As universities across the country begin to plan for an unpredictable fall semester, the California State University (CSU) system has made the decision to preemptively schedule its fall semester courses online.
The New York Times reports that the school system, which operates 23 campuses and educates a student population of 480,000, is opting for the approach out of an abundance of caution and as fears of a so-called "second wave" of coronavirus infections increases while states begin to lift stay-at-home ordinances.
Timothy P. White, the chancellor of the California State University system, tells The New York Times, “Our university, when open without restrictions and fully in person, as is the traditional norm of the past, is a place where over 500,000 people come together in close and vibrant proximity with each other on a daily basis.That approach, sadly, just isn’t in the cards now.”
The CSU system is home to two architecture degree-granting programs, one at California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo and the other at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. The program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo College of Architecture and Environmental Design also maintains a satellite initiative in Southern California called the Los Angeles Metropolitan Program.
Regarding the plans, George Proctor, architecture professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona, tells Archinect, "We learned much over the past two months. Likely the case at other institutions, we discovered some aspects of teaching online to be beneficial, which may offer new possibilities after the COVID-19 situation subsides. The university will be providing CPPARC with support over summer to improve, modify, enhance, augment and develop courses to ensure the university mission, including the training of CPP architects, is not compromised."
While unable to share specific details for the program's fall plans, Proctor adds that "During this period, we will seek to balance online learning with the essential need to actively engage people, the physical world and design materials. We are looking forward with optimism for the future."
The news comes as several East Coast universities, including Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University announce their own fall semester plans.
7 Comments
They are going to make soooo much money off this!
a colossal debacle
I'm tempted to suggest withdrawing and taking a year off but … to do what? What kind of jobs will be available to non-college grads in the coming 18 months?
exactly! it's easy to just say 'shut everything down' but the world keeps a-turnin', whether you like it or not!
Take a gap year! See the wor...oh.
Construction is wide open and crying for people in my part of the world (US South) - I wish I'd taken a gap year to just work on job sites.
Welders, plumbers, laborours, trades people in Unions', truck drivers, etc... make more than most college kids and guess what NO LOANS! I say it's time to make tradespeople higher educated (Like Germany) and get back to work. College Tuition is a scam.
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