Dear SDSU community,

With updated county eligibility guidelines for COVID-19 vaccines, we are very pleased that more members of our San Diego State University community are gaining access to first and second doses. Thank you to all members of our community who have prioritized getting vaccinated as they have become eligible.

With greater access and distribution of this vaccine supply, we are pleased to see renewed energy on campus with students, faculty and staff planning to return for more in-person courses and other in-person activities in the fall.

With this email, we are providing an update about how we continue to build upon our SDSU Flex plan to maximize in-person learning for the fall.

Instructional Modalities

Currently, public health officials project that physical distancing guidelines will remain in place through Fall. As a result, we have reevaluated all our classroom capacities and are exploring the use of additional auxiliary spaces for instruction, including outdoor venues and tent installations, to provide as many in-person classes as possible. We are confident we will be able to leverage these options to safely expand and conduct in-person instruction for many students for the fall.

This process has also involved looking creatively at many large classes, such as those with enrollments over 100, which may instead be offered via hybrid modes of instruction, or be broken up into smaller course sections, or may be conducted virtually. 

Save the date: To make all necessary scheduling adjustments, we anticipate releasing the fall 2021 schedule by April 12.

Advanced registration for fall 2021 is scheduled to begin on April 19, and we urge all students to continue meeting with their advisers to plan for both the summer and fall.

In the interim, a list of courses which are being planned for fall instruction has been posted on the Office of the Registrar website.

In-Person Activities

Last Friday, we were excited to share that we are planning in-person commencement ceremonies for our graduates in May. Specific details regarding location and guest policies are forthcoming later this month.

For activities and housing in the fall, we anticipate resuming many in-person co-curricular activities, respecting ongoing public health guidance. We also plan to house approximately 5,600 students this fall, as compared to the traditional on-campus housing capacity of 7,500 students.

In addition, this month, Student Affairs and Campus Diversity began a pilot program for more in-person programs involving student clubs and organizations and in alignment with public health programs. These events have already been quite successful, allowing our students opportunities to safely and responsibly come together in person to socialize in ways that adhere to county guidelines.

Updated Public Health Guidance for the U.S.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday shared updated guidelines for those who are fully vaccinated. Individuals who are fully vaccinated may visit with other fully vaccinated persons indoors without a mask or distancing. Fully vaccinated individuals may also meet with unvaccinated individuals indoors without masks or distancing as long as the unvaccinated individuals are from a single household.

Importantly, the updated CDC guidelines do not yet change our university’s existing campus policies with regard to wearing masks and physical distancing, or our ongoing COVID-19 Testing Program. All on campus must continue wearing facial coverings — indoors and outdoors — and maintain physical distance when around others outside of their immediate household.

Ongoing Monitoring and Response

SDSU developed and launched a COVID-19 Coordination Team, which has been meeting for weeks and is focused on a safe and strong repopulation to our campus. This team complements the earlier work of the emergency response team and tiger teams, several of which have continued meeting since last year to address SDSU’s ongoing response to the pandemic.

The team is also planning guidelines for returning non-instructional staff members to campus, and more details are forthcoming.

More Information

Thank you again, and always, for your efforts and contributions in support of your own health and to our entire SDSU community.

I look forward to our return to campus this fall and welcoming many of you back in person!

Adela de la Torre, Ph.D.
San Diego State University President

Salvador Hector Ochoa, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

J. Luke Wood, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity

Christian J. Holt
Associated Students President

San Diego State University
Digital Privacy Statement
View as web page