ASI Senate rolls out plan to reopen the campus with COVID-19 restrictions

During its virtual meeting Wednesday, Associated Students, Inc. Senate moved forward on reopening a slew of buildings starting next week as the first batch of students steps foot inside classrooms.

As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that schools can begin to reopen under strict guidance, Long Beach readies to throw down the gloves.

“We need to make sure that there’s lots of distancing,” said Piya Bose, dean of students. “So you know, in a space where there’s a huge lecture. That has 200 seats. We’re not filling 200 seats, we’re going to fill like 65 of those seats.”

According to ASI Executive Director Miles Nevin, one of the buildings that is set to reopen next week is the computer lab, with limited use of restrooms in the information center and in areas surrounding the University Student Union for student access to Wi-Fi and outlets.

Nevin also said the Student Recreation and Wellness Center will be reopening its pool lanes for individual student appointments by March 15, which marks about a year since it was last used.

Although the reopening of buildings is a step toward normalcy, ASI members said they will remain optimistically cautious to avoid potentially spreading the coronavirus among students and faculty.

“We’re not going to go from zero to 100% of people on campus. We’re going to slowly increase,” Bose said. “We’re going to use more of the larger classrooms, the spaces that are easier to clean and disinfect and things of that nature.”

Another building that is likely to return to in-person operations in the Isabel Patterson Child Development Center, which is expected to see a limited reopening by April 12.

This reopening comes despite concerns of flooding issues, which are said to be a result of a drainage system overload from rain seeping into a play area, according to Nevin.

During the meeting, each member of the senate shared their ongoing reports regarding the potential implementation of a plus and minus grading system at CSULB, something that has raised concerns among the student body.

According to an ASI survey, the university’s proposed grading policy change “would allow +/- marks to be added to students’ grades,” which could impact both graduate and undergraduate students’ GPA.

Sitting members shared concerns regarding how the university should notify students on recent policy changes, noting that a mass email or newsletter would help.

“Just more visibility towards it, some folks weren’t aware that was going on,” Sen. Billy Rubi said.

According to Vice President Maythe Alderete Gonzalez, a survey is being sent out to students with more details about the grading policy.

Husam Khattab and Kathleen Turnbaugh, newly sworn-in ASI senators, attended their first meeting Wednesday.