October 23, 2020
Dear Graduate Students,
On October 16, we announced updates for learning and living on campus starting in January 2021 and advised that we would follow up with additional academic updates for our graduate students. Over the past week, we sent out updates specific to each graduate school regarding the 2021 winter and spring terms. We outline below the calendar and modality decisions for the 2021 winter quarter and spring semester across all of our graduate programs.
- Leavey School of Business - The Leavey School of Business has reached the following decision about winter course modality. Winter quarter classes begin on January 4th.
- The MS Business Analytics, MS in Information Systems and MS in Finance & Analytics programs will remain fully online for the winter quarter.
- The Evening MBA (MBA) and Executive MBA (EMBA) Programs will remain mostly online, with a limited number of hybrid/modified face-to-face course offerings (51% or more of the course format will take place face to face on campus). The limited selection of hybrid/modified face-to-face courses will be identified by the Graduate Programs Team in the next few days and communicated to our MBA and EMBA students.
- School of Education and Counseling Psychology - With very rare exceptions, teaching and learning in the School of Education and Counseling Psychology will continue 100% remotely for the winter 2021 quarter. As before, all courses will be labeled according to their format when you register and no student will be required to come to campus for in-person instruction. Winter quarter classes begin on January 4th.
- School of Engineering - Graduate programs in the School of Engineering will remain fully online for the winter 2021 quarter. Winter quarter classes begin on January 4th.
- School of Law - For Spring 2021, the vast majority of classes and exams in the School of Law will be conducted online. In the event that circumstances allow opportunity for in-person instruction, any student may choose to participate entirely online. Spring semester classes begin on January 11th (Saturday classes begin on January 9th). See our FAQ for continuing students spring 2021 for more information.
- Jesuit School of Theology - The Jesuit School of Theology will plan to offer every one of its courses totally online from January through May 2021. If the public health situation and governmental rules allow, JST will consider adding an in-person component to our classes, when possible, for students who live in the geographical region of JST. Any move to add an in-person component to an on-line course will not diminish the possibility for any student, whether in Berkeley or not, to participate in an exclusively on-line way. Spring semester classes begin on February 1st.
- Graduate Program in Pastoral Ministries - The Graduate Program in Pastoral Ministries will be fully online for the winter 2021 quarter. Winter quarter classes begin on January 2nd.
International Students
International students are important members of our diverse academic community at Santa Clara and we know that, as an international student, you may have questions about how the decisions about your particular academic program impact your immigration status. Each School has created FAQs that include questions about the curriculum and academic internships specifically for international students. In addition, our International Students and Scholars team is working to support you, and they have compiled additional FAQs about immigration considerations related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) with information specific to your academic program here.
These decisions were made with careful consideration of CDC guidelines, state and county public health requirements, learning objectives and accreditation rules specific to each graduate program, and extensive feedback from surveys conducted internally. Although we long to be together more fully in-person, we must do our very best to prioritize the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff.
Teaching & Learning and Student Engagement
We understand that this continued phase of primarily remote teaching, learning and living may raise some uncertainties about the level of student engagement and support that will be offered. We heard from many of our students through survey feedback and direct communications about their experiences with course instruction, learning, and engagement with their professors and peers.
Our teaching collaborative and academic technology staff have worked tirelessly with our faculty on course adaptations aimed at enhancing the remote learning experience and providing opportunities for virtual engagement with faculty and classmates, all in ways that are specific to each course. Faculty have been reaching out to students to understand the unique contexts of their remote learning situation and any challenges they may be facing due to time zone differences, internet speeds, or other physical or virtual accessibility issues. Faculty have been encouraged to adjust aspects of their instructional delivery to accommodate students’ various needs and concerns.
Finally, each grad school/program has collaborated extensively within their communities to develop and provide our students with a robust set of remote engagement opportunities. These engagement opportunities are further supplemented by other Student Life and campus support services that have significantly adjusted their operations in order to ensure that students have remote access to these resources and offerings no matter where they are in the world (see our GetConnected hub for events, groups, wellness, and resources). We encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to build community even while we must remain apart.
Wishing you continued success through the fall term,
Lisa A. Kloppenberg Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs