嘿嘿视频

Checking In With Chancellor May: Pivoting

 

In this week鈥檚 Thursday Thoughts (above), Chancellor May answers a number of questions about campus operations and talks about how decisions are made in consultation with many constituencies.


To the 嘿嘿视频 Community:

Thank you all for pivoting on short notice and for your flexibility and cooperation during these trying times. I know these past weeks involved extraordinary work, especially by faculty, all the people behind our testing operations and everyone working in patient care. This is a true team effort.

We continue to make decisions based on the science and public health guidelines we鈥檝e been following from the beginning. On matters related to remote instruction, we turn to the Academic Senate. As chancellor, I don鈥檛 have unilateral authority over instruction. This is part of the University of California shared governance, which is essential to our teaching, research and public service mission.

In any decision we make, we weigh all of the data, consult with experts and other campus leaders, and review all relevant information before making decisions that impact the 70,000 people in our community.

The , while more transmissible, appears to be less severe. As a result, we have not had to return to a complete lockdown. Our campus is open and we are permitting some in-person instruction. Find all the details about what鈥檚 happening on campus, including in-person activities and events, Unitrans operations, Shields Library and ARC hours of operation, and more in this Dateline article.

Public health guidance 鈥 and our guidance to you 鈥 can change quickly, and it can be a challenge to ensure everyone is accurately informed. I understand there has been some confusion about changes for the first four weeks of winter quarter. We鈥檙e listening and we鈥檝e been working hard to answer your questions and update you on important decisions. You can find answers to the most common questions here. Also, please refer to the and .

Stabilizing our community

We are requiring everyone to have a negative COVID-19 test before accessing campus facilities for the first time this quarter. We have increased the testing frequency for fully vaccinated students who live in residence halls to every seven days. For others who are fully vaccinated, it鈥檚 every 14 days. For those who are unvaccinated with approved exceptions, it鈥檚 every four days. The is open seven days a week (including January 17, a holiday), and you can also get tested at Healthy Davis Together, which is to provide weekend hours at all sites. All employees also are welcome at the .

Our focus is on stabilizing our campus community so we can resume full in-person instruction and operations on January 31 as planned. Here鈥檚 what we ask of you:

  • Stay in the Davis area so we can reduce the risk of introducing new COVID-19 cases.
  • Check your test results promptly. If you test positive, report your COVID-19 diagnosis via the platform.
  • Know what to do if you test positive or are a close contact of someone who tests positive.
  • Get your booster shot if eligible. Vaccines are our best tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19. See 鈥淰accine booster clinics鈥 below.
  • Wear a mask as required indoors 鈥 A face covering is generally required indoors (and outdoors in a car or crowded space if you are unvaccinated). Earlier this month, Yolo County and the state Department of Public Health recommended that people upgrade from cloth face coverings to either surgical masks or certain disposable respirators for increased effectiveness. We agree. In line with this new guidance, 嘿嘿视频 is working to provide one KN95, N95 or KF94 respirator-style mask for all students and employees who want them.
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Tributes Pour In for Thiebaud
The death of Professor Emeritus Wayne Thiebaud on Dec. 25 at the age of 101 brought an outpouring of memories and tributes, critical acclaim for his remarkable career filled with 鈥渓ush, dreamy鈥 paintings, and news of a significant gift to 嘿嘿视频, where he taught for 42 years and where his legacy will continue to inspire students and scholars.
See story and video.
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鈥楲IVE鈥 Update on Pandemic
Guests on today鈥檚 嘿嘿视频 LIVE鈥 include Yolo County Public Health Officer Aimee Sisson, whose comments this week in the Davis Enterprise praised 嘿嘿视频鈥 efforts to combat COVID-19. Also appearing on today鈥檚 program: Lorena Garcia, a professor of epidemiology in the 嘿嘿视频 School of Medicine, who researches health disparities.
Watch the video.

Vaccine booster clinics

We have worked with Yolo County to organize a two-day booster vaccine clinic on campus, to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Tuesday and Wednesday, January 18 and 19. Make appointments through the state鈥檚 My Turn system, . This clinic is open to all, but we are hoping to get as many students in as possible. Toward this end, we ask employees to go to their health care providers 鈥 including 鈥 for booster shots. 

Under a UC systemwide mandate, booster shots are required for all students, staff and faculty by January 31 鈥 or, if you are not eligible by that date, within 14 days after your date of eligibility, which is generally two months after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or five months after receiving your second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. (Approved vaccine exceptions also apply to the booster.) If you previously allowed 嘿嘿视频 to fetch your vaccination information from the state鈥檚 database, check to make sure your booster has been recorded in . Otherwise, upload the information yourself.

Please note that you are expected to get a . The CDC recommends waiting until you meet all before getting a booster.

Academic flexibilities

Students had the option to make adjustments to their schedules any time up until today, January 14, for courses with 10-day drop deadlines. The deadline for 20-day drops is January 31. Today, January 14, is also the deadline to file a Planned Educational Leave Program (PELP).

Yesterday (January 13), the Academic Senate extended the undergraduate Passed/Not Passed (P/NP) and the graduate Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) deadlines to the last day of winter quarter instruction, March 11. Through that date, undergraduate students may opt for P/NP grading or revert back to letter grading in Schedule Builder (students should before opting for P/NP grading), and graduate students may submit a Grading Option Change Petition to Graduate Studies. And, as in fall quarter, in-class final exams may also be administered remotely, if the instructor so chooses and follows the Academic Senate guidelines.

Student support

We鈥檙e here to help. The  can assist students who are experiencing ongoing financial challenges as a result of our remote instruction. The center can also assist with food security and housing. Fill out a , or call 530-752-9254 during business hours, Monday through Friday.

We鈥檙e also here to support students who are immunocompromised or otherwise concerned about how the omicron surge and remote instruction will affect them. Please contact our  if you need further accommodations or if you are uncertain if your medical situation qualifies you for disability assistance. Getting this process started early is important to getting you the support you need. Contact the center by ; calling 530-752-3184 during business hours, Monday through Friday; or sending an email.

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Most sustainable university

In case you missed it, the year 2021 ended on a high note for 嘿嘿视频. GreenMetric World University Rankings  us as the No. 1 university in North America for sustainability for a sixth year in a row and fifth in the world for the second consecutive year.

Donate blood

On behalf of 嘿嘿视频 Health, I encourage you to donate blood, if you can, to help stem a critical local shortage. Earlier this week, the American Red Cross declared a national blood crisis for the first time ever. Nearly 6,000 patients receive blood transfusions through 嘿嘿视频 Transfusion Services each year. Learn more about during the pandemic.

I鈥檝e said this many times, but it鈥檚 worth repeating: There鈥檚 no place I鈥檇 rather be during a global pandemic than 嘿嘿视频. Our extraordinary rate of compliance with vaccine mandates, asymptomatic testing, masking and other healthy protocols are all signs of a community that truly cares. I鈥檓 so proud to be weathering this storm with you. Stay strong, Aggies!

Sincerely,

Gary S. May
Chancellor

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