Dear USD Campus Community:  
 
Happy New Year! I hope that you were able to relax and safely enjoy the holidays with family and friends. 

As much as I have always looked forward with hope to the possibilities that a new year offers, at this moment I have mixed emotions, feeling both disappointment and optimism about the year ahead. My disappointment stems from the need to once again put in place new health and safety measures to protect our campus. The surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant is concerning, capable of producing a sense that we are stuck, not making the progress that we expected and long to achieve.  Nevertheless, I remain optimistic about our return to campus, convinced that we are in a new season of navigating the pandemic and that the spring will bring many blessings for our community and beyond.  I have absolutely no doubt that while the challenges before us are significant, the talent, creativity, strength and skill of our community are even greater.  

Over the past weeks, university officials have been talking regularly with local health officials and following carefully the recommendations coming out of the CDC. We have also engaged senior leaders at other universities to learn from their experiences. As a result of those meetings, and thanks to the work of the COVID-19 Action Team, President's Advisory Committee, and many others, we have developed a plan that I believe will lead to a successful and healthy spring semester.

As you know, we took steps in recent weeks to require by January 14 the COVID-19 booster vaccination for all eligible students, faculty, staff and administrators. Students should upload their proof of booster vaccination on the Wellness Portal and faculty, staff and administrators must submit their information here. As communicated previously, we require students to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test (dated within 72 hours) prior to moving into campus housing.

Today, I am announcing additional temporary measures in response to the current rapid spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in our region:

• While the School of Law began their spring semester today under remote instruction, we will begin the spring semester for the remainder of the campus community as scheduled on January 27 under remote instruction. Please note: select classes such as labs, studios, clinics and experiential classes, may remain in person based on the discretion of the deans;
• We will transition to in-person instruction on February 7 (including the School of Law);
• Residential students moving into campus housing will be scheduled on a staggered basis between January 24-26 and will need proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to move in. Residential students will also be tested upon arrival;
• All commuter students are required to register for COVID-19 testing on campus via a drive-through test in the Main and West garages offered Monday through Friday (Jan. 31- Feb. 4). Commuter students must register both the date and time they will come to campus for this test in order to facilitate a smooth process;
• In order to further facilitate low campus density in January, our vice presidents have the option to allow remote work for some employees until January 31. Employees should coordinate with their respective vice presidents on remote work options;
• Random COVID-19 testing will begin for the entire campus community on February 7;
• The university will not host external non-academic events on campus during the spring semester, and will re-evaluate this decision in March.

Our objective is that once we return to in-person instruction on February 7, we will continue in-person instruction for the remainder of the semester. More specific information related to these actions will be sent shortly to faculty by the Provost office, to students by Student Affairs and to the entire campus community by the COVID-19 Action Team. The University of San Diego will remain open as it implements these new health and safety measures. An initial set of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers can be accessed here.

Similar measures are being taken by peer institutions in the San Diego area. Delaying in-person instruction, staggering the times in which students return to the campus and extending remote work for employees should help to limit COVID-19 transmission and enable us to increase COVID-19 testing. Local health officials forecast a steep but fast-moving COVID-19 surge, and we are actively monitoring the situation so we can remain agile.

I am grateful to our community for its continued resilience and flexibility as we navigate the impact of the pandemic on our operations. Given the high COVID-19 vaccination rates within our community, indoor face-covering compliance, and our booster shot requirement, I remain confident that we will resume an in-person learning experience, yet, should we need to further adjust our plans, we will communicate as soon as possible. Please continue to monitor your email and our Onward USD website for additional updates.

I look forward to safely welcoming our entire community back to campus soon.

Peace,

James T. Harris III, DEd