UC Berkeley plans all in-person classes for spring 2022

Chancellor Carol Christ and Catherine Koshland, interim executive vice chancellor and provost, sent the following message to the campus community on Monday:

With registration right around the corner, we’re writing to announce our plans for instruction in the spring 2022 semester. In short, our default mode of instruction will be in-person, regardless of class size. As is always the case, the limited number of courses that have been designed and approved to be delivered in an alternate mode of instruction are listed accordingly in the Course Catalog. In other words, we’ll return to mostly normal in-person operations and course offerings on campus.

Berkeley classrooms present a low risk for transmission

We’ve seen very little evidence of transmission of COVID-19 on campus. While it can be hard to identify the exact source of transmission — and therefore it can be hard to make definitive statements about how COVID-19 is spreading — all signs point to off-campus social gatherings where face coverings were not worn indoors as the cause of the vast majority of the cases we’re seeing within the campus community.

Continued commitment to access for all students

We continue to keep at the forefront of our planning the needs of our students who are immunocompromised or who otherwise have a disability that hinders their ability to effectively participate in in-person instruction. We’re also cognizant of the needs of our international students, some of whom continue to face challenges entering the U.S. We’re continuing to explore options for meeting the needs of these students and will continue to encourage instructors to take advantage of course-capture technology where available.

We encourage any student with a disability who isn’t already connected with the Disabled Students’ Program to reach out right away. The earlier you get connected to resources the better we’re going to be able to help you. Any student who feels their needs are not being met should explore options for filing a grievance. If there is an issue with our processes we want to know about it so that we can address it.

Continued flexibility will be needed

With the start of the spring semester nearly four months away, there is a lot that can change between now and January. As always, our plans are contingent upon the public health guidance in place at the time of their implementation and are subject to change. One thing we’ve learned throughout this pandemic is to expect the unexpected and instructors and students should be prepared to pivot to remote instruction should public health officials require it.

Over the past 18 months, our campus community has repeatedly risen to the challenges presented by COVID-19 and served as a model for the nation. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to look out for one another and to make it possible for us to plan for a future where we are able to provide for the UC Berkeley campus experience we all know and love.