University of California president Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that “every campus will be open and offering instruction” this fall despite the coronavirus outbreak that has shuttered most campus activity across the state.

“The question will be how much of that instruction is in-person versus how much is done remotely,” Napolitano added during remarks to the UC Board of Regents.

The pandemic caused a $1.2 billion loss system-wide from the time the campuses shut down in the middle of March through the end of April.

Whereas the California State University announced last week that it’s moving to online-only instruction for the fall, the UC is planning for in-person classes.

Napolitano said she “anticipates that most, if not all of our campuses, will operate in some kind of hybrid mode.”

The so-called hybrid mode of higher education involves a mix of online and in-person instruction.

Many universities inside and outside California are considering the approach, which eliminates large, in-person lectures that could be super-spreader events that endanger students and the faculty.

Those lectures are moved to an online format, while small classes and labs are held in person.

Napolitano indicated that each UC campus would be required to “meet system-wide thresholds” for Covid-19 testing, contact tracing and isolation before being allowed to open.

Once the standards are met, campuses “can consider whether to maintain fully remote instruction in the fall or return some portion of their students to campus.”

A decision is expected in the middle of June.

“These decisions,” Napolitano added, “all must be made in the context of local, state and federal public health restrictions.”

The opening of campuses for students to return — even at less than full capacity — is considered essential for the Cal and UCLA football teams to compete in the fall.

In addition to Napolitano’s remarks, Cal chancellor Carol Christ provided an update for the regents on the financial state of the Berkeley campus:

Cal absorbed a $49 million hit this spring from coronavirus and projects the impact on the 2020-21 budget to be in the $150 million to $250 million range.

Two revenue streams, athletics and residence halls — what Christ called the “auxiliary” enterprises — are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus impact.

“Losses in auxiliaries,” Christ said, “may escalate sharply depending on how densely we are able to populate the residence halls and whether we have a fall sports season.”

The Cal football program generates the vast majority of the athletic department’s total annual revenue ($90 million, approximately) and provides the financial foundation for the Bears’ renown Olympic sports.

Christ said the university is “trying to hold to the principle that we shouldn’t make cuts to the academic enterprise to make up for losses in auxiliaries.”

The UC system anticipates a 10 percent reduction in state funding for 2020-21 based on the latest budget estimates.

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