Fresno State plans to have most courses return to virtual instruction from Jan. 20 to Jan. 28, President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval said in an email sent to students Wednesday morning.
“In consultation with our local public health officials, we have developed this plan to mitigate the spread of the virus and help keep our campus community safe,” Jiménez-Sandoval said.
Fresno County is reporting higher COVID-19 cases and the spread of the omicron variant is a cause of “great uncertainty,” according to Jiménez-Sandoval.
Virtual instruction will impact most classes, although he noted that some courses within “select disciplines” may require in-person instruction and will be reviewed case-by-case to remain on campus. Instructors will inform students of course modality, Jiménez-Sandoval said.
The university plans to resume in-person instruction on Jan. 31.
Fresno State campus will remain open, and internet hotspots will be available for students from the DISCOVERe Hub. The university library and University Student Union (USU) will also be open.
As of Dec. 22, all California State University (CSU) campuses announced a vaccine booster policy requiring proof of a COVID-19 booster shot for all students and “non-represented staff, including managers (MPPs) and auxiliary employees,” Jiménez-Sandoval said in a previous email.
Proof of a booster shot must be provided by Feb. 28, 2022. Face-covering mandates will continue in the spring.
Booster shot clinics will be provided by the university at no cost on Jan. 11 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Jan. 25 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and Jan. 27 from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. These clinics will be held in North Gym 118.
Free COVID-19 testing will also continue at the COVID-19 Testing Center located at the Student Recreation Center. Jiménez-Sandoval also said that the university is in the process of obtaining antigen self-tests for at-home testing as a part of their plans for spring 2022.
The spring 2022 semester will begin on Jan. 18.