Dean Sternberg shares a message to students about spring semester registration and course formats.
Dear Oxy Students:
It is hard to believe that registration for the Spring 2021 semester will soon be upon us. Next week is “advising week” in advance of registration, which starts on October 27th. Course Counts is now available, with information that you will need to inform your discussions with your advisor next week (keep checking back as things may change during the week).
As outlined in President Elam’s recent message, the College cannot make a definitive determination on in-person instruction or residential housing capacity until we receive updated health and safety guidance from Los Angeles County, later this fall.
In the meantime, we asked faculty to designate their Spring courses in one of three formats: remote, hybrid, or in-person. Remote and hybrid courses are being designed such that all students can complete the course regardless of their location. If a course is listed as “in-person”, that indicates that there are at least some elements of the class that the faculty member is planning to offer in person, and those elements would be required for completion of course goals. Of course, all plans for in-person instruction are tentative, and the course could revert to a remote format (or be canceled if it cannot be offered remotely) pending L.A. County guidance. If you are planning to continue to study remotely regardless of what the College decides, you should not select a course that is listed as “in-person.” As in the fall, there will be supplemental information accompanying Course Counts where you can find more information about the expectations for many courses, which will be ready for students to view by Monday morning (and of course you can reach out to the faculty member if you have questions about the course expectations). We will send the link when it is available.
We recognize that changing conditions may require students to revise their registration selections prior to the start of the spring semester. We will keep students updated during the December/January break as we get more information from the county. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience as we navigate these complicated processes with incomplete information.
Best,
Wendy Sternberg
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College