December 6, 2020
Dear Members of Our Campus Community,
Early this weekend, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (SBCPHD) issued a Regional Stay-at-Home Order for Santa Barbara County that will take effect at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, December 6, 2020. It is expected to remain in place for at least three weeks and will be re-evaluated by the State of California the week of December 28, 2020.
While the order may require a few changes to a small number of local protocols, our current campus operations, including our Research Ramp-Up and educational endeavors, will largely be unaffected. The extensive planning efforts and risk mitigation measures undertaken by our University and approved by local public health officials will allow current operations to continue as planned. Those community members who have been working on campus should continue to strictly adhere to all health guidelines and risk mitigation protocols.
Our campus administrative colleagues, Academic Senate, and medical experts are in close contact with County and SBCPHD officials, and we continue to meet daily to respond to the pandemic. We will keep our community updated if any campus-wide changes become necessary as a result of public health or other guidance issued by the State or by the County.
We understand how difficult and discouraging this year has been, and acknowledge the added weight this health order brings as we enter into the holiday season. We are deeply grateful to everyone in our campus family, whether you are working on-site or remotely, for your resilience, sacrifices, and extraordinary devotion to our University. Thank you for following the guidance issued by our State and County public health officials so we can protect ourselves, our loved ones, our friends, and the community we all share.
Sincerely,
Henry T. Yang
Chancellor