After the holiday break, UC Santa Barbara will move to fully remote instruction for at least the first two weeks of its winter quarter, at which time it will evaluate whether to return to in-person instruction.
Chancellor Henry Yang announced the decision in his December 21 message to the campus community, citing growing concerns over the Omicron variant.
“The decision to delay in-person teaching is related to the logistics of supporting students and instructors amid the uncertainties of the Omicron variant,” Yang wrote. “The uncertainty around Omicron poses a number of challenges for the start of in-person classes, including students and instructors who either test positive over winter break and cannot travel back to campus on time, or who test positive upon arrival and need to isolate.”