Chico State closes dorms, ends in-person classes after cases spike

California State University, Chico has canceled all in-person classes and closed on-campus housing for the fall semester after President Gayle Hutchinson reported 30 confirmed cases of the coronavirus connected to the campus.

In a statement Sunday evening, Hutchinson announced that in-person classes would be completely virtual right away and that on-campus residents would need to vacate by Sept. 6.

The university had been holding in-person for courses “deemed essential for degree progress, such as clinical and field labs, performance and studio-arts classes, and capstone courses in engineering and agriculture.” The dorms had remained populated at one-third of typical capacity, with new residents arriving beginning two weeks ago.

Cases on the campus increased last week and Hutchinson sent an email warning that if the trend did not change, all in-person, on-campus aspects of the university would have to be suspended. The trend did not change, reaching 30 confirmed cases on Sunday.

The Butte County Health Office warned that many more positive cases are likely, due to the high number of potential exposures.

Residents who are unable to secure off-campus housing can submit a “hardship application” to remain in campus housing.

Hutchinson encouraged the community to take the positive cases as a reminder to follow social distancing and facial covering practices to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

“I, like you, wish the story of this semester had been much different. We had high hopes it would be,” she said.

The university president remarked that the school had missed its one shot to continue any in-person activities this semester.

This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 11:43 AM.