After a lightning-fast transition to virtual learning and working from home this past spring followed by a graduation season like no other, questions have swirled about what the fall semester will look like as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

• What will classroom capacity be or enrollment?

• Will personal protection equipment be provided for those returning to campus?

• How will the University handle daily screenings and temperature checks?

• How will the University’s budget be impacted and will there be cuts in personnel or hours?

These are some of the questions that President Joseph I. Castro, Provost Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval and Vice President Deborah Adishian-Astone answered during an hourlong webinar with about 530 faculty and staff on June 26 shortly after a campus message was distributed about the fall 2020 plan.

“It’s imperative for us to strike a balance between two very important goals,” Dr. Castro said at the start of the webinar. “We want to continue to ensure a quality educational experience for our talented students and you all play such a key role in that. Our students are emerging leaders here in the Valley and beyond, and we want to make sure they are educated and resourceful as they get ready to pursue their career. Our society needs that leadership more than ever.”

The other goal, he said, is to “do everything we can to protect the health of our entire campus, the entire community as well as our family members and our students.”

Read more about the plan on the University’s new Fall 2020 website, where there are lists of FAQs for faculty and staff. Important messages about the fall semester will be posted under Latest Updates, and video messages, including the faculty and staff webinar, will also be added to the site. COVID-19 updates will continue to be posted on the Coronavirus Information website.

During the webinar, panel members stressed the importance of being a responsible community member and adhering to all public-health protocols, including wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing when on campus this fall.

The daily campus population will be about 2,200 students, faculty and staff, including 1,340 students enrolled in 128 courses that will be taught on campus. Signs will be posted around campus, in buildings and classrooms, to guide faculty and students on what to do to mitigate the risk of infection. There is reduced occupancy for classes and plans on how to arrange or tape off seats in rooms for proper spacing, Adishian-Astone said.

Faculty who will teach on campus during the fall semester have been notified and will receive guidance on how to relay information to their students, including the use of face masks, Jiménez-Sandoval said.

The state budget came up with a question about how it will affect the University and whether there will be cuts in personnel or hours. The state budget is being finalized and the cabinet is working on different scenarios to prepare, Dr. Castro said. “We do anticipate a reduction in our state-funded budget, but we’re going to do our very best to support all of you and our talented students. We’ll share more in the coming days and weeks about the unfolding budget situation,” he said.

For those wondering about child care, Fresno State Programs for Children will open in the fall with reduced enrollment accommodating 84 children. Priority will be given to existing families and the needs of faculty and staff who are required to teach in-person.

While some faculty and staff will return to campus to prepare for in-person classes, many who are working from home will continue to do so in the fall. Those who are working on a personal laptop should contact their supervisor to arrange for a University-owned device, Adishian-Astone said. The University is working to find other ways to accommodate employees working from home such as providing computer monitors or chairs. More information will be available soon.

“There really is no handbook for how to lead in this era or how to work in this era,” Dr. Castro said. “We’re all doing the best we can. I urge everybody to continue to be flexible and reasonable and compassionate.”

A number of other questions were asked by faculty and staff and answered by campus leaders. Please watch the webinar below for more information.