Fresno Pacific University will temporarily return to mostly online instruction starting Wednesday, January 19, and continuing through Friday, February 4, with in-person classes resuming Monday, February 7.
“As the surge of the Omicron variant continues, we see local trends in increased cases of COVID-19 mirrored among our students, faculty and staff,” said President Joseph Jones, Ph.D., in an early-afternoon email announcement to students, faculty and staff. The decision was made this morning during the FPU President’s Cabinet meeting.
Lab classes will continue to meet in person, and residential students may stay in their campus accommodations. Main-campus facilities including the Dining Hall, Commuter House, Steinert Campus Center Lounge, Intercultural Learning Center (ILC), the Academic Support Center (ASC) and Hiebert Library will remain open under COVID health protocols. Anyone who comes on any of the five university campuses is expected to wear a mask and social distance indoors, unless in their private office of residence.
Faculty are putting into practice instruction plans they had been asked to make earlier this month in the event returning to online instruction proved necessary. Staff will continue to work with their immediate supervisors and vice presidents to continue continuity of operations. The latest information is available at COVID-19 News and Information | University News (fresno.edu)
“We recognize that moving classes to a virtual format is not easily done by faculty or students and this decision was not taken lightly,” Jones said. “However, over the past week in particular, FPU has seen increases in positive tests among students, faculty and staff that impact instructional delivery and other functions on the main and at some regional campuses.”
Throughout the next two weeks, the university will continue to monitor the current COVID surge and its impact on our Valley. “Our priority continues to be the health of everyone in our community. We continue to appreciate the dedication and flexibility everyone has shown in coming alongside our students and providing them care and comfort as well as the best possible Christian higher education,” Jones said.