer primarily remote-only instruction, following the protocols that were put in place for the current fall quarter in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the university announced today.
UCLA officials said there will continue to be a limited number of exceptions that will allow in-person or hybrid instruction in courses necessary for training students for essential workforce positions.
The arrangements, intended to protect the campus community and limit the spread of COVID-19, were announced in a message to the campus community from Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Emily Carter. A list of classes for winter quarter will be available Tuesday through the Schedule of Classes and MyUCLA. The winter quarter runs Jan. 4 through March 19.
The plan is in line with requirements from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and recommendations from UCLA's COVID-19 Response and Recovery Task Force, according to the university.
On-campus student housing will continue to operate at reduced capacity, primarily to serve those with no alternative housing options.
“We were hopeful that we could expand instruction to include more in-person classes next quarter, but given the continued spread of COVID-19, and in line with strict county public health mandates, we must maintain a reduced population and limit person-to-person contact on campus,'' Carter wrote.
“Please know that we remain committed to ensuring that students can make progress toward their degrees and to providing resources and tools to those who are teaching and learning remotely. We encourage any student who may be facing financial hardship to reach out to our Economic Crisis Response Team for assistance.''
Federal immigration authorities have not yet issued guidance on winter quarter visa and entry restrictions, but all international students still will be able to enroll for winter quarter remote instruction. The UCLA Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars will reach out to international students to offer further guidance on travel, visas and enrollment when new information from the federal government on winter visa rules is available.
In the message, Carter advised international students to wait for guidance from the Dashew Center before making any plans to travel to the U.S.
Students, staff and faculty who will be on campus for the winter quarter will be required to follow the infection control measures and protocols outlined on Bruins Safe Online will remain in place.
Carter praised the campus community for its response so far to the unique and extraordinary challenges of dealing with the pandemic.
“UCLA's mission of education, research, and service is more critical than ever, and the last few months have shown that we can continue to serve this mission well even in the midst of a global crisis,'' she wrote. “We must remain optimistic; we will bring more Bruins back to campus as soon as we can.''
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