The University of California Berkeley still plans to hold in-person classes at the start of the spring semester next month after the university system president reiterated to campus leaders that all UC students will need to receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Michael Drake, president of the UC system, wrote on Tuesday that "students, faculty" and university "staff are required to keep their vaccination status up to date," which means booster shots are required for anyone who's eligible. While a handful of campuses announced on Tuesday they would delay in-person instruction because of the omicron variant, a UC Berkeley spokesperson told KCBS Radio the university has not yet changed the plans it announced last week.
The spokesperson said in an email that the "UC Berkeley Public Health Committee and University Health Services continue to monitor closely the case trends and the evolving data and science around variants" like omicron, and the university would announce "when and if semester plans change."
Drake on Tuesday directed the 10 UC chancellors to "design and implement a plan for a January return to campus that mitigates public health impacts" while incorporating "the unique circumstances facing your campus" and preserving "our teaching and research opportunities." He noted it could require some campuses to start the next term remotely.
UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego and UC Santa Cruz announced on Tuesday they would hold the first two weeks of the winter quarter online. UCLA, UC San Francisco and UC Santa Barbara have not announced plans for remote instruction when the term begins on Jan. 3.
UC Berkeley and UC Merced are on the semester system, with classes beginning on Jan. 18.
The California State University system told KCBS Radio on Wednesday morning that it will require all students to receive a booster by Feb. 28, or six months after they were fully vaccinated. Officials didn't specify if classes would be held online or in person.
San Jose State University’s Spring 2022 course catalog lists online, hybrid and in-person courses, while Cal State University East Bay has said it scheduled 40% of its classes this fall as hybrid or in-person courses.
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