Cal Poly plans for a majority of classes, services, staff, and facilities to return to campus in Fall 2021, according to drafts of the campus repopulation plan and return-to-work plan.
“This scenario assumes that the vaccine has been widely distributed; that faculty, staff, and students adhere to current campus and public health safety protocols; that K-12 schools are back in person; and that there are minimal to no physical distancing requirements that unduly limit our classroom capacity,” according to a draft of the employee repopulation plan.
Upon return, Cal Poly is requiring that staff and faculty be vaccinated against COVID-19 effective upon the full approval of a vaccine by the Food and Drug administration (FDA), according to the plan.
People can seek an exemption to this rule for medical or religious reasons.
For orientation, SLO Days will be offered in a virtual format during July 2021, but Week of Welcome activities will be conducted in person in September as health guidelines allow.
For students, there may be a mix of class modalities with potential face-to-face, virtual or hybrid delivery.
About 85% of classes are planned to be face-to-face in the fall, but this may change in the summer as courses are finalized, according to University Spokesperson Matt Lazier.
Some courses suggested for face-to-face delivery are 100-level courses for freshmen, introductory courses, laboratory classes, fine arts with a performance component, graduate classes and other courses with material necessary for in-person instruction.
Large lecture classes with more than 70 students enrolled are encouraged to be virtual or hybrid.
Classrooms and lab spaces are set to be thoroughly cleaned once a day.
Students who cannot participate in in-person classes can seek approved accommodations from the Disability Resource Center (DRC).
Employees that cannot work in-person are expected to coordinate with their supervision to set up a telecommunication agreement.
University Housing is planning on repopulating on-campus housing with double rooms and potentially triple rooms depending on enrollment and health guidelines.
Cal Poly is also expanding their two-year on-campus living requirement to all newly enrolled freshmen from the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Services, the College of Engineering, student athletes and Cal Poly Scholars.
Social distancing will still be encouraged and workplaces will be configured to adhere to the six-foot distance.
Face coverings will still be required at any indoor public space or when obtaining health care services, using public transportation and working in common areas or with food, and when interacting closely with any member of the public including other students.
The plan encourages students, staff and facilities to follow proper hygiene by washing hands, using hand sanitizer and avoiding touching one’s nose or mouth.
Plans for repopulation may change based on state guidelines, public health officials, campus leadership and the CSU Chancellor’s Office.
