Limited On-Campus Activities Beginning Tomorrow, February 24

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As the University shared last Friday and in yesterday’s President’s Briefing, the California Department of Public Health announced last week an adjusted case rate of 20.0 per 100,000 residents in Los Angeles County. With the falling case rates, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued new guidance yesterday afternoon permitting universities in the county limited allowances for some on-campus activities. Beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, February 24, 2021, students, faculty, and staff may participate in the activities described below. Community members who choose to participate in these activities should review the detailed questions and answers for each activity, which can be found on the COVID-19 FAQ page.

Libraries

Libraries on the Malibu campus will reopen by reservation only for students, faculty, and staff at a maximum of 25 percent capacity. Payson Library will reopen tomorrow morning, and the Harnish Law Library, which will host February bar exam candidates this week, will reopen more broadly to the law school community on March 1. Pursuant to NCAA and state guidelines, the Drescher Graduate Campus Library, at this time, will be reserved for use by student-athletes. All other graduate campus libraries currently remain closed.

Outdoor Recreation

Students, faculty, and staff may use some outdoor sports facilities for non-contact sports and recreation at a maximum of 25 percent capacity. The following facilities will be available for use:

  • The intramural field outside of the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center
  • The intramural field across from the Facilities Services office
  • Stotsenberg Track (when not in use by student-athletes pursuant to NCAA and state guidelines) 
  • Alumni Park
  • The Crest Tennis Courts adjacent to the John Tyler Drive entrance

No reservations will be needed to use any of these facilities. 

Fine Arts

Art design, theater art studios, and music practice rooms will be available by reservation for eligible students to fulfill academic requirements. Usage of these spaces is limited to groups of four or less. Any activity requiring participants to remove their face masks, such as practicing a woodwind instrument, is only permissible alone in a studio or practice room. Seaver College will contact eligible students with further instructions.

Film, Video, and Music Production

Film, video, and music productions will be allowed by reservation for the purpose of developing academic projects or content for eligible students. Use of indoor space for post-production and editing activities is limited to groups of four or less. Productions must follow the county’s higher education protocols for smaller productions and, if more complex, also the county’s film industry protocols. Seaver College will contact eligible students with further instructions.

Outdoor Study Spaces (Coming Soon)

The University is seeking further guidance on the written guidelines for the use of outdoor study spaces and will update the community as more information is available.

Campus Access and Hours of Operation

The Malibu campus will be available weekdays from 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM and 8 AM to 5 PM during the weekend. Please refer to the FAQs for specific hours for open facilities. Students who have never been to the Malibu campus before should let the Public Safety officer at the entrance gate know they are a new student. The Public Safety officer will provide directions to new students to get their ID card and parking permit. 

Daily Wellness Check

The guidance requires all individuals coming to campus to complete a symptom check.  Pepperdine’s Daily Wellness Check has been created to facilitate this requirement, and all students, faculty, and staff will receive a daily email link to access this feature. Community members should complete this symptom check on a mobile device before arriving on campus and then screenshot the resulting completion dot to display at the campus entrance booths for access. 

Individuals who are cleared to come to campus will receive a green dot. For any other color dot, individuals should contact the Student Health Center before attempting to come to campus to discuss their specific situation. Completion of the Daily Wellness Check is required to access campus. 

Additional Requirements for On-Campus Activities

With these activities, all students, faculty, and staff should be aware of the following:

  • All health and safety protocols still apply as set forth in the Pepperdine Restoration Plan, including maintaining a distance of six feet from others and wearing a face mask at all times. 
  • All residential areas are open only to current residential students. No guests are permitted in residential areas at this time.
  • Only facilities serving the activities listed will be accessible for use. All other facilities will remain closed.
  • Students needing an ID card will receive instructions on how to obtain one when they arrive on campus.
  • If coming to campus, community members should have a plan to isolate and/or quarantine should they test positive or be in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. If an individual tests positive, they should immediately report the positive result to the Student Health Center by phone to begin the contact tracing process.

While these limited on-campus activities are a positive and encouraging development, they do not yet indicate a full reopening of any Pepperdine campus, nor do they suggest that classes may begin to operate in-person. Los Angeles County is still in the “widespread” or “purple” tier according to the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy, and the University’s ability to resume in-person classes will be informed by the requirements set forth in that plan. As updated guidelines are considered by the county, including those that may permit additional on-campus activity at a later date, information will be shared by the University as it becomes available. 

The latest information is available on the University’s COVID-19 website and Emergency Information Page. If you have questions, please contact Pepperdine’s COVID-19 Information Line at 310.506.8111 or via email at covid19info@pepperdine.edu.

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