Monday classes to use remote instruction, stay informed on storm impacts

Dear Campus Community,

All classes on Monday, January 9, will be delivered using online or emergency remote instruction, and we encourage our campus community to limit nonessential travel. We are monitoring the emerging weather situation closely and will update the campus by 3 p.m. Monday about whether limited emergency remote instruction will continue into Tuesday.

The National Weather Service is forecasting 2-3 inches of rain tonight and Monday with wind gusts as high as 50 mph. This severe storm, coming on the heels of storms on New Year’s Eve and on Jan. 4, is expected to create dangerous conditions and lead to challenges across the region due to flooding, downed trees, road closures, and power outages.

In consultation with the Academic Senate and in order to minimize the number of people traveling to campus, all UC Santa Cruz instructors will deliver Monday classes through online or emergency remote instruction. Conditional on weather and road conditions, in-person instruction will resume Tuesday. Public Affairs will provide updates on campus impacts at ucsc.edu.

The Center for Innovations in Teaching and Learning (CITL) and Online Education have information and resources about quickly transitioning from in-person to online or remote instruction, including Zoom as well as alternatives to Zoom. Instructors of classes scheduled to meet in person on Monday should email their students and make suitable alternative arrangements for their first class, and students should look for updates from their instructors. While this last-minute switch to emergency remote is necessary, in-person instruction will resume once this event has passed and immediate safety concerns have been resolved.

Campus dining halls and the student health center are scheduled to be open and operating with regularly scheduled hours. Other student services may have modified service delivery; please contact those services directly for the availability of in-person access.

For employees who are impacted and unable to work, either due to evacuation, road closures or power loss, please inform your manager or department chair as soon as possible and let them know what support you need and the best way to reach you. We ask that managers and supervisors, many of whom may be impacted themselves, show as much flexibility as possible in accommodating employee needs. Work priorities should be examined in light of this emergency situation.

The storm may result in on- and off-campus power or internet outages that affect students, faculty, and staff. We will keep the campus community informed of any major impacts at UC Santa Cruz sites.

We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we start winter quarter amid a series of severe storms. We understand that these modality shifts create challenges for instructors and students. We make this decision because our highest priority is the safety of our campus community.

Sincerely,
Cindy, Lori, and Patty

Cynthia Larive
Chancellor

Lori Kletzer
Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor

Patty Gallagher
Chair, Academic Senate