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The University moved to a Limited Campus Opening in March 2020 in response to public health concerns and directives. The University established a number of emergency policies and procedures in response. Those policies, described below, are in effect until the University resumes normal campus operation, or as otherwise noted.
Health and Safety Protocols
Under the terms of our Limited Campus Opening, students are required to acknowledge and adhere to SCU’s COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols prior to voluntarily returning to campus. The University has developed these protocols for the safety of our community. The health and safety protocols for the campus address environmental, cleaning, behavioral, classroom, surveillance, testing, and containment considerations and are consistent with county, state, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirements and best practices.
Training and Agreement: Students are required to complete the University’s COVID-19 campus protocol training and to sign the acknowledgement form for the COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols prior to coming or returning to campus.
Self-screening and Reporting: Students physically visiting campus or a clinical site must complete a remote, app-based, temperature and symptom screen and exposure questionnaire each day prior to arrival. Students should be forthcoming about any symptoms, possible exposures, and positive tests. If the screening advises the student that they may be at risk for COVID‐19, the student must notify SCU Health at 562‐943‐7125 by phone or email health@scuhs.edu and stay home. Students staying home from clinical locations should also follow notification directives from their program.
Adhering to Sanitation and Social Distancing Requirements While on Campus: While on campus, students must comply with SCU’s Site‐Specific Protection Plan, including, but not limited to all of the following:
- Keep at least six feet distance from your lab group unless practicing hands-on skills in scheduled class sessions.
- Keep at least six feet distance from those not in your lab group, both on and off campus.
- Use every other social distancing square when spending time in the Glen.
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after having been in a public space or after blowing nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol) frequently to supplement regular hand washing.
- Avoid close contact with people who are or may appear to be sick.
- Practice six feet away social distancing, as much as possible.
- Cover your mouth with elbow or a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
- Wear a cloth face covering, mask, or PPE at all times while on-campus and in class.
- Do not share face coverings and masks with others.
- Wash face coverings daily.
Adhering to Sanitation and Social Distancing Requirements of Clinical and Preceptorships Sites: In addition to the requirements set forth while on campus, students must adhere to all applicable health and safety requirements set by our clinical and preceptorship partners.
Adhering to Public Health Guidelines While Off Campus: Students are required to follow all public health orders on and off campus. This includes refraining from all off-campus gatherings except with people in your immediate household. Lab group members are NOT your immediate household unless you live together.
Non-Compliance: Students who do not comply with the health and safety protocol policy may be subject to discipline up to and including dismissal from their academic program.
COVID-19 Vaccination Policy (Effective Spring 2020)
The University highly encourages, but does not require, students to receive the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Clinical students may be placed at clinical sites requiring SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. If a clinical site requires SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and a student opts not to receive it, the student may be unable to complete their degree or may delay the completion of their degree. Regardless of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, all students are required to follow SCU’s Site-Specific Protection Plan.
Student Progression Policy (Effective Spring 2020-Summer 2021)
We recognize that some students, due to personal circumstance or preference, may be unwilling or unable to return to campus for ground-based labs and clinical courses for all or part of a term due to COVID-19. The University has developed the COVID-19 Student Progression Policy in response.
The COVID-19 Student Progression Policy is intended to give students flexibility in how and when they progress in their program of study; to ensure students do not incur additional tuition- and fee-related costs due to COVID-19; and to ensure that graduates qualify for certification and licensure, when applicable.
The University will adjust or waive lab and clinical requirements to minimize the need for ground-based instruction. The University cannot waive lab and clinical coursework required by third-party agencies, including accreditors, licensing, certification, and other authorization bodies.
Tuition and Fees: Students will not be charged additional tuition and fees to complete their degree requirements if the student is unable or unwilling to take a ground-based lab or clinical course or a portion of a ground-based lab or clinical course as scheduled due to concerns related to COVID-19.
Registration: To ensure that no additional tuition or fees will be charged as a result of COVID-19 delays and adjustments, students must register for clinical and/or lab course(s) on-cohort or under the terms of their special schedule. This allows the student the opportunity to work directly with his/her faculty to complete the ground-based lab or clinical course if/as circumstances change within that term (i.e., state guidelines change, infections rates change, student willingness to return changes).
Course Incompletes: Faculty may assign a grade of Incomplete COVID-19 (IC) to a student who is unwilling or unable to complete a ground-based lab or clinical course or a portion of a ground-based lab or clinical as scheduled due to concerns related to COVID-19. An IC grade is recorded on the student’s transcripts, indicates that the student’s coursework is deferred, and must be completed within two terms to receive credit unless COVID-19 conditions warrant an automatic extension. If the IC grade has not been changed within two terms, the IC grade will revert to a Withdrawal.
COVID-19 Course Withdrawal (WC) grade: Faculty do not assign a grade of WC; an IC automatically converts to a WC if the course has not been completed within two terms. A WC grade is intended to allow a student additional time to complete deferred ground-based lab or clinical course work, subject to Dean, Program Director and Assistant Provost approval. Students with a WC grade will be required to re-register for a special section of the course, designated through a special COVID-19 section indicator. There is no additional charge for students re-taking course(s) in which a WC was granted, assuming the student retakes the course only once. Students who opt for an IC or WC may delay their anticipated graduation date.
Agreement: The student must initiate a COVID-19 Progress Agreement for each course in which they are requesting an IC. This form should be initiated as soon as possible in the term. A copy of the agreement must be sent by the faculty member to the Office of the Registrar in lieu of a final grade for the course.
Degree Completion: Some students may experience a delay in their anticipated graduation date as a result of IC or WC grades. The Financial Aid Department will work individually with students that have taken IC or WC grades to explore opportunities for additional funding for cost of living-related expenses. There will be no additional tuition or fees due to delays caused by COVID-19 within the framework described in this policy.
Financial Aid: This policy does not apply to students that must withdraw or take a leave of absence due to contracting COVID-19. The University will work directly with these students to develop a degree completion plan.
Pass/No Pass Declaration Policy (Fall and Summer 2020 Only)
Effective May 28, 2020 the University added a Pass/No Pass option to some courses to allow students greater flexibility in meeting their degree requirements, as determined by the program of study. Students requesting a pass/no pass grade option must affirmatively declare this option for each course where available by notifying their instructor. Once the pass/no pass grade option has been elected it is binding and cannot be changed.
Introductory Clinical Experience Opt-In Policy (Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and Eastern Medicine Department Only)
In any term in which the student’s program of study has suspended on-ground labs due to COVID-19, or in any term in which an enrolled student is not scheduled to participate in on-ground labs due to COVID-19 in the community, Term 1 and Term 2 students may opt-in to participate in clinical experiences (when these are offered).
The Introductory Clinical Experience Opt-In Policy is intended to give students flexibility in how and when they are able to continue in-person experiences in their program of study for academic credit towards graduation.
The chart below summarizes the impact of this policy for new T1 and T2 (Term 1 and 2) students in these programs:
Students who are in their third trimesters and beyond in the DC, DACM, and MACM programs have other clinical and or on-ground courses in which they can participate, and thus do not require an opt-in policy. First and second trimester (T1 and T2) students can benefit from this opt-in policy as described above.
Tuition and Fees: Students will not be charged additional tuition and fees by the University to participate in these opportunities if otherwise normally enrolled. Students will be responsible for applicable fees levied by the State of California requiring that students be approved for external clinical opportunities.
Curriculum Resequencing, Modified Instructional Delivery Plans, and Modified Academic Calendars
The University made several changes in order to provide students with the option to return to campus in order to progress towards on-time graduation. At the same time, the University established and adhered to health and safety protocols. This required each program of study to make changes to the curriculum sequence, delivery model, and academic calendar associated with their program.
The University opened on a limited basis only to provide ground-based lab and clinical coursework as required by external accreditation, licensing, certification, or other authorization agencies. The nature of healthcare degrees is such that students must complete in-person coursework or risk delaying the completion of their degree.
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