Many UH classes to move online for first two weeks of spring semester

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The 10 campuses of the University of Hawaiʻi will temporarily move many spring 2022 in-person courses to an online delivery for the first two weeks of the semester because of the record surge of COVID-19 cases in Hawaiʻi due to the highly contagious Omicron variant. The first day of spring semester classes remains Monday, January 10 with a full return to scheduled course delivery on Monday, January 24.

UH President David Lassner made the announcement in an email to students, faculty and staff of the UH System. UH joins dozens of other colleges and universities from across the country that are temporarily moving courses online to start the spring semester.

• Read campus messages:
  • UH Hilo
  • UH Mānoa
  • UH West Oʻahu
  • Kapiʻolani CC
  • Leeward CC
  • Windward CC
  • More campus messages will be added

The announcement stated that only courses that can be “effectively taught online” will be impacted. Many lab sections, clinical experiences, Career and Technical Education (CTE) shop courses and studios will continue to be taught safely in-person, which includes physical distancing, wearing masks indoors, daily health screenings and other measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Each campus will determine which courses will be moved online based on considerations including COVID-19 conditions in the area, density of student populations in classrooms, number of students who will be traveling back to campus and instructional needs to keep all students on track to graduate. Students and employees are encouraged to monitor announcements from their campus leaders for campus specific information.

“We are not changing course modalities but merely making this adjustment to maximize the safety of our campuses including those who may be returning from another island or farther,” said Lassner in the announcement. “We are disappointed to take this action but believe it is appropriate to protect the health and safety of our students and employees.”

UH campuses will remain open during the two week period, including residence halls at UH Mānoa and UH Hilo, and on-campus services which will remain available during normally scheduled hours.

Lassner also urged everyone to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot as soon as they are eligible, typically six months after the final dose. He said that planning is underway to make booster shots part of the UH vaccination requirement for students and employees.

As of January 3, all UH students and employees are required to be fully vaccinated OR have a university approved medical or religious exemption. Those with an approved exemption are required to regularly submit proof of a negative test to the LumiSight UH daily health check app. Students who are 100% online are the only exception to the vaccine requirements.

To be on a UH campus, you must receive an all-clear from the LumiSight UH app, which means you have verified vaccination information, or have an approved exemption and a verified negative test result when you complete the daily health screening. Everyone is also required to wear face masks when indoors and when outdoors near others.

Campus messages

Most classes to start online at UH Hilo

Aloha UH Hilo students, faculty, and staff,

I hope you have enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating break with family and friends and are excited to return to UH Hilo for the spring semester. As President Lassner shared in his recent message, we have been closely monitoring the pandemic conditions here in Hawaiʻi. At UH Hilo, we are paying particular attention to the increase in COVID-19 cases on Hawaiʻi Island. The UH System health and wellness team has been in contact with federal, state, and county officials, as well as our local hospitals. While it appears that the Omicron variant may produce lower levels of severe illness than other strains, we are still concerned about the capacity of Hawaiʻi’s healthcare systems, given many more active infections and the large numbers of unvaccinated individuals across the state and island.

We will begin the spring semester with two weeks of online instruction. We are making this change in part because of the continued uncertainty about the Omicron variant, but primarily because of our concern for our students as they return to campus. Those students who test positive over the holiday break will need to isolate and would miss the first week of in-person classes. Those who are returning to Hawaiʻi Island for the start of the semester and test positive upon arrival would miss the first several days of in-person classes. Thus, we are making the decision now to do online instruction for the first two weeks of the spring semester in order to minimize possible disruption to student learning, and to give our employees, students and their families as much advance notice as possible. Clinical courses which have multiple COVID protocols in place may continue with face-to-face instruction, but I ask faculty to be accommodating for students who may have to miss class due to a positive test result or isolation requirement (pharmacy, teacher education [in both the School of Education or Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani], and nursing students should expect more specific information from their programs shortly). While students may opt to change their plans for travel back to Hilo, we will be ready to welcome you back for the January 10 start of the term, and the residence halls and dining service will remain open.

While instruction will move online for a period of time, in-person services for students and employees will continue with all the necessary health and safety protocols in place. We have extended the COVID-19 telework policy through the end of January, and I ask supervisors to continue with whatever rotations that they have had in place during the fall term. For this two week period, if appropriate for the position and office, supervisors may allow student employees in the state of Hawaiʻi to telework as well.

In-person instruction for face-to-face and hybrid courses will resume on January 24, by which time we expect a downturn in Omicron COVID cases.

I encourage all who are eligible (6 months after second Pfizer or Moderna, 2 months after Johnson & Johnson) to get their vaccine boosters. We will continue to have testing and boosters available every Friday on campus. The UH System may very well mandate boosters before the end of the term because we want to keep our campuses as safe as possible, and vaccines remain the best way to minimize transmission and serious symptoms. Remember that we are requiring vaccines of everyone without an approved exemption.

If you have traveled over the break, please consider getting tested upon return to Hawaiʻi Island and maintain your distance from others while awaiting results. (In addition to Friday campus testing, which resumes on January 7, the County of Hawaiʻi also has many testing sites.)

As a campus, we have been vigilant about masking, testing, and distancing, and we will have to continue to do so in order to ensure that UH Hilo is a safe place for our ʻohana to learn and work. Please keep up the good work!

Bonnie D. Irwin
Chancellor

Mānoa to be online for first two weeks of spring semester

This message was shared with the students, faculty and staff of UH Mānoa on December 28, 2021.

Aloha UH Mānoa students, faculty and staff,

I am writing to update you on our plans for the spring semester. As stated in President Lassner’s December 28 message, UH’s 10 campuses will be temporarily online for the first two weeks of the spring 2022 semester. We have been closely monitoring the pandemic conditions here in Hawaiʻi, with particular attention to the increase in COVID-19 cases and the uptick in hospitalizations. Our health and wellness professionals have been in constant contact with federal, state, and city and county officials, as well as our hospital systems. While evidence continues to emerge that the Omicron variant may produce lower levels of severe illness than prior variants, we remain concerned about the potential stress on Hawaiʻi’s healthcare systems, given many more active infections and the large numbers of unvaccinated individuals across the state. Our approach continues to place the health of our community as the highest priority.

Our decision to begin the spring semester with two weeks of online instruction is partially due to the continued uncertainty about the Omicron variant, but primarily motivated by our concern for our students and staff as they return to campus. Those who test positive during the holiday break will need to isolate and would miss the first week of in-person classes. Those who are returning to Oʻahu for the start of the semester and test positive upon arrival would also miss the first two weeks of in-person classes. Thus, we are making the decision now to move to online instruction for the first two weeks of the spring semester in order to minimize possible disruption to student learning and to give our employees, students and their families as much advance notice as possible.

While most instruction will shift online for a limited period of time, our campus will remain open. University operations will continue, including support services for students and employees. Students who choose to be on campus physically are welcomed. The residence halls are open, and our critical research and service activities continue, all with the necessary health and safety protocols in place. The COVID-19 telework policy has been extended through the end of January, and we expect that all high-risk employees will take advantage of this extension and remain safe as we navigate the coming month.

In summary:

1. All classes, with some exceptions, will begin in an online modality on January 10. In-person classroom instruction is scheduled to begin on January 24. Some essential in-person instruction (e.g., clinical skills, some laboratory and other hands-on instruction and training) will remain in-person. Those programs will be in contact with their students and will accommodate students who cannot join us in-person during this two-week period.
2. We strongly encourage all employees and students to get a COVID-19 booster shot if you have not already done so. Full vaccination plus a booster is your most effective defense against the Omicron variant, and it will significantly improve our chances of having a successful, healthy return to in-person instruction and campus activities.
3. While students may choose to change their travel plans, this is not required. You are welcome to return to Oʻahu and to our residence halls, if you are an on-campus resident, as long as you are healthy.
4. All other operations of the university are not affected. With the very high rate of vaccination among students and employees, coupled with our mask requirement, we consider the UH Mānoa workplaces to be as safe an environment as any on Oʻahu. Supervisors should ensure that all essential face-to-face services are provided while also considering the need to accommodate requests for COVID-19 telework to the extent necessary to protect the health of our employees.
5. Please get tested 3–5 days after returning from any travel. If possible, employees should work from home while awaiting test results. Students should limit exposure to others while awaiting test results.

We will continue to get through the pandemic united in our care for each other.

Mahalo,
Michael S. Bruno, Provost

UHWO to temporarily move many spring 2022 in-person courses to online delivery

Aloha mai UH West Oʻahu ʻOhana!

The UH System COVID-19 Policies & Practices group has been closely monitoring the pandemic conditions here in Hawaiʻi, with particular attention to the increase in COVID-19 cases and the uptick in hospitalizations. This group is informed by our health and wellness professionals who are in constant contact with federal, state, and city and county officials, as well as our hospital systems. While evidence continues to emerge that the Omicron variant may produce lower levels of severe illness than prior variants, we remain concerned about the potential stress on Hawaiʻi’s healthcare systems, given many more active infections and the large numbers of unvaccinated individuals across the state. Our approach continues to place the health of our community as the highest priority.

That said, UH Officers met and on Tuesday, Dec. 28, President Lassner sent a message to all UH community members that stated:

After much discussion, we are announcing that in-person classes that can be effectively taught online will be temporarily shifted to electronic delivery for the first two weeks of the semester. We are not changing course modalities but merely making this adjustment to maximize the safety of our campuses during the expected peak… All UH campuses will remain open…

You can read that message at:
https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2021/12/28/online-first-two-weeks-of-spring-2022-instruction/

We are making this change in part because of the continued uncertainty about the Omicron variant, but primarily because of our concern for our students as they return to campus. Those students who test positive over the holiday break will need to isolate and could miss the first week of in-person classes. Those who are returning to Oʻahu for the start of the semester and test positive upon arrival would miss the first two weeks of in-person classes. Thus, we are making the decision now to do online instruction for the first two weeks of the spring semester in order to minimize possible disruption to student learning, and to give our employees, students, and their families as much advance notice as possible.

There are courses that require in-person attendance. Fortunately we have learned how to safely offer our on-campus, in-person classes employing LumiSight verification, masking, and physical distancing. We will still be able to hold in-person courses, e.g., lab sections, clinical or hands-on learning experiences, studios, and so on, all with the necessary health and safety protocols in place. Determination of which course sections will be held on campus will be made by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

In summary:

1. All classes will begin in an online modality on Jan. 10. In-person classroom instruction is scheduled to begin on Jan. 24.
2. Students who are registered for course sections that will begin in person will be notified.
3. We strongly encourage all employees and students to get a COVID-19 booster shot if you have not already done so. That is your most effective defense against the Omicron variant, and it will significantly improve our chances of having a successful, healthy return to in-person instruction and campus activities.
4. All other operations of the university are not affected. With our very high rate of vaccination among students and employees, coupled with our mask requirement, we consider UH West Oʻahu workplaces to be as safe an environment as any on Oʻahu. Supervisors should ensure that all essential face-to-face services are provided while also considering the need to accommodate requests for COVID-19 telework to the extent necessary to protect the health of our employees.
5. Please get tested 3–5 days after returning from any travel. If possible, employees should work from home while awaiting test results. Students should limit exposure to others while awaiting test results.
6. If you are on campus and end up testing positive, please inform the UH West Oʻahu COVID-19 Response Team at covidwo@hawaii.edu or (808) 689-2525.

Within the next few days, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jeff Moniz will provide more information to all instructional faculty and staff regarding both online and in-person instruction during the first two weeks of the spring 2022 semester. During the week of Jan. 3, 2022, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jan Javinar will provide information regarding the start of the spring session to students and student support staff.

We look forward to seeing you very soon! Until then, we wish you and your ʻohana a safe and joy-filled New Year celebration!

E mālama pono!
Chancellor Maenette Benham

Some Leeward classes to move online for first two weeks of spring 2022

Aloha Students,

As you have probably read President Lassner’s recent message, some courses originally scheduled for in-person instruction, starting January 10, may transition to online for the first two weeks of the semester, as a result of the COVID surge we are experiencing. You will be notified by next week if your course will experience a modality shift, so please be sure to check your UH email for any updates.

Aloha,
Keala Chock
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Class modality for the first two weeks of school

Aloha mai kākou,

I hope you are all well and enjoying the winter break. To promote the health and safety of our University of Hawaiʻi community, President Lassner has encouraged classes scheduled for hybrid and face-to-face modes to be delivered fully online for the first two weeks of instruction, through January 23, 2022.

Instructors have been encouraged to reach out to you regarding class plans so that you may prepare for the start of the semester. Please frequently check your hawaii.edu email and Laulima notifications to see how your instructors plan to offer the first two weeks of classes.

I hope you were able to rest and rejuvenate over this break and are ready for a great spring semester!!

Best Regards,
Jennifer Brown