UPDATE: The closure has been extended to April 30.
Following the Riverside County Public Health order, we are required to minimize the number of people on campus as much as possible while maintaining the critical functions of the university.
Effective Monday, March 16, the UCR campus will be closed, with only critical operations continuing.
There are three important domains for continuing university operations, as outlined below.
1. Academic Instruction and Student Support
Winter quarter final exams will proceed remotely as planned.
All instruction (including but not limited to labs, studios, and directed studies) will be delivered remotely for the entirety of the spring quarter. This is a change from the April 3 end date for remote instruction.
On campus housing and residential dining services remain open and residents can elect to remain on campus if needed.
To facilitate remote instruction and learning, ITS is identifying solutions for those instructors, teaching assistants, and students who are in urgent need of laptops and internet access.
2. Research Operations
Many research operations are critical campus functions, and those deemed critical will be allowed to continue their work on campus, following important social distancing and hygiene measures. Deans and department chairs will be working with principal investigators to determine critical research functions that must continue on campus, with guidance from the Provost and the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development.
3. Health Services
All clinical and health services, including Student Health Services, will continue as critical campus functions.
Employees will work remotely if feasible, and only essential personnel supporting critical campus functions will be allowed continue their work on campus.
Deans, chairs, and supervisors will be identifying critical campus functions, and we expect that employees will be updated before Monday.
Moreover, all non-essential domestic and international travel will be suspended, effective Monday, March 16 and until further notice.
Please anticipate additional communications and guidance in response to the outbreak and campus closure, as the situation is rapidly changing. Major campus-wide updates will continue to be posted to the COVID-19 website.
Finally, many of you have heard me say that a university is more than a set of classrooms, buildings, or facilities. At its core, a university is about people. As we work together to confront these unprecedented challenges, I am tremendously grateful to each of you for your continued patience, flexibility, and commitment to UCR.