UC San Diego announced its plans for in-person learning starting Fall Quarter 2021. While the majority of courses will be taught in-person, the university will still provide accommodations for students who are not able to come back to campus. 

UCSD stated that courses will be primarily in-person, although they will be making alternate remote options as well for students who are unable to arrive from abroad due to visa delays or travel restrictions. In plans for Fall 2021, most classes are scheduled to be in-person but can later be amended to address additional international student needs. 

In a statement by the Office of the Chancellor they outlined the expected procedures for the upcoming year. They have stated that classroom capacities currently cannot be determined as they depend on state and county social distancing guidelines, however the university anticipates they will reopen in full capacity.

Additionally the notice stated that, “While we expect that Fall 2021 teaching will be primarily in-person using indoor classrooms and will require masking, there will be a set of Fall 2021 classes that will need to be taught outdoors or remotely, because course participants cannot be masked (e.g., language classes, certain music classes). We will keep the outdoor classrooms available for such uses.”

Social distancing guidelines will still be in place with the return to campus, however distance between people will be reduced from six feet to three feet. Face masks will still continue to be mandated in public spaces. 

While symptomatic and asymptomatic testing will remain available to all campus community members, students who have not yet been vaccinated will be required to participate in the asymptomatic testing program. 

Social events including concerts, as well as athletic events will return to normal. Most on-campus businesses, including those at Price Center and the Old Student Center, will be open again. 

Students returning to on-campus housing will be required to test for COVID-19 once they return, however vaccinated students will not need to continue asymptomatic testing. Additionally, residence halls will be near 100 percent occupancy, but they will only be composed of singles and doubles. 

Leslie Sepuka, Associate Director University Communications stated to the UCSD Guardian that the university “has the capacity to provide on campus housing to 12,279 undergraduate students, and it is anticipated that all available undergraduate beds on campus will be filled in the fall of 2021.” 

While the university is going back to normal in most of its operations, it’s expected that there will still be many remnants of social distancing left. The COVID-19 test kit vending machines will remain for symptomatic testing as well as those who will need asymptomatic weekly testing prior to vaccination. The daily wastewater detection program will remain fully operational.

“We’re ready to return to campus,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “Our students, faculty and staff went above and beyond throughout the pandemic to keep one another safe while continuing to learn, create and conduct research. While we learned many new ways to connect and serve our students over the past year, we are ready to reconnect in person, as safely as possible, in spaces specifically designed for collaborative learning and discovery.”

While the administration hasn’t released full details about Fall 2021 operations, they are pushing to return to in-person procedures. 

Photo courtesy of Christian Duarte for The UCSD Guardian.