The California State University system made the announcement yesterday the coming Fall 2020 semester will remain remote at all of its campuses. The news comes as a bit of a surprise: not in that classes will still be online in the Fall, but rather the powers at be at the CSU made the decision so relatively early. We are not even done with the Spring 2020 semester yet, and much like everyone else, we’re keenly waiting on what’s going to happen after this initial shelter-in-place order expires at the end of May. Instead of keeping those concerned in continued limbo, the CSU have made the choice and set the direction for the rest of the year.
Amongst the concerned includes me, who works at the San Francisco State campus. With this weirdest Spring semester ever winding down to a close, we’ve all been wondering what exactly is going to happen for Fall; will instruction continue to be virtual, or will the coronavirus situation abate enough for everyone to come back together on campus? Opinions are divided, for sure: some have really enjoyed the working-from-home experience, while others prefer the direct interaction and collaboration that only the physical workplace can provide. I’m firmly in both camps, paradoxically.
And I’m sure opinions will be split amongst students as well. A subset of whom will probably be griping about paying full-price tuition and only getting in a return a truncated college experience. That’s going to be a real problem at expensive private institutions, should they elect to keep their respective Fall semester online as well. At the CSU system, tuition - for students residing within California - is relatively cheap; coupled with grants and financial aid that many students are eligible for, the system remains in a good position. Furthermore, these student no longer have to pay for room and board, which here in San Francisco is far from cheap.
Nevertheless, with yesterday’s announcement our questions about Fall have been answered, and we now know the job that must be done in order to facilitate the continuation of remote learning for the rest of the year. Two months ago I’d never would have figured things will turn out like this, and in some ways, this CSU news is a confirmation the affects of COVID-19 will continue to remain with us for many more months to come.
When can we do this again?