Jan. 10: Update on campus operations and instruction

Chancellor Julio Frenk today shared the following message with the campus community.

Dear Bruin Community:

We are all continuing to process the tremendous destruction and suffering that has touched millions of lives across Los Angeles County. Many in the Bruin community have lost their homes or have been evacuated at a moment's notice from their neighborhoods. The devastation is heartbreaking, and I want to offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who has been affected by these fires.

The reality of our lives at UCLA has changed - thousands of students have returned home, many faculty and staff are struggling with loss and displacement and we are all trying to care for those around us. We acknowledge such struggles and want to be as supportive as possible.

Out of an abundance of caution, the administration has decided that campus operational status will remain modified throughout the weekend and on Monday, Jan. 13 . The Academic Senate has approved remote instruction for undergraduate and graduate students on Monday as well. Any further modifications to UCLA's mode of instruction for undergraduate and graduate students will be determined by the Academic Senate, which considers the administration's recommendation when making the final decision on instructional modality. We will share their updates immediately via BruinALERT with our community.

Employees should continue to work remotely on Monday, if you are able to do so, with supervisor approval. I ask that supervisors continue to be flexible and understanding in their arrangements.

Our UCLA Health hospitals continue to remain open and operational so we can treat patients during this critical period. Our PreK-12 programs - Geffen Academy, UCLA Lab School and our Early Care and Education Programs - will be closed on Monday. UCLA Extension will continue remote instruction. Student housing and dining halls remain open for service, and our hotels will remain open to our community and are available to those who have been displaced.

Yesterday afternoon, I visited one of our UCLA Health hospitals and saw firsthand the tremendous compassion of our health professionals and support teams. They are meeting the moment with kindness and heartfelt care, while balancing their own safety concerns and caring for their own families. This is true for so many in our Bruin community - whether the housing and dining staff supporting our students, the facilities teams clearing brush and debris from the campus, the faculty maintaining instructional continuity and many others. I want to personally thank everyone for coming together and finding even deeper measures of kindness and care. In times of crisis, we often see people at their best - and I am seeing that each day in our Bruin community.

Let's continue to stay safe, look out for one another and mobilize our reservoirs of kindness. It will take time to rebuild what has been lost, and to adjust to the changes we will see in our daily lives. As Bruins, let us all stand together.

Sincerely,

Julio Frenk
Chancellor