UCSB Instructors Given Discretion Over In-Person or Remote Classes
UCSB Is the Only UC to Not Fully Extend Remote Learning Through January 28
This story first appeared at the Daily Nexus.
Chancellor Henry T. Yang announced on Jan. 8 that UC Santa Barbara will allow its class instructors to decide whether or not to conduct classes in-person or remotely for Week 3 and Week 4 of Winter Quarter 2022. UCSB plans to resume full in-person instruction on Jan. 31.
Instructors have until Jan. 11 to tell their students whether they should expect their class to be online or in-person; however, students with instructors who choose to conduct classes in-person will have a remote option should they wish to stay online through January.
UCSB is the only UC school to not fully extend remote learning through Jan. 28.
“We expect that many instructors will decide to continue teaching remotely for the rest of the month, in order to ensure stable and consistent delivery of their lectures, and we understand that some students will need to be absent at some point during this two-week period,” Yang wrote in his email. “We are trying to balance our faculty commitment to providing students with the best educational experience possible with the practical realities expected for the rest of the month.”
Sign up for Indy Today to receive fresh news from Independent.com, in your inbox, every morning.
According to Yang, having a reduced population on campus will allow the university “to maintain campus operations as much as possible and allow our dedicated staff and faculty to observe COVID-19 isolation protocols if required and take any necessary sick or COVID-19 leave.”
Though instruction will be remote, the campus will remain open and students will have access to the Recreation Center, the Library, student housing and student services.
The university requests students who wish to stay off-campus during Week 3 and Week 4 to return six days before Jan. 31 so they can get tested on campus or quarantine if necessary. The university is also requiring students to get the COVID-19 vaccine booster prior to Jan. 31.
Support the Santa Barbara Independent through a long-term or a single contribution.
