Written by Ainsley Jackman
Last week, the California State University system, encompassing 23 campuses and nearly half a million students and staff, officially announced they would be almost entirely online through the Spring 2021 semester.
The 23 campuses of California State University, one of the largest public university system's in the nation with nearly 500,000 students, just announced that classes in the Spring 2021 semester (like Fall 2020), will be taught almost entirely online. #twitterstorians
— Eric Gonzaba (@EGonzaba) September 10, 2020
The move comes partially in reaction to coronavirus outbreaks at two CSU campuses that were already forced to stop in-person classes. San Diego State University is one of these, and the rising numbers there are causing the county to creep into the purple zone—the most severely restricted—of Gov. Newsom’s new COVID-19 response plan.
Some professionals are particularly concerned about the possibility of what is being termed a “twindemic,” with colliding COVID-19 and seasonal flu outbreaks possibly making the virus even more dangerous. CSU Chancellor Tim White called the decision the “only responsible one available,” given these concerns.
However, other state schools are on a different page. The University of California and community college systems are already mostly online for fall semester, but Community College Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley has hinted at plans to remain so during the spring semester as well. The UC system is biding its time before making the decision, and has yet to release their plans past the fall semester.
