The San Jose State presidential cabinet updated the Academic Senate on SJSU’s emergency response and how the university would respond to an outbreak of new coronavirus on campus, as well as announcing the cancellation of the study abroad trip to Asia during Monday’s meeting.
The president’s cabinet said they are going to take every precaution they can to limit the spread of the virus.
SJSU President Mary Papazian explained that the campus has activated the emergency operations center and that they have been meeting for some days now. She said the center is working in cooperation with the City of San Jose to prepare the campus. The center serves to help coordinate SJSU’s overall emergency response.
Papazian also explained how all California State Universities have decided to cancel the study abroad trip to Asia.
“We all were consulted about it, that this was not the time to make a trip like that,” Papazian said. Although the SJSU study abroad trip to Asia was canceled, students found other study abroad programs to supplement their education, Papazian said.
However, two students had already arrived to their destinations in Italy and South Korea, where there is an increased risk of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The university has kept in close contact with them to ensure their safety.
“We have to think about what we need to do to ensure that our students can continue to make progress for their degrees, while also keeping our faculty and students safe,” Papazian said.
Papazian also mentioned monitoring large gatherings on campus such as sporting events, large lecture classes and commencement.
Patrick Day, vice president for student affairs, further explained the steps they may have to take for the campus, in the case of an outbreak.
“We’re running all sorts of different housing scenarios, should we find ourselves in a circumstance, of all sorts of things that we might do,” Day said.
Day mentioned working with Charlie Faas, vice president for administration and finance, on cleaning and disinfecting the residence halls.
They plan to implement precautions such as wiping down the elevator buttons multiple times a day, leaving all the doors open to minimize touch (weather permitting) and adding hand sanitizer in the building hallways.
Admitted Spartan Day approaches in a month, so a discussion was held on how the campus may move forward with holding the event safely for the estimated 10,000 attendees.
“We’re going to consider alternative scenarios that can still celebrate those students who have been admitted to our campus, but can do that remotely or at least give that option for folks,” Day said.
Depending on risks posed by the spread of coronavirus, face-to-face classes may need to be moved online.
Vincent Del Casino Jr., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, mentioned using Zoom, a video conferencing platform, and how faculty members, if need be, will be able to hold live lectures for their classes.
Casino also pushed the idea of using Canvas and uploading all coursework for the rest of the semester.
“I think it is not invaluable for people to think about the fact that we have Canvas and a place where you can load all your materials, as many of your assignments and other things as possible,” Casino said. “Because on the flip side, we got students who are trying to graduate this semester.”
The cabinet said it is taking the situation day-by-day.
“We’re trying to get to the point, of again, not mass panic and to not go there yet,” Casino said.
