Provost's Message - August 18, 2021

Message From Provost Scissum Gunn

News and Updates:

• Join President Conoley and Provost Scissum Gunn for insights on our 2021 - 2022 academic year. In-person registration is now closed, but attendees are welcome to tune in via live stream. Learn more about Convocation 2021 here. 

• In this Repopulation Forum, we discuss the upcoming Fall 2021 Semester including the vaccine certification, new health and safety measures, and guidelines for faculty and staff. Watch the recorded webinar here.

• Important Update - Online vaccination certification form information below. This is based on the CSU’s policy requiring immunization against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, for anyone accessing campus facilities this fall. 

• Faculty and staff are encouraged to complete the online form available through the “Vaccination Certification” menu option on the university’s single sign-on website as discussions with bargaining units continue. Students and campus managers are required to complete the certification form. Details about the vaccination certification and related topics are available on the COVID-19 information website.

  • ​Vaccinations are also available on campus. Student Health Services is open for walk-ins on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 am - 2 pm for the Pfizer vaccine. No appointment is needed. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services is offering all 3 vaccines from 12-4, no appointment is needed. To find a vaccination site near you, search here.

  • If faculty have an exemption, alternative safety measures, most likely weekly testing, will be expected. Testing will be available on campus: 

    • Tuesdays: The Chart Room, 9-3

    • Wednesdays: The Pointe, 9-2

    • Thursdays: The Chart Room, 9-3

    • Appointments are recommended but walk-ins are welcome. 

  • Learn more about the vaccination requirement here.

• Faculty offices are now open, no advanced permission is required. Face coverings are required indoors, particularly in shared spaces. No social distancing is required indoors or outdoors at this time. You can email COVID-PPE@csulb.edu to request COVID disinfection supplies. 

• All employees, students and visitors who are coming onto campus must complete a daily pre-entry health screening questionnaire prior to their arrival. All individuals on campus are required to wear a face-covering indoors regardless of vaccination status. Face coverings are recommended outdoors for the nonvaccinated. Further info is available on the COVID-19 website. Email COVID-PPE@csulb.edu for COVID disinfection supplies. 

• Join us in celebrating the start of the semester with Beach Spirit Days. DSA is inviting all employees to kick off the new academic year with Beach pride and spirit on August 16-27. All are encouraged to wear black and gold and CSULB gear to welcome students back to campus.

• The LifeFit Center will begin a phased reopening on Sept. 7. Hours of operation, programs and services, and additional details can be found on the LifeFit homepage. All LifeFit visitors, members, and staff must wear masks inside the facility at all times (regardless of vaccination status). If you have questions about membership at the LifeFit Center, please contact Ayla Donlin. 

• New Employee Assistance Program (EAP) called LifeMatters to provide no cost, confidential service to you, your immediate family members, and those residing in your household. All staff and faculty may still access our existing campus-staffed EAP – the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP). To access this new benefit, visit www.mylifematters.com, campus password "gobeach" 

• Do you have a parking permit for the fall semester? Program changes for parking and transportation for the Fall semester are detailed on the Parking and Transportation website. Parking permits will be required for parking on campus, and monthly, fall semester, academic year and annual permits are available via the Parking Portal. Other modes of transportation to campus, including Long Beach Transit, the Bike Share program, Zipcars, and campus shuttles are also detailed on the website. 48 new Clean Air Vehicle priority parking spaces will be available in specified parking lots. For questions, please contact Parking Services.

   

Academic Affairs Accolades and In the News

• CSULB’s new provost finds her crown jewel at The Beach — Press Telegram

• Japanese Garden Featured in NBC's Olympic Coverage — NBC California Live

• CSULB's Film & Electronic Arts Department and other leading film schools form the Green Film School Alliance to create sustainable production practices

• Mona Zanhour - Childcare Difficult To Find For Parents Returning To Work — Spectrum News 1 

• Kagba Suaray - Hesabu Circle: The Future of Space Math and Jobs — Precinct Reporter Group

• Seiji Steimetz - What comes after the worst year ever? — Long Beach Business Journal

• Seiji Steimetz - A quiet crisis: Tenants fall through the safety net into an eviction cluster in Long Beach — CALmatters

• Seiji Steinmetz - Congestion at U.S. ports means there’s now a shortage of shipping containers — MarketPlace 

• Chris Lowe - The great white shark next door — The Washington Post

• Matt Lesenyie - On the Governor Recall — ABC 7

• Robert Kleinhenz - CSULB Economics Professor Shares Thoughts on Covid and Its Effect on California Job Market — 790 KABC

   

Grants and Gifts