Editor’s Note:
President Daniele Struppa sent the following message to the Chapman University campus community on Monday, Jan. 10.
Campus Community-
It is with great disappointment that I must announce the cancelation of the Chapman Celebrates event scheduled for February 11-12, 2022. This performance, led by our College of Performing Arts, which brings scholarship funds to countless students from all areas of Chapman, is a highlight of our year. It saddens me that our students will not be able to perform this year’s show. However, we must put the health and safety of the community first. Additionally, the annual State of the University that is scheduled for February 11 will be moved to an online-only event, as will the Parent Spring Summit that is scheduled for that same weekend.
We are closely monitoring the status of COVID-19 as the Omicron variant quickly spreads across the country. While we are currently maintaining a positivity rate below the county and state, we are seeing a rise in cases within our own campus population. We have no current plans to maintain remote instruction beyond the required one-week return-to-campus testing cycle, however, the COVID-19 Task Force is making policy recommendations and implementing changes based on the current status of our region and what our expert consultants and on-campus specialists are advising.
We announced in late December that we would be canceling in-person events through the month of January to limit the spread of COVID-19 as students, faculty and staff return to the campuses. We have also canceled all non-Chapman events that use our facilities and have moved many additional Chapman events and performances to a remote-only format. As we look ahead into February, we believe additional caution is needed.
We had hoped to celebrate the closing of our 160th Anniversary year with a weekend full of events, but I feel that extra precautions are necessary as we work to manage the spread of COVID-19. Our top priority is maintaining an environment of in-person instruction. Therefore, limiting other risk factors is a pragmatic strategy for the benefit of the academic experience.
While disappointing, I appreciate the understanding and support we receive when difficult decisions like this are made. We will always put the health and safety of our community first as we continue to manage the challenges of the pandemic.
The Special Events Team and members of the Office of Parent Engagement will be reaching out in the coming days with additional information regarding the changes to these events.
