Fresno State has decided to temporarily suspend in-person, on-campus classes effective Monday, March 16, due to concerns of coronavirus.
According to a press release from the college, to allow the faculty to make final preparations for virtual delivery of instruction face-to-face classes are canceled from Monday, March 16, through Thursday, March 19 but the campus will remain open. Virtual instruction will begin on Friday, March 20.
Some classes will continue to meet in person between March 16 through the 19 if alternative instruction is not provided, this includes laboratory, performing arts and kinesiology courses, and campus farm activities.
The campus anticipates the conclusion of alternative delivery of instruction and resumption of regular operations on Monday, April 27, but may be subject to change depending on the status of the situation.
Guidance for Students
Students are asked to communicate directly with their professors or department chairs if they have specific questions or concerns related to projects, presentations, exams, coursework.
According to the release, with the exception of fully online courses, all deliverables (homework/in-class assignments) previously due during the closure will be rescheduled by professors to be due after March 19.
Online assignments due between March 16-19 that are part of in-person classes will also be suspended and may be rescheduled.
Student employees will be allowed to work on campus during this time period and should contact their supervisors for any specific questions.
The Student Cupboard will remain open. Club sports and intramural events have been suspended through April 27.
In a press conference held after the release, Fresno State President Dr. Joseph I. Castro said that accommodations associated with social distancing will be implemented in the courses that will continue to meet in the transition period.
Castro said that non-academic campus operations will continue as usual including student housing and dining, the Student Health and Counseling Center, the student cupboard which provides food for healthy students, financial aid, student housing and all non-academic offices.
“We will work with our faculty to ensure that we follow social distancing guidelines the best that we can within our laboratories, within our farm activities, some of the kinesiology courses and some of the performing arts courses.”
With the transition to virtual instruction, Castro said they will work with students with no Internet access and will provide technology where they can.
“..Through our DISCOVERe program, as you may know, we actually lend devices to students in that program,” Castro said. “We have some devices that we have not lent out for purposes of that program that we will consider using for students who need them, and we’ll do our very best to meet the needs if they have them.”
As far as student housing, Castro reiterated the process of following social distancing guidelines.
“Well, it’s the same idea about social distancing in our housing. We’ve increased our cleaning of the housing facilities. We’ve purchased a lot of wipes and [have] given them out to everybody,” Castro said. “We’re tracking the health of our students, and if they need health services they can go to our health and counseling center for that.”