As we have said so many times before, the safety and health of our community is paramount.
We continue to mitigate interruption created by COVID-19 and have begun planning for
the summer and next academic year. With this campus update, we are sharing information
about important changes to summer courses, and some additional flexibility around
financial payments and academic requirements.
Summer 2020 is Online -- Additional Courses Offered
In recent years, San Diego State University has accelerated moving summer courses
online. This has been in response to the growing demand for virtual instruction, and
to help our students stay on track for graduation.
This summer, all summer courses will be virtual, with most of the courses originally
published as face-to-face or hybrid, now being moved to online-only. Those few summer courses that do not lend themselves to virtualization at this time
will be canceled.We expect about 500 course sections to be available online for our
students, and additional courses may be added in the coming weeks.
Summer session enrollment is open now, and students may search the summer class schedule online.
Changes to Student Payments and Other Requirements
We are aware that COVID-19 has introduced a range of challenges for some SDSU students
and their families, and that some are now experiencing unanticipated financial challenges
and hardships as a result.
SDSU will postpone the tuition pre-payment requirement for students currently enrolled
who are looking to register for courses for Fall 2020. Students will have additional
time to pay; the deadline is now set for June 15 for fall 2020 classes.
The university is also postponing Cashier Holds, or C-Holds, for students who have
outstanding balances. This will allow students to register for classes or adjust their
academic schedules without being penalized for having a current outstanding balance.
Further, the University Senate voted yesterday afternoon and approved a number of
policy changes meant to directly benefit students. The changes adopted include the
following:
- Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR Requirement) Waived: Students who were not able, during the spring 2020 semester, to retake the Writing
Placement Assessment for a higher score or who were planning to take the exam this
semester, will be allowed to move into an appropriate upper-division writing class
during the summer and fall semesters.
- Academic Probation and Disqualification: Undergraduate students whose grade-point averages fall below a 2.0 average for the
spring 2020 semester will not be placed on academic probation and students who are
currently on probation will not be subject to academic disqualification. Graduate
students whose grade-point averages fall below a 2.85 average for the spring 2020
semester will not be placed on academic probation, nor will graduate students currently
on probation be subject to academic qualification. Both undergraduate and graduate
students who achieve their academic benchmarks (2.0 and 2.85, respectively) will be
returned to normal status, and no longer on academic probation.
Student Resources are Expanding
We have shared in earlier messages that faculty and staff have spent weeks working
to ensure that all students are equipped to learn and get needed support no matter
their location. In addition to services being offered virtually, some assistance is
expanding.
We ask that students rely on the programs and services established prior and during
the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Any SDSU or SDSU Imperial Valley student who is experiencing food insecurity and other
unforeseen economic uncertainties, including housing, technology (lack of access to
a computer or laptop, for example), crisis support, or who have other urgent needs,
are urged to contact the Economic Crisis Response Team (ECRT). Students should submit
via the ECRT form to request assistance.
- Handshake, SDSU’s online career platform, also provides listings of available part-time
employment opportunities. To access Handshake or learn more about programs offered
by Career Services, please click here.
- Students are also being surveyed to understand what additional academic and support
resources are needed. We ask that students complete the Academic and Support Resources survey via the online form.
Be Well
We continue to encourage you to monitor your own health as well as the health of your
loved ones, and to continue following the direction of state and federal health authorities.
Many of you are making every effort to manage work-related and family obligations,
and we thank you.
Adela de la Torre
San Diego State University President
Salvador Hector Ochoa
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Mark Wheeler
University Senate Chair
