Monitoring Los Angeles Area Fires and Preparing for Next Week – Update #8

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The University’s Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) continues to monitor the fires in the greater Los Angeles area. The Palisades Fire is not a threat to Pepperdine’s Malibu campus, its footprint has not changed since Tuesday, there are no active flames along the perimeter, and the Red Flag Warning expired today at 6 PM.

As the University prepares to welcome students on campus for in-person classes on Tuesday, January 21, the EOC continues to monitor conditions on the Malibu campus and within the City of Malibu, the needs of community members, recovery efforts in the local community, and area roadways.

The decision to resume in-person classes on Tuesday is primarily based on a few key factors, which are:

  • Working utilities (power, natural gas, water, and internet). All utilities on campus are functioning.
  • Air quality. Air quality is not unhealthy even for those who are particularly sensitive,  and continues to improve. 
  • Access to campus. PCH south of campus remains closed and is not expected to reopen in the near future. Malibu Canyon is presently closed but is expected to reopen in the coming days before classes resume on Tuesday. 

All of these positive conditions support a resumption of in-person classes on Tuesday, January 21.  Thus, both residential and non-residential students enrolled in such classes on the Malibu campus should plan to return to the Malibu area no later than this weekend. In the rather unlikely event Malibu Canyon Road does not open by Monday–due to the unique circumstances created by the Palisades fire–the University will extend the online delivery of all undergraduate classes and the vast majority of graduate school classes scheduled to be in person one day at a time until Malibu Canyon Road is open. The deans from each graduate school will continue to provide more specific guidance. We are excited to welcome residential students back to the Malibu campus (joining the hundreds who are already here) no later than this weekend and will notify the community about the status of Malibu Canyon Road no later than 5 PM on Monday. 

Transportation to Campus from LAX
Transportation to campus from LAX is available via ride share (Uber/Lyft) and via PrimeTime Shuttle. Students with financial challenges may contact the Student Care Team for support. Additionally, the University will provide free shuttles for transportation from LAX to the Malibu campus on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at predetermined times. Students interested in the possibility of University shuttle service should complete the interest form by Thursday at 5 PM.  Please note that map applications do not always provide accurate information, often calculating routes far beyond the impacted area.

President’s Briefing
The University will host a special President’s Briefing tomorrow, Thursday, January 16 at 2 PM to further explore these topics and address questions from the community. A link to the briefing will be distributed on Thursday morning to the Pepperdine community. 

Curfew
In order to secure areas evacuated due to the Palisades Fire, officials have instituted a curfew from 6 PM to 6 AM in the mandatory evacuation areas. All students, faculty, and staff are reminded to remain out of and off roads within these evacuated areas. The Malibu campus is not under a curfew and individuals are free to move about areas not affected by the curfew.

Staff and Faculty Work Expectations
For the remainder of this week, critical support personnel should continue to report to campus to support basic operations, and all other employees should work with their supervisors to either report to campus or work remotely based on departmental needs. Employees are generally expected to return to normally scheduled work shifts and normal campus operations beginning Tuesday, January 21. Employees impacted by the fires – including those who live in the evacuation zones, or have children whose schools are impacted –  should work with their supervisors to adjust work schedules to attend to family or home needs.

Student Support
The University is supporting students who have been impacted by the fires. Students who have lost their off-campus housing and would like to arrange for on-campus housing for the spring semester may contact Housing. Those who have short-term housing or other needs due to fire-related impacts may contact the Student Care Team for assistance, which will coordinate support from the University. We are grateful for the generous donors who help us meet needs like these through the Pepperdine Strong Fund.

The Student Health Center and Counseling Center remain open to care for students.  Additionally, medical and mental health support are available through the TimelyCare app. Pastoral care is available from the team at the Hub for Spiritual Life. Contact Tim Spivey, vice president for spiritual life, to make an appointment.   

Faculty and Staff Support
The University is also supporting faculty and staff who have been impacted by the fire. Faculty and staff should contact Human Resources, which will coordinate support from the University through resources such as the Pepperdine Strong Fund and other available resources.

Human Resources is also available to help employees, and faculty and staff may access counseling services through their Employee Assistance Program – details are available on the Human Resources website or by contacting Human Resources at 310.506.4397.

Pastoral care is available to faculty and staff. Please contact Dee Dee Mayer, interim university chaplain, to make an appointment.

This entry was posted in Calabasas, Malibu.