Welcome to Fall 2020
We are delighted for our Otter family to come together for the Fall 2020 semester. We are starting the academic year differently than we hoped, but the faculty and staff of CSUMB have prepared to deliver the high level of service our students expect. Health and safety remain our highest priority, which means we will begin the year with nearly all our classes in a remote instructional mode. From a distance, we continue to support student success and engage as an active community.
Course access
To access a course, log in to iLearn or Canvas using your OtterID (e.g., otte1234) and password or from the CSUMB Dashboard. During the summer, we moved some courses to a new learning platform, Canvas. Course instructors will email students and provide a link to the course location or directions to access the course materials online. If you don’t have an OtterID or have trouble logging in, call 831-582-4357 (HELP).
You may add or drop courses from Aug. 24 to Sept. 8. Review all add/drop process and timelines on the Office of the Registrar webpage.
In a virtual format, all student services remain active and available to students who need them.
Visit the Center for Advising, Career & Student Success webpage to schedule an advising appointment or call 831-582-3937.
Review the resources on the Cooperative Learning Center webpage. Here students can learn tips for online learning and access to supplemental instructional resources.
The Student Disability Resources office is closed for in-person visits, but it is still available to provide student support. Visit the SDR Tips and Tools webpage, email or call 831-582-3672 for assistance.
Find tips for creating a successful semester on the Online Learning Student Roadmap webpage.
Basic needs refer to the food, housing and overall wellness and security of our community. Having one’s basic needs met has a direct impact on our students' academic performance, mental health, physical health, professional development and holistic well-being.
The Basic Needs Emergency Fund helps CSUMB students who are experiencing a need due to a crisis or catastrophic event through small grants. Visit the webpage for more information on the emergency fund and basic needs resources or to donate.
At CSUMB, we believe a student’s connection to campus and the university community is critical to success. We are committed to making our students’ experience in and out of the classroom meaningful and rewarding, and we will continue to foster and promote student engagement opportunities. Throughout the fall semester, many offices across campus — including the Otter Student Union, Student Engagement and Leadership Development, Associated Students and CSUMB Recreation — offer students virtual events to engage and bond with fellow Otters. Students should check the CSUMB dashboard, read Otter Be Involved weekly email and follow their favorite @CSUMB social media channels to learn more about events and activities.
Join other students for Otter Days, a series of virtual events beginning Friday, August 21. These fun events provide an opportunity to learn a lot about the school and make new friends that will help you with a successful start to the school year.
Our primary concern continues to be the health and safety of the students, faculty and staff at CSUMB.
Classes for the fall will be nearly all virtual except for a few internship and fieldwork courses. For these activities, we will maintain rigorous standards of health and safety. Students enrolled in a course offered in person will receive information from the course instructor about required health and safety practices.
The decision for Spring 2021 will depend on how the virus is affecting the community. CSUMB will announce a decision by early November.
Learn more about the university’s response to the pandemic on the COVID-19 webpage.
All on-campus students are required to wear a face covering when not alone inside their respective residences. Students must wear face coverings on campus, including:
- Lounging in common areas in residential housing facilities
- Visiting on-campus service centers (e.g., the Campus Service Center, the dean of students’ office and the Student Housing & Residential Life office)
The campus will continue to operate on a limited basis, and most university buildings are closed. All emergency personnel will remain in place to maintain a safe campus community.
HWS continues to support CSUMB students from a distance through telemental health and telemedicine via Zoom, calls and emails.
- Students enrolled in the Fall 2020 semester who need mental health support may call the Personal Growth & Counseling Center (PGCC) at 831-582-3969 to inquire about a brief counseling screening appointment. After-hours support continues to be available to those in need.
- Call the Campus Health Center (CHC) at 831-582-3965 with any health-related questions. Students can now make a telemedicine appointment through the CHC’s online scheduling system. In an emergency, call 911.
- For academic and personal support accommodations, call Student Disability Resources (SDR) at 831-582-3672 or send an email to connect with an SDR advisor.
YOU@CSUMB
A new, anonymous, online well-being platform helps students engage with a variety of resources. YOU@CSUMB is a space to check in with yourself, set goals and explore personalized resources created specifically for you. You can create a completely confidential account with your OtterID and password and begin exploring the portal. A few highlights of YOU@CSUMB include:
- Tips for adjusting to virtual learning
- Coping with stress and anxiety in a changing world
- Maintaining and growing social connections even while practicing physical distancing
Change is hard. Check in with yourself on YOU@CSUMB, and find resources to continue making the most of your semester.
With the move of nearly all classes to a virtual environment for Fall 2020, students must have access to a suitable computing device to participate in classes fully. Device needs may vary based on your program of study. Please review the list of computer configurations to determine the requirements for your major.
We also anticipate continuing to provide hotspots and computer devices to students who have no other ways to obtain them. Contact the dean of students for more information.
For additional technology resources, the CSUMB Information Technology Department has created a list of resources for students.
Students with specific academic computing needs for remote lab access may review the guide and consult with the course instructor for additional details.
The university’s bookstore partner, Follett, provides free shipping on all course materials and textbooks through the bookstore's website. This includes free standard international shipping for textbooks.
Students may also pick up course materials at the bookstore. New store hours start Aug. 22:
- Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Students unable to collect materials during regular store hours may email the bookstore to arrange a particular pick-up time.