Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Fresno State, Other CSUs Will Continue Online Instruction in Spring
NANCY WEBSITE HEADSHOT 1
By Nancy Price, Multimedia Journalist
Published 4 years ago on
September 10, 2020

Share

Most students at Fresno State and the other 22 California State University campuses will continue with online instruction in the spring 2021 semester, chancellor Timothy P. White announced Thursday.

Fresno State enrolled its largest incoming class in its history, with about 3,700 freshmen and almost 2,800 transfer students, spokeswoman Lisa Bell said. By comparison, she said, the incoming class in the fall 2019 semester including 3,334 freshmen and 1,996 transfer students.

White made the announcement in an open letter addressed to faculty, students, and staff.

The CSU announcement comes on the heels of one last week by State Center Community College District that online classes would continue to the spring 2021 semester. The early decision was made to give students and staff time to plan, chancellor Paul Parnell told GV Wire℠.

CSU’s decision was made more than three months before the start of the spring semester to give staffers and students time to plan, White said. It’s the same strategy the CSU followed when announcing that the fall 2020 semester would be online and not on-campus, he said.

CSU Enrollments Are Up

“The early decision enabled students and their families to plan appropriately, and I am pleased to note that preliminary fall term enrollment numbers are strong across the system, with a few exceptions,” he wrote.

Fresno State enrolled its largest incoming class in its history, with about 3,700 freshmen and almost 2,800 transfer students, spokeswoman Lisa Bell said. By comparison, she said, the incoming class in the fall 2019 semester including 3,334 freshmen and 1,996 transfer students.

“I fully understand this decision may be difficult to process initially and, for some, to accept,” Castro said in a statement to the university community. “But I also continue to believe the best way to weather challenges is to first know what we are facing.” — Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro

White said the CSU also was required by its accrediting agency, the Western Association of Colleges and Schools, to seek authorization for classes offered online. The U.S. Department of Education waived the requirement for the fall 2020 semester, but it will be required for spring semester, so colleges need to commit to their academic schedules by this month or next.

Pandemic Danger Continues

The CSU’s decision also reflects the knowledge that the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused campuses to close in March to slow the spread of the virus, will be around for some time to come, White said.

Socialization that occurred around Labor Day combined with the exodus and relocations of tens of thousands of people fleeing the Creek Fire may cause infection rates to skyrocket again, so it’s important to keep large groups of people from gathering, which typically occurs when college campuses are open, he said.

Some Fresno State classes may be in-person in the spring semester, with a limited number of students in campus housing, President Joseph I. Castro said Thursday. He said he has asked provost Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval and vice president Debbie Adishian-Astone to reconvene the planning task force that created a plan for the fall semester and devise one for spring 2021.

“I fully understand this decision may be difficult to process initially and, for some, to accept,” Castro said in a statement to the university community. “But I also continue to believe the best way to weather challenges is to first know what we are facing.”

Chancellor White’s Letter



Chancellor Message 9 10 20 (Text)

DON'T MISS

Canadian National Anthem Booed, but Only Lightly, at 4 Nations Hockey Tournament

DON'T MISS

Former Vice President Kamala Harris to Be Honored by NAACP With Its Chairman’s Award

DON'T MISS

‘Life-Threatening Cold’ Expected as Polar Vortex Stretches Across US

DON'T MISS

Where to Chill on the Cheap in the Caribbean

DON'T MISS

Should Builders Permit Their Own Projects? Post-fire LA Considers a Radical Idea

DON'T MISS

I Was a Bad Father. How Do I Live With the Regret?

DON'T MISS

Royal Caribbean to Launch First-Ever San Diego Cruises in 2026

DON'T MISS

What Is Field Hockey? Fresno’s Sikh Community Explains

DON'T MISS

Sean Combs Sues NBC Over Documentary That He Says Defamed Him

DON'T MISS

European Detour Destinations Are 2025’s New Travel Trend

UP NEXT

Should Builders Permit Their Own Projects? Post-fire LA Considers a Radical Idea

UP NEXT

Royal Caribbean to Launch First-Ever San Diego Cruises in 2026

UP NEXT

California’s Aging Population Will Test Whether Its Demography Is Destiny

UP NEXT

A Former Firefighter in the Legislature Has Ideas. Will Democrats Listen?

UP NEXT

Big Homeowner Rate Hike From State Farm Shot Down by California Regulator

UP NEXT

Fresno Unified Hires Firm for National Superintendent Search

UP NEXT

Poll: Where US Adults Think the Government Is Spending Too Much

UP NEXT

Yosemite National Park Braces for a Staffing and Conservation Crisis

UP NEXT

Is Newsom Bending to Trump? Gov Will Veto Bill Protecting Immigrant Inmates

UP NEXT

Southern California Hit by Destructive Debris Flows Caused by Heavy Rains

Nancy Price,
Multimedia Journalist
Nancy Price is a multimedia journalist for GV Wire. A longtime reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in California, Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Kansas, Nancy joined GV Wire in July 2019. She previously worked as an assistant metro editor for 13 years at The Fresno Bee. Nancy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her hobbies include singing with the Fresno Master Chorale and volunteering with Fresno Filmworks. You can reach Nancy at 559-492-4087 or Send an Email

Where to Chill on the Cheap in the Caribbean

6 hours ago

Should Builders Permit Their Own Projects? Post-fire LA Considers a Radical Idea

7 hours ago

I Was a Bad Father. How Do I Live With the Regret?

7 hours ago

Royal Caribbean to Launch First-Ever San Diego Cruises in 2026

1 day ago

What Is Field Hockey? Fresno’s Sikh Community Explains

1 day ago

Sean Combs Sues NBC Over Documentary That He Says Defamed Him

1 day ago

European Detour Destinations Are 2025’s New Travel Trend

1 day ago

California’s Aging Population Will Test Whether Its Demography Is Destiny

1 day ago

A Former Firefighter in the Legislature Has Ideas. Will Democrats Listen?

1 day ago

Mind-to-Text: How AI Is Learning to Decode Brain Signals Into Sentences

2 days ago

Canadian National Anthem Booed, but Only Lightly, at 4 Nations Hockey Tournament

BOSTON — The Canadian national anthem was booed, though somewhat tepidly, by the fans at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Monday — apparent payback...

2 hours ago

Team United States fans cheer after their team defeated Canada in a 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game in Montreal, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)
2 hours ago

Canadian National Anthem Booed, but Only Lightly, at 4 Nations Hockey Tournament

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, boards Air Force Two at the Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. Harris might have traveled on Friday to Philadelphia or Milwaukee for the umpteenth time, but motivating tuned-out voters in battleground states required something different. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)
2 hours ago

Former Vice President Kamala Harris to Be Honored by NAACP With Its Chairman’s Award

Downed trees cover the roadway toward South Jefferson Street from severe weather in downtown Tuscumbia, Ala., Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.(Dan Busey/The TimesDaily via AP)
2 hours ago

‘Life-Threatening Cold’ Expected as Polar Vortex Stretches Across US

6 hours ago

Where to Chill on the Cheap in the Caribbean

7 hours ago

Should Builders Permit Their Own Projects? Post-fire LA Considers a Radical Idea

7 hours ago

I Was a Bad Father. How Do I Live With the Regret?

1 day ago

Royal Caribbean to Launch First-Ever San Diego Cruises in 2026

1 day ago

What Is Field Hockey? Fresno’s Sikh Community Explains

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend