The “vast majority” of fall 2021 classes will be held in person, President Jeffrey Armstrong announced in a campus-wide email today, March 2.
Cal Poly expects fall quarter to be as close to “normal” as possible while still adhering to safety precautions, according to Armstrong’s email. The university anticipates that student spacing in classrooms will be either normal or slightly adjusted and campus housing will almost be at the usual capacity.
Students who do not receive the vaccine will be required to be tested for COVID-19 regularly, Armstrong wrote. Depending on how prevalent the virus is in the fall, it is possible that all students will be required to be tested regularly, similar to the current campus testing procedures.
Students will be required to present either proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test twice a week in order to gain access to campus.
Cal Poly will accommodate students who can’t come to campus “if possible,” the email read. Armstrong wrote that the university will “do our best” to help students graduate on time, but not all in-person classes will be offered virtually.
Each college will offer different accommodations, and students seeking resources or accommodations are encouraged to visit the Disability Resource Center (DRC), according to the email.
Armstrong wrote that although the university’s plans will evolve with the status of the pandemic, the Human Resources and Academic Personnel will always be available to address accommodation requests for campus employees.
The university anticipates that staff will be permitted to return to campus once vaccines become available to them, and expects a shift in the demand for employees to return to campus later this spring quarter, but this remains contingent on the prevalence of the virus during that time.
According to Armstrong, the university encourages but does not require state employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Spring quarter classes that are currently set up in a virtual format will not be changed to in-person.