Undergraduate classes move primarily online for Fall 2020 amid pandemic


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Given increasing public health guidelines due to the coronavirus pandemic, all undergraduates are now recommended to take courses online for Fall 2020, Provost Charles Zukoski and Senior Vice President for Administration David Wright announced in a Universitywide email Wednesday.

Adhering to a low-density plan, the University will be continuing with limited in-person, on-campus activity, with an anticipated 10-20% of classes such as labs, performance classes and studios conducted in person. A revised undergraduate class schedule with majority online classes will be available July 8. Classes and other plans for graduate students will be announced on a school-specific basis.

Regarding on-campus activity, the University will require students to make appointments to use campus services, including spaces in the library and visits to the Student Health Center.

While the email stated that Los Angeles County has yet to approve USC’s plans for full campus operation in the fall, Zukoski and Wright wrote the update was intended to aid students with off-campus leasing deadlines along with notifying first-year and transfer students of new online experiences and offerings as they transition into the academic year. 

“The fall semester will be a completely new and different experience,” the email read. “We will overcome the challenges by drawing on the creativity of our faculty, staff and students, and create a semester that delivers on our commitment to supporting outstanding education, research and service.”

In anticipation of a surge of cases during the semester, USC will hold a number of rooms vacant for quarantine purposes while also adhering to single-occupancy and current housing contracts, according to the email. With room and building locations subject to change for USC Housing, the email recommends students to consider off-campus housing or residency, as a 52% statewide increase in coronavirus hospitalizations has incurred new limits on indoor activity and gatherings. 

Housing priority will be given to those in scholarship programs, athletes, students requiring special accommodations and international students. Students can cancel existing contracts or housing applications and obtain full refunds by July 15. Dining will be scheduled to promote social distancing and sanitation periods, and pick-up options will be available.

Applications for expanded financial aid will be available in the coming weeks for students domestic and abroad to mitigate internet connectivity and other technical issues. Additionally, USC will establish a scholarship program that allows students to complete two online classes for free in the Summer 2021 term to keep up with degree requirements. The timeline for these applications has yet to be established.

“Whether students are here on campus or pursuing their studies and activities online, we want everyone to feel safe and supported,” Zukoski and Wright wrote. “We are in this together and together we will make this fall a rich and rewarding experience.”