University of California Announces Plans to Resume In-Person Classes For Fall 2021 Semester
A family walks through the Royce Hall surroundings at UCLA in Westwood, Calif. Sunday 23rd, 2021.(Jorge Devotto | The Corsair)
In an announcement on Jan. 11, The University of California school system declared its plan to resume in-person classes for the Fall semester at all 10 campuses. The announcement mentioned COVID-19 vaccine distribution as a key factor in keeping students and faculty safe.
According to the press release, “UC is preparing to welcome students back to all its campuses this fall, while remaining vigilant in all critical prevention efforts and continuing to prioritize the health and well-being of the University community.”
Rafael Pancho is a student at Santa Monica College (SMC) who is hoping to transfer to UCLA in the fall. He plans on attending classes in-person if the college safely reopens.
Despite his willingness to attend class in-person, Pancho was critical of the decision to reopen this fall, stating, “I think that moving all UC’s to in-person class by the fall isn't a good plan, because California is a big state and...it's being hit by COVID in different ways.”
Pancho said he would not feel comfortable going to college without the COVID-19 vaccine, and that he believes in the safety of the vaccine to prevent the virus. “I feel pretty confident about the vaccine. I think it's safe and has a high efficacy rate,” said Pancho.
Samantha Teubner is a Junior Global Studies student at UCLA who transferred from SMC in the fall of 2020. Teubner is unsure if she plans to return to UCLA in the fall. “I have a lot of chronic illness issues and immune deficiency issues. So, it's really going to depend [on] what the situation is at the time.”
Visitors walk through The Royce Hall at UCLA Westwood campus in Los Angeles, Calif. on Sunday 23, 2021. (Jorge Devotto | The Corsair)
Teubner doesn’t have high hopes that UCLA will be able to reopen this fall, and doesn’t see the press release as a concrete promise. “I feel like they sent out this release, this statement, but they didn't really solidify anything. They just kind of said basically that they're planning on opening in the fall, but that could change.”
“The frustrations that I'm seeing from a lot of people, and honestly myself, is that we're paying a lot of money to go here,” said Teubner. “I really want to go to campus. I want to have at least one year at UCLA. I just feel like it's a promise that can't be made, or can at least be safely made. “
SMC has not yet announced plans for this Fall semester, but announced on Jan. 21 that the Summer term would be online. An announcement regarding the Fall semester is expected in the coming weeks. An email sent to SMC staff and faculty from SMC President Kathryn Jeffery stated "A decision regarding the Fall 2021 semester is forthcoming within the next few weeks, as new guidelines and factors are expected to take effect and impact the College’s direction towards on-campus classes and operations."
There is no guarantee of how COVID-19 will affect America in the fall. From the major shifts in local and federal government leadership to an increase in COVID-19 vaccine availability, the seven months between now and the beginning of the Fall semester are uncertain, but hold an opportunity for change.
