UC Riverside closed its campus March 13, for all the the most critical university functions, in response to an order from Riverside County Public Health and as part of efforts to protect the health and safety of its community during the COVID-19 outbreak. The closure was recently extended until April 30.
There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on campus or in the city of Riverside.
Only critical on-campus functions are continuing with employees working remotely and winter quarter finals being conducted online. Spring quarter instruction will also take place remotely.
Read the update from Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox and interim Provost and Executive Chancellor Thomas M. Smith here. Wilcox also recorded a video to the campus thanking employees, which can be seen below.
For the latest campus status updates, and links to the latest related COVID-19 communications, visit UCR's Coronavirus page.
Student housing and other services
On-campus housing remains open, though students able to return to their permanent residences are strongly encouraged to do so. For those who remain, dining services will be available to those with a meal plan.
Students who leave have the option of canceling spring quarter housing and dining contracts.
Student Health Services, Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), Residential Life, Dining, and R’Pantry remain available to support students but will be practicing social distancing to minimize contact. R’Pantry is only available by appointment.
Read the latest update from Brian Haynes, vice chancellor of Student Affairs, here.
The Student Recreation Center is closed until April 3. All facilities, programs, and services will resume operations once the campus permits.
The UCR Bookstore is closed until March 30 when it will reopen with limited hours. Front window service for rental book returns and online order pick up will be available from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday through Friday. For general questions, please call x24213 or x24456, or email sm8106@bncollege.com.
Faculty and staff
All campus offices are closed with only essential personnel required to provide critical campus functions remaining on site.
All other employees are being asked to work remotely if feasible. The University of California has approved paid administrative leave of up to 16 days for those not working on campus or unable to work at home.
More details are available here.
Research curtailed
Researchers are being told to curtail research on campus and prepare for a possible complete shutdown of research if needed.
Health services
UCR students experiencing respiratory illness (fever, cough, shortness of breath) or flu-like symptoms should contact Student Health Services at the 24/7 hotline at (951) 827-3031 for support and guidance.
UCR Health has developed a 24/7 health hotline for UCR faculty and staff who have either traveled internationally or been on contact with someone with COVID-19 at (844) 827-6827. This resource is for faculty and staff only.
Information on how UC's health plans cover COVID-19 is available here.
Dining Services
Dining Services is operating on limited hours with only the Market at Glen Mor and Lothian Residential Restaurant open this week. Check the Dining Services website for the latest scheduling updates.
Technology update
Information Technology Solutions is offering guidelines for reliable internet service as employees work remotely.
Several companies including Charter, Spectrum, and Comcast have announced plans to offer free internet service for 60 days to households with students.
UCR has launched the UCR Loan2Learn (L2L) Program for students in need of off-campus access to a learning device such as a laptop, desktop, or tablet. Those who feel they qualify can apply here.
ITS has extended Virtual Public Network access if needed to access secure campus resources from off-site.
Read here for more information on instructional technology resources and check here for help on navigating remote learning environments.
Instructors seeking additional information on how to conduct classes using Zoom can find additional information here. A faculty member at the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering has also prepared a tutorial.
All events canceled
All campus gatherings have been canceled, postponed, or moved online. All UC Riverside-hosted athletic events have also been canceled through spring.
If you have any questions regarding deleting an event from the UCR events calendar, contact support-ucrevents@ucr.edu.
Cleaning protocols
Hand sanitizers have been made available in university housing and dining areas. A new Centers for Disease Control-approved chemical disinfectant has been employed. Cleaning has been increased in classrooms and university-owned housing, targeting “high-touch” areas such as restrooms and elevators.
Environmental Health & Safety has worked with campus departments and identified safe standard operating procedures. This includes identifying proper ventilation, food delivery, access to virtual learning, daily medical checks, and waste collection.
