Message to Coms Majors Regarding COVID-19 Pandemic

The Chair of the Communication Studies Department, Grace Yeh, recently sent out the following important email to all Coms majors informing them about news surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic:

Dear COMS students, 

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we--the faculty in COMS--realize that you must have many questions and worries on top of trying to figure out how to finish the quarter, what to do for the break, and how to prepare for the next quarter. There’s so much still unfolding, but I want you to know, first and foremost, that the faculty and staff in COMS are here to support you in whatever way we can. 

What we do know is that the start of Spring quarter will be delayed until Monday, April 6, which will mean a 9-week quarter, instead of 10. This will give faculty time to make adjustments and contingency plans for courses. If we do shift to virtual delivery for classes for some period of time, that can involve multiple modalities and will probably include a mix of synchronous (everyone meets at the same time--like a virtual class discussion via Zoom) and asynchronous (individuals can participate at different times, whenever it is convenient for them) course participation. We aim to maintain the high-quality education you deserve, and we’ll get creative given any constraints in place. 

As we care for our own health and that of others, remember also to care for the social and emotional health of our communities. As communication studies students, you might recognize that this moment is ripe for misinformation and xenophobic discourses borne out of uncertainty and fear (see National Communication Association’s Statement on COVID-19 pandemic). 

For the latest information, University updates on COVID-19 can be found here. Information from the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department can be found here. And we will do our best to keep you informed of any department specific details. 

Please feel free to reach out to me with any concerns. Stay safe and take care of each other! 

Grace I. Yeh, Ph.D. 
pronouns she/her/hers
Professor, Ethnic Studies
Interim Chair, Communication Studies
College of Liberal Arts
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA