CSU announces it will STILL be online in spring 2021, citing 'dark clouds' of COVID

Students enrolled at the country’s largest university system should not expect to return to campus this academic school year. 

In a Thursday letter, California State University Chancellor Timothy White announced that the entire 23-campus system will continue to operate online for the upcoming spring semester. 

 “After extensive consultation with campus presidents and other stakeholders, and careful consideration of a multitude of factors – regarding the pandemic and its consequences, as well as other matters impacting the university and its operations – I am announcing that the CSU will continue with this primarily virtual instructional approach for the academic term that begins in January 2021, and also will continue with reduced populations in campus housing,” wrote White.

White went on to share numerous “observations” that contributed to the “rationale” for this decision.

[RELATED: Cal State to stay online until 2021]

CSU was the first university system to formally announce an online class policy for the fall 2020 semester. White claimed in his letter that he “learned from experience” that the early decision regarding the fall semester put the community at an advantage.

“In retrospect, making this consequential decision approximately three and one-half months before the start of the new academic year provided valuable time for thousands of faculty and staff to participate in professional development to continue to provide an engaging, challenging and supportive virtual learning and discovery environment for our students,” said White.

White cited the fact that students will soon be making course selections, and campuses will soon “make appropriate adjustments to their course inventories to meet student demand.” He also noted that the entity that offers CSU accreditation “requires each campus to seek authorization for courses offered in the virtual space.” He explained that the requirement had been waived by the Department Education previously, but that the waiver is set to expire before the spring semester. 

[RELATED: Fauci ‘fully expects’ schools to reopen by fall]

He then went on to cite “the facts about the pandemic itself,” saying that “the virus continues to spread.”

“There is no vaccine and there likely will not be one widely available any time soon,” White reasoned, before pointing to “seasonal dark clouds that could hamper or delay control of the pandemic.”

“During the recent Labor Day weekend, there was widespread socialization that, sadly, often did not comport with public health directives,” White added.  He then asserted that the widespread wildfires currently plaguing California “could lead to another COVID-19 spike” because evacuations “will force people into congregate temporary housing.”

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