Cal State Fullerton Returns Online Amid Omicron Surge

FULLERTON, CA — Cal State Fullerton will return to remote instruction to begin the semester due to the rise in COVID-19 infections, school officials announced Friday.

The two-week lag will help the university better slow the rate of infection as the omicron coronavirus variant rapidly spreads across Orang County. University President Fram Virjee shared in an open message to his students. Classes will be held remotely Jan. 22 to Feb. 6.

Meanwhile, students will be allowed on campus, with student services remaining open.

"Again, our campus remains open and safe for all Titans who continue to work on-site and anyone utilizing our in-person services," Virjee wrote.

At Cal State Fullerton, nearly 100 percent of our faculty, staff, and students are following the vaccine, testing, and mask mandates, according to the school.

'We will continue to bolster our protection and preventative measures. To that end (and in alignment with CSU policy), all eligible students and unrepresented employees must provide documentation of their COVID-19 vaccine booster shot between January 14 and the campus deadline of February 7, 2022.

Directions on how and where to report and verify booster information will be sent out in the days ahead.

"Temporarily delaying face-to-face instruction was not what we hoped for, but we believe that this decision allows us to prioritize health and safety without sacrificing academic quality and access," Virjee wrote in a message to the campus community. "As the anticipated date of returning to primarily in-person teaching and learning approaches, we will continue to assess the best path forward."

Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Long Beach previously announced plans to begin spring classes remotely.

Each CSU campus is being allowed to decide individually on its spring protocols, based on the COVID situation in their areas. The CSU system includes 23 campuses statewide.

USC will also conduct two weeks of classes remotely. UCLA and UC Irvine have already begun their winter quarters remotely.

For students, the Titans Return website is updated with the newest information regarding the delay of in-person classes.