Statement to SJSU Lurie College Students from Dean Heather Lattimer | March 9, 2020

Good Evening Lurie College Students —

Pres. Papazian recently announced that the university is moving courses to distributed or fully online instruction beginning March 16 and that for the next four days (3/10 – 3/13) we will be suspending in-person classes in order to provide time for faculty and staff to prepare for the transition.  Visit the SJSU Health Advisories webpage for more information.

I wanted to follow up with some additional information specific to the SJSU Lurie College of Education —

Field Experiences: Field experiences are critical components of your academic program and, in many cases, a minimum number of hours are required for credentialing and licensure. We anticipate that most field experiences will continue this week and into the foreseeable future (see details below). Exceptions to this expectation include: (a.) If you have a reasonable concern that participating in a field experience will pose an inappropriate risk to your own health or the health of others. (b.). If you have had any known exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. (c.) If your placement has closed down due to health concerns and/or is limiting access to students. If you believe that you fall into any of these three categories, please contact your supervisor, instructor, and/or program coordinator.

    • Off-campus field experiences will continue — If you are in student teaching, a practicum placement, internship, or other clinical experience as part of your degree or credential program, you are expected to continue in your placement this week and for the foreseeable future. Although the CTC has recently announced that there may be some flexibility if schools close, they continue to expect that students will participate in field experiences as long as schools remain open. I have been in contact with the Santa Clara County Office of Education Superintendent, Dr. Mary Ann Dewan; at this point, she expects schools to continue with normal operations.
    • ChAD lab preschool will continue — The toddler and preschool lab schools operated by the Department of Child and Adolescent Development (ChAD) will continue to operate this week and into the foreseeable future. If you are currently teaching in this school as part of your ChAD degree program, you are expected to continue in this assignment. This experience is an essential part of your learning and the children and families of the school depend on your classroom leadership. Please confirm your continued participation with your instructor(s).
    • CDS Clinics are suspended this week — We will suspend CDS Clinic operations this week while we explore remote delivery options for some of the clinic experiences. Since some of our CDS clinics serve vulnerable populations, including elderly individuals and individuals with compromised immune systems, it is appropriate to explore how TeleHealth services might be utilized to continue to provide services and support CDS student learning. We will also be looking at simulation options and may continue to provide some face-to-face services. More information will be provided later this week.

On-Campus Supports: As noted in the President’s message, the SJSU campus and all services will remain open. Specific supports that may be of assistance include the following:

    • The Lurie College Student Success Center — Janene, Krista, and Saul are here to help! If you have questions about how to access online learning, need access to a computer or wifi, need academic support, need a referral for additional services, or just need a place to hang out, please call or stop by. They will also be continuing with scheduled writing tutor hours, workshops, and drop-in advising. Location: Sweeney Hall (SH) 106 Office hours: Monday – Thursday | 8:00am-6:00pm; Friday | 8:00am-12:00pm Phone: 408-924-2700 Email: luriecollege-successcenter@sjsu.edu
    • Accessible Education Center — If you have specific concerns about being able to access online content as we look ahead to transitioning to remote teaching and learning, please connect with support providers in AEC. Although every effort will be made by instructors to ensure accessibility we know that the speed of this transition may lead to some challenges. Please let your instructor know if you anticipate challenges and take advantage of the resources provided by AEC. Administration Building 110. 408-924-6000 aec-info@sjsu.edu
    • Counseling and Psychological Services — A public health concern can lead to feelings of depression, panic, and helplessness. If you are feeling overwhelmed, please know that there are many people in the college and across the university who care and want to help. Please reach out to faculty, staff, and administrators directly or contact CAPS at (408) 924-5910 and counseling.services@sjsu.edu.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to respond to evolving conditions. Please know that we are working to balance two very real priorities — We want to protect the health and well being of our students and community, and we also want to ensure that you are continuing to make progress toward your degrees and credentials.

If you have questions or concerns, please reach out at luriecollege@sjsu.edu or call 408-924-3600.

With Gratitude — Heather

Heather Lattimer, EdD
Dean and Professor
Connie L. Lurie College of Education
San Jose State University

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