Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Community Update

Posted on Updated on

As Pepperdine navigates and responds to the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation and the directives being issued by local and governmental agencies on a daily basis, the University remains committed to sharing updated actions regularly with faculty, staff, and students. Please see below for the most recent updates:

International Programs COVID-19 Case

Today, the University learned of a report of a confirmed positive COVID-19 test result of a London program participant who recently returned home. The University does not have independent verification of these results but is proceeding with its protocols as if the test result is verified. The individual flew home from their international program location and did not visit any of the University’s domestic campuses. Out of an abundance of caution, Pepperdine notified everyone in that program of the potential exposure and asked them to quarantine themselves for 14 days and monitor their symptoms. If you have not been notified, you have not been identified to be at risk of developing symptoms.

Online Classes Commence at Pepperdine

This week, students from all five of Pepperdine’s schools will transition to remote instruction for the remainder of the semester. Pepperdine students and faculty are encouraged to review the FAQs on the University’s COVID-19 website.

Commencements and Events
In line with recommendations from multiple governmental and health agencies, limiting the number of people at gatherings, the University is postponing all commencement ceremonies scheduled for the spring. Nonetheless, graduating students who complete their coursework will receive their degrees as scheduled and should be assured that commencement ceremonies will take place on the Malibu campus at a future date.

Critical Support Personnel Staffing
Effective immediately and through March 31, Pepperdine will transition to a critical support personnel staffing model where departments will work remotely except for essential tasks that must be handled on-site. All employees who can perform their work from home should work remotely, beginning tomorrow, March 17. All designated critical support personnel should contact department supervisors directly for instructions. All employees are reminded to coordinate work schedules and logistics with their supervisors moving forward. 

Operational Changes Through March 31 

Recreational Facilities 

  • All fitness centers are closed.  
  • Fitness classes are canceled.
  • The Malibu campus swimming pool and hot tub are closed.

Dining Facilities 

  • The only Malibu campus dining locations open are the Waves Cafe and the Drescher Cafe, serving in a grab-and-go fashion only, with no seating open.  
  • It is reasonable to anticipate that, as the on-campus population decreases, the Drescher Cafe will close.

Campus Store 

  • Campus bookstores currently remain open with normal hours, but hours may become limited in the near future. 

Staying Informed

As always, you are encouraged to stay informed with the latest information on the outbreak and to continue to practice healthy habits to prevent the spread of illness. The latest information can be found on the University’s COVID-19 website and Emergency Information Page. Additional information and regular updates about the coronavirus can be found on the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health websites.

This entry was posted in International Campuses, US Campuses and tagged .