On Saturday, March 14, UCR Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox sent a campuswide email announcing that all instruction will be delivered remotely for the entirety of spring quarter. This is a change from the April 3 end date for remote instruction. The announcement follows orders from Riverside County Public Health which calls on UCR to minimize the number of people on campus as much as possible while maintaining the critical functions of the university.
Effective March 16, UCR’s campus will be closed with only critical operations continuing. The email states that on-campus housing and residential dining services will 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, according to Wilcox.
In regards to research operations, 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,” stated the email.
Clinical and health services including Student Health Services will continue operating 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 what is deemed critical campus functions, and employees should expect to be updated before Monday, March 16. All non-essential domestic and international travel will also be suspended, effective Monday, March 16 and until further notice.
Wilcox concluded the email stating, “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.”
