UCLA Plans For Entirely Online Courses After Thanksgiving

LOS ANGELES, CA — UCLA became the latest and largest university to ammed plans for the fall semester this week, taking the notable step of shifting to almost entirely online learning after Thanksgiving. The move is an acknowledgement that the coronavirus outbreak could surge during the colder months during flu season and when more people travel for the holidays.

"With Los Angeles County experiencing a dramatic rise in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, we have found it necessary to adjust our plans to reduce the health risks to our campus community," Executive Vice Chancellor/Provost Emily Carter wrote in an email to students and staff.

All students and staff on campus will be required to wear cloth face coverings. Anyone coming onto campus or living in on- campus housing will have to submit to daily symptom checks. Testing will be required for all students living in university housing or taking part in on-site courses, as well as for faculty, staff or teaching assistants.

Under the plans announced Monday, about 8% of fall term courses will be offered in person or in a "hybrid" form, with the remaining classes held remotely. After Thanksgiving, all classes will shift to remote only, with limited exceptions approved by the provost's office.

The only on-campus course activities will be lab, studio and clinical classes, along with select hands-on instruction that cannot be offered remotely.

The university plans to offer residence hall housing to about 5,000 students, with occupancy limited to one person per bedroom. Undergraduate apartments, meanwhile, will be limited to two students per bedroom, providing capacity for 1,500 students.

Buildings will be set aside for isolation of students who test positive for COVID-19, or quarantining of those who may have been exposed.

Dining facilities will be open for carry-out meals, according to the university.

"I recognize how challenging the past few months have been for so many in our community and am immensely grateful for the flexibility and resilience that you have shown throughout this time," Carter wrote. "These are qualities that I hope we Bruins can continue to draw on as we enter a truly unique academic year."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.