Coronavirus/COVID-19 Information

Welcome to Spring 2022!

A message about the spring 2022 semester from AS President Duncan Young
Fellow Wildcats,

As I walked through campus this week, I can't tell you how uplifting it has been to see the upbeat, joyous vibes that embody the beginning of the semester. The weather has been fantastic, campus is open, and there is more optimism in the air than I can remember in a long time.

I am not taking these good vibes for granted. Just like all of you, I spent the winter break reading about how many colleges across the country were shifting to online instruction for the first few weeks of their terms to get through the omicron wave. When President Hutchinson called me a few weeks ago and said she planned to move forward with in-person classes, I was both relieved and nervous. It is a tremendous opportunity for Chico State students to be in person when many students around the state are not, but it is also our responsibility to help ensure in-person classes continue as scheduled.

I know we have all been through a lot dealing with the pandemic during the last (almost) 2 years. And, I know you are tired of making sacrifices and being praised for your resilience. But at the same time, it's now on us to show the Chico State community, the entire CSU system, the city of Chico, and, most importantly, each other that we can do this and conduct another successful semester. Here are some things to remember:

Get Boosted
Yes, it's a CSU requirement that everyone get a booster shot by February 28. It's also the most important thing you can do during the omicron surge to ensure you have the strongest possible protection against the virus. I urge all students to get a booster as soon as you are eligible. If you still need yours, come by the on-campus booster clinic in the BMU Auditorium on February 1 or 2 from 10 a.m.—5 p.m.

Mask Up and Wear it Correctly
We must recognize the role we have as students in Chico and the greater Northern California community. To protect our community on campus and beyond it is imperative that we are consistent in wearing our masks on and off campus whenever possible. Additionally, please wear it correctly and keep it up over your nose and mouth.

Also, the CDC just updated its masking guidelines. I urge everyone to shelve that cloth mask and upgrade to a surgical, KN95, or N95 mask.

Surgical masks are available throughout campus and KN95 masks are coming. However, did you know the University went through nearly 80,000 surgical masks last semester? And they are becoming one of the most common types of litter on campus. We can do better than that. Please, reuse your mask as long as it is still clean and fits correctly—and properly discard it when it's not.

Get Tested as Needed
With the omicron surge currently hitting the state, some of us will get COVID-19. There's no shame in testing positive. But you need to get tested when you don't feel well or after you have been in close contact with someone who is positive so you don't further spread the virus to your friends and classmates. Getting timely testing results has been an issue, so the University just opened a brand-new testing site (for Chico State students and employees only) in Colusa Hall (Room 111/112) that will return results within 48 hours. Please go get tested if you need to, and call the COVID hotline (530-898-2222) if you are positive.

Again, welcome back. I am delighted that we are together in person and cannot wait to get back to work with all of you in making this a great semester. If you want to get more involved now that we are back on campus, please reach out to me at AS-President@csuchico.edu.

Best,
Duncan Young
Associated Students President