We are now less than two short months away from the start of the fall semester. To say that this summer is both eventful and uncertain is an understatement. Our society is experiencing long overdue seismic shifts in public sentiment about inequalities and racial injustice. Protests have encouraged us to work collectively to promote much-needed systemic change, and have sparked us to reflect on our own roles and responsibilities. We are inspired by your actions during this time. It’s an honor to stand with you even as we are apart and we have proudly shared your thought leadership OpEds and activities with our broader community.

Over these next few months we will face more uncertainty as a society about the COVID-19 pandemic. The ground continues to shift beneath us, and we are uncertain about what the public health situation will be in September, let alone next week. In the face of this great change and uncertainty, we stand firm in the importance of our school’s mission—to meet the moment, the world needs more peacebuilders, advocates for justice, and bold innovators.

Communication is critical at this time, so I am writing now with updates about our reopening plans, and to provide you with certainty, where we can, about what you can expect from the Kroc School, regardless of the fall context.

High Impact Teaching and Services

Pending State and San Diego County determinations that it is safe to do so, our current plan at the Kroc School is to offer you hybrid courses (i.e. a combination of in-person and remote). Our commitment to you regardless of the obstacle, is to deliver teaching that is live (synchronous), highly interactive, and dynamic.

We are proud of our distinctive culture of connection and the relationships that our faculty and staff have with each of you. To cultivate this culture of connection in the fall, our faculty were the first cohort at USD to complete training on course design to enhance their high impact teaching in the hybrid context. Our Academic Programs team are augmenting student services, and emphasizing the proactive engagement of our students.

Fall 2020 Health and Safety on Campus

The health, safety, and well-being of each and every member of the USD community remains the foundation of all our planning. At this time, USD has some protocols in place that we want to share with you.

• Physical Distancing: In all of our buildings, we will require everyone to maintain six feet from other people at all times.
• Screening, Testing, and Tracing: USD is preparing a protocol for daily symptom screening, including temperature checks and a series of questions addressing symptoms and exposure to COVID-19. Details on this protocol will be shared in a subsequent USD communication.
• Face Covering: A face covering will be required for everyone while on campus, in accordance with state and county guidelines.
• Cleaning: USD will have enhanced cleaning schedules in all of our buildings, with deep cleaning of classrooms each night. Hand-sanitizing stations will be placed at all high-traffic locations.
• Classroom Management: Our event spaces, such as the Theater in our Kroc School building, have been converted into classroom spaces. In addition to being configured for physical distancing, our classrooms are being equipped with two cameras each to allow in-person and live remote participation.
• Additional Protocols: The complete, formal protocols and policies for all of the above will be communicated in the coming weeks, in addition to addressing topics such as ventilation and HVAC changes, and the USD Health Pledge and campaign to encourage our community to practice self-care and prioritize the well-being of others by adhering to the necessary protocols to keep our community safe.
• The Torero Blueprint: You can monitor the Torero Blueprint site for important updates on USD’s campus protocols for the fall.
  If you have any questions in the meanwhile, reach out to the Academic Programs team, and they will respond as quickly possible.

We convey our deep gratitude for your adaptability in these trying circumstances. We will continue to stay in close touch with further details on the return-to-campus plans throughout the summer. As ever, we look forward to welcoming you back to the Kroc School.

Saludos

Patricia C. Márquez
Dean, Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies
University of San Diego