Introduction and Guiding Principles As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our world in unprecedented ways, the University of San Diego remains focused on addressing two imperatives: ensuring that we take prudent precautions to protect our community and communities beyond our campus and continuing to deliver a values-based, liberal arts education that prepares our students to address society’s most urgent challenges. Through individual and collective actions, we can engage in meaningful academic and cocurricular experiences while working to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We have all been called to recognize our role in contributing to a healthy, welcoming, and inclusive community. This document is intended to be a guide as to what students can plan for and expect as we continue the Spring 2021 semester. Guidance from the San Diego County Health Department fluctuates based on the rate of positive cases in the county as well as other factors. The most updated county guidance can be found here. We expect these guidelines to continue to change throughout the semester and will adjust accordingly. This document will be updated regularly, please refer back to this information and USD’s COVID-19 Campus Action Plan website (sandiego.edu/onward). In President Harris’ message on May 7, 2020, he announced that the university intended to reopen with the guidance of the University of San Diego’s six-point plan as well as the medical and public health expertise of the federal, state and county authorities. The University of San Diego’s six-point plan commits to: ● Delivering a high-impact learning experience grounded in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition; ● Prioritizing health and safety; ● Ensuring access to testing and monitoring for the virus; ● Converting our campus into a low-density model; ● Installing technology into our classrooms to meet the changing times; and ● Adjusting the academic calendar to mitigate risk. Students negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic who are in need of resources to support their academic success (technology, textbooks, etc.) should apply for assistance by completing the Financial Assistance for Academic Needs Request application.
Student Guide for Spring 2021
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