UCC San Diego Chancellor Pradesh Cosla extended his hand on Thursday: “Look. I have flies. This should be the case. ”
It was the first day of the harvest quarter and he was standing in the sea of students — perhaps the biggest gathering in the 61-year history of the university.
Final numbers will not be available until the end of October. But the university says it will have 41,000 students this fall, not likely earlier this year.
Half of the UCSD beds were filled in the spring, causing the campus to cost $ 323 million and lost revenue.
The county’s largest university has helped reduce COVID-19 testing and social distance by reducing the spread of the virus. All students, teachers, and staff are required to enter the campus for the fall semester.
Of the 11,857 graduates who entered campus housing in recent days, only 13 were positively tested for COVID-19, according to UCSD. Infected students were excluded.
Cosla, who has been a chancellor for almost a decade, said: “I was worried that he would not return until July. I am very happy that he was arrested. ”
There was a sense of madness in the air. Students waited in long lines to enter the school’s target store, talking in the middle of the sun. Pedestrians and skiers seemed to give to each other, politeness was not always extended at UCSD.
But the threat of the virus has not diminished.
On Thursday, almost everyone in the courtyard wore masks inside and out. Many students lined up with patient hand-washing machines. The school’s large, outdoor tent rooms were in great service. And many students paused to grab the COVID-19 test kits, free of 20 vending machines distributed around the campus.
The students were hoping for the best.
“I am happy to be a part of something after being separated for so long,” says Angel Nevis, a student from Pasadena. I want to look for new opportunities.
Faculty members are also eager to return to normal after spending most of their last year and a half teaching online.
In a summer teacher survey, 44 percent of primary school students said they had a “low” perception online compared to their experience in a traditional classroom, and 10 per cent had a “low” perception of the material. The survey found that 28 percent of respondents felt that online cheating was “high” and 32 percent said it was “high.”
Most parts of UCSD are learning in person this fall. But for health reasons, the school still holds many classes in outdoor tents.
Leli van der Ainde, a professor of structural engineering, took advantage of the opportunity to expand the number of introductory courses from 145 students to 210 last year. He chose to delay his studies for a while.
UCS San Diego students walk to the library on the first day of the fall.
(Casey Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune)
Van Den Inde was teaching at her home in the uncomfortable Carmel Valley.
“You ask questions and there is silence,” she said. “Their (facial images) are gone. It was very difficult as a teacher to see how involved they were, but you can know in person whether they are asleep or paying attention. They are swinging you. There are so many non-verbal relationships that can make a big difference. ”
Van Den Indie’s three high school-age children were at home taking online classes at the time.
“The kids are always screaming at the top of their lungs,” she complained.
She was relieved on Thursday. Her co-worker was Professor Carcher Morris, a professor of engineering.
“I was just walking around the library, where there were so many people,” Morris said. “There is a lot of positive energy.
“We all do not know what will happen in a week or two. We do our best. I think everyone is here with COVID-19 safety measures.