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March 20, 2020

COVID-19 Campus Update - March 20
Updates related to COVID-19

March 18, 2020

Campus Directive During Bay Area Shelter In Place
Clarity regarding what members of the campus community can do in their work capacity (and when they should and should not come to campus to work) in light of previous campus messages and various shelter-in-place orders, including from Alameda County and the City of Berkeley. This memo supersedes all earlier communications, except the Executive Order regarding distance learning and research issued earlier today.
Executive Order regarding remote instruction and research
We write to provide clarity regarding who should and should not be coming to work at the campus to perform duties related to distance learning and research consistent with the procedures that the campus has now established for providing remote learning and research continuity.

March 16, 2020

Alameda County Shelter-In-Place Order
In light of Alameda County’s announcement advising county residents to shelter in place beginning Tuesday, March 17 at 12:01 a.m. through Tuesday, April 7, we are rapidly moving toward a “maintenance-only” mode of physical operation of the campus. Generally speaking, this means that all in-person instruction should cease. All instruction that can be delivered remotely should continue.
URGENT COVID-19 Update: Moving toward greatly reduced operations
Following up on a campus wide message earlier today and in response to a rapidly changing environment around COVID-19 and the urgent need to practice social distancing, the campus is taking the following actions. These directives are consistent with and authorized by recently announced “shelter in place” guidance from several Bay Area counties, including Alameda County and the City of Berkeley.

March 14, 2020

Confirmed case of COVID-19 at UC Berkeley
We have confirmed that a member of our campus community has contracted COVID-19. The individual is a graduate student who does not live on campus or in the city of Berkeley and has self-isolated in their city of residence. The individual is in good condition and has no serious symptoms.

March 13, 2020

Paid Administrative Leave for Employees with School Children Affected by Coronavirus Closures
Employees now granted up to 14 days paid administrative leave who have to stay home because their children's schools have closed due to coronavirus concerns.
Updated and Revised Policies for Remote Instruction Effective Saturday, March 14

Dear Faculty, Instructors, and GSIs,

We write to you today following the Chancellor’s earlier message to the campus, to inform you of some additional changes that will be made to the manner in which we will be delivering instruction for the remainder of the Spring Semester. 

Remote instruction through semester's end
Updates about the delivery of instruction and on-campus housing.

March 12, 2020

Update - Dean of the Division of Arts & Humanities
After completing ten years of service, Anthony J. Cascardi is planning to step down as the Dean of the Division of Arts & Humanities in the College of Letters & Science at the end of his second five-year term on June 30, 2021.

March 11, 2020

Important changes regarding COVID-19 and campus events
As part of our ongoing effort to take proactive measures to limit the potential spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community, today we announce new changes that will remain in effect at least through March 29.
Temporary Blanket Exception to Qualifying Exam Policy

Dear Deans, Department Chairs, Graduate Student Affairs Officers, and Head Graduate Advisors,

March 9, 2020

COVID-19 Research Resiliency Planning for the UC Berkeley Community
VCRO is asking all campus laboratories, research facilities and research groups to undertake their own efforts and put in place specific measures now, to reduce potential transmission of the disease within our facilities, and also to make plans for the possibility of a significant disruption to normal operations, should large numbers of employees become ill or have to self isolate.
New campus actions regarding COVID-19
Changes effective starting Tuesday, March 10, and will remain in place through Spring Break, which ends March 29. A decision on what will happen on March 30 and beyond will occur at a later date, based on the latest coronavirus information at that time.
Alternative instruction starting Tuesday, March 10
Campus is implementing the changes related to course instruction. These changes are effective starting Tuesday, March 10, and will remain in place through Spring Break, which ends March 29. A decision on what will happen on March 30 and beyond will occur at a later date, based on the latest information available.

March 6, 2020

Xenophobia, COVID-19, and Our Principles of Community
As concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak intensify at the local, national, and international levels, incidents of xenophobia and anti-Asian racism, harassment, and bullying on campus also have increased. These behaviors have no place at UC Berkeley.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and travel

Dear campus colleagues,

We are writing today to share with you the latest updates, policies and general guidance regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) and travel. 

Guidance for Alternative Work Arrangements in Response to the Coronavirus (COVID - 19)
We recognize that the COVID-19 outbreak and our decisions in response to that outbreak affect our entire community, including the staff, students, and faculty who work and study here. This means that for many of you, the steps we are taking to protect the health of our community may involve significant inconvenience and personal sacrifice. With your crucial assistance, we have managed our way through power outages, air-quality concerns, and more. Please accept our thanks for your continued cooperation, patience, and understanding.
Chancellor message regarding COVID-19
Today we are calling on all members of our community to take steps now to prepare for the possibility that in the near future we will need to shift to working, teaching, and learning remotely and virtually as much as possible.

March 4, 2020

Guidance on alternative instruction and exams
Follow up to March 2 message to all instructors regarding planning ahead for instructional resilience. In light of the news yesterday that there is now a case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the city of Berkeley, we are providing the following guidance to instructors on holding courses and exams. We are providing this guidance as a precautionary measure, so that students who feel unwell do not feel compelled to attend lectures or take examinations while they are ill.