COVID-19 Information & Resources
Updates on Campus Reopening
Last updated on Monday, November 28, 2022
Winter Quarter Update (11.28.22)
Pacifica will conduct all courses on campus for the Winter 2023 quarter. All students, guests and visitors must submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 24 hours (3 days if PCR) upon arrival to campus for each residential session (and every 5th day following while on campus). Tests must be taken prior to arrival, please bring a photo of the test results with some version of date/time stamp visible.
Last updated on Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Fall Quarter Updates & FAQs (7.27.22)
Pacifica will conduct all courses on campus for the fall 2022 quarter. It is expected that ALL students will attend their scheduled class sessions on campus. To be on campus, all students must submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 24 hours of arrival to campus for each residential session (and every 5th day following while on campus). Please note this is a modification from the fall requirements announced in June. See below FAQs for more details.
Students who are unable to come to campus due to serious pre-existing COVID-related health conditions; returning students who reside in countries with international travel restrictions making travel to Pacifica impossible due to COVID-19; or are a parent or legal guardian to an infant under 6 months of age or an expecting parent due by January 2023, may petition to participate in courses via an alternative attendance method. There is no guarantee any alternative attendance would be authorized by our accreditors or Pacifica beyond this fall. Students in licensure-track programs (MA/PsyD Counseling Psychology and MA/PhD Clinical Psychology) that petition to continue attending classes via distance learning beyond the Summer 2022 term have additional specific considerations and requirements, if approved (see below).
Please read our FALL FAQs for more complete information.
Posted on Friday, June 22, 2022
Fall Quarter Announcement (6.22.22)
As announced to the community on June 22, Pacifica is moving closer to a full reopening in fall 2022 quarter. It is expected that all students attend class sessions on campus in the fall (petitions may be made for exception based on select eligibility requirements). To be on campus, you must either submit proof of vaccination or a negative test. Students, faculty, and staff should refer to the email from the Office of the President sent on June 22nd for additional details.
Our decisions and policies noted above, as well as in other areas such as masking, will remain adaptable to pandemic conditions and subject to federal, state, or local guidelines. More information will be provided on the fall plans and the related protocols as we head into summer.
Posted on Friday, May 13, 2022
Summer Quarter Announcement (5.13.22)
Pacifica is continuing with concurrent course delivery for those programs who have residential sessions in the summer 2022 quarter. The same policies and procedures that were in effect for the spring quarter will also apply to summer quarter, notably those around vaccination status and attendance methods.
Spring 2022 Reopening Announcement (2.25.22)
In a letter to the community on February 25, Pacifica announced it will be reopening its campus for the spring 2022 quarter in the concurrent classroom format. Please see the SPRING REOPENING FAQs for complete details.
Winter 2022 Reopening Delay Announcement (12.21.21)
As announced to the community on December 21, 2021, Pacifica has made the difficult decision to delay our campus reopening as a result of the emerging surge from the Omicron variant. Students, faculty, and staff can refer to the announcement sent from the Office of the President for more details. We will continue to update the community on reopening details as we head into the new year, beginning with some additional FAQs.
Winter Reopening Announcement (10.23.21)
Building on our recent announcements about limited campus access this fall, the decision has been made to reopen both campuses and hold classes for the coming winter 2022 quarter in a mixed-delivery format. After much deliberation and consultation, we shall reopen for on-campus classes in the winter quarter for vaccinated students only. Unvaccinated students will be able to join their classes virtually. In addition, vaccinated students may choose to join remotely if they have continued, serious health concerns. This means that classes during residential sessions will be taught in a “concurrent classroom” with some students physically in the campus classroom and some joining live remotely.
To best prepare, it is important to have an accurate sense of how many will be on campus versus remote for the winter quarter. We ask that all students in coursework submit this DECLARATION OF INTENT form by October 29. Please read the remainder of this email and the updated FAQs (linked below) for further information on plans and securing your commitment to a winter quarter attendance method.
Our decision weighed the various factors of health and safety, educational quality, accreditation, and the diverse needs and structures of Pacifica and its community members. We received recent news from WSCUC regarding the continuation of temporary approval of remote learning, as well as valuable guidance from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department. These, along with the mandates occurring at the federal and state levels, are in line with and support this course of action for the winter.
While recognizing Pacifica reflects current society in containing differing viewpoints on the vaccine and mandates, our stance on vaccination reflects ethics of care and responsibility towards the community as engaged institutional citizens. With hundreds of students coming on and off campus and arriving in our local area each month, as good stewards of place, we have a responsibility to the Pacifica communities, local and general, to conduct our operations as safely as possible, while offering the options for those unable to be physically present to continue their education uninterrupted.
To read further about our decision and other details related to winter reopening, please refer to our updated FAQs. And per the above, we ask that all students in coursework submit the DECLARATION OF INTENT form by Friday, October 29. Note: dissertation students will also be able to come to campus in the winter. Details about that process will be sent in a separate communication.
Previous Communications
- October 18, 2021 – Limited Fall Access FAQs
- September 28, 2021 – Update from Pacifica – Limited Fall Access & Vaccination/Face Covering Policies
- July 26, 2021 – Update from Pacifica – Campus Reopening FAQs
- March 8, 2021 – Update from Pacifica – Spring and Summer 2021 Quarters
- November 25, 2020 – Update from the President – Winter Quarter & Thanksgiving Message
- June 30, 2020 – Pacifica Update – Summer & Fall 2020
- Apr 22, 2020 – Update from the President
- Apr 3, 2020 – Message from IT Security Information
- Mar 30, 2020 – Student Support Resources for Distance Learning
- Mar 27, 2020 – Update from the President
- Mar 20, 2020 – Update
- Mar 13, 2020 – Notice from the President re Transition to Online
- Mar 11, 2020 – Update COVID-19
- Mar 10, 2020 – Brief Update
- Mar 5, 2020 – COVID-19 Coronavirus Information
- Feb 4, 2020 – Coronavirus and Pacifica’s Response
- Zoom-Participant instructions PGI
- Student Online Etiquette
- Library Services and Collections
