Cal State La allows online courses, absent when students express fear in ice raids

Leaders at Cal State LA said this week that professors can be increasingly feared in immigration attacks expressed by students on campus east of downtown, so professors can move courses online.

The university provost said in a letter to faculty that leaders reconquered policies after hearing the news that students were “feared to do public transportation and fear of driving to campus,” which also allowed professors to provide defensive absences and alternative makeup arrangements for students concerned. The letter said teachers can “work remotely for a limited time due to the special circumstances they face.”

“Earlier this week, recent events in the Los Angeles area, including the presence of armed immigrant agents at MacArthur Park, have made many in our community care about their safety.” “This week also marks the 6-month anniversary of the wildfires that have damaged the lives of many in our community. As a campus, we recognize the significant harm caused by these incidents and reaffirm our commitment to supporting our students, faculty and staff and prioritizing your safety and well-being.”

There are no reported attacks on the 21,000-student campus, which has a large immigrant population and, like many California universities, includes a “Dreamer Resource Center” that meets the needs of an unknown number of undocumented students. But as a commuter campus, drastically attracted from nearby East Side communities, where protests and federal detention of undocumented residents have begun, concerns about student safety have increased.

“As a campus, we need to take thoughtful attention when seeking to support all members of our Golden Eagle family,” Latimer wrote. “While we don’t want to go back to the online course schedule experienced in 2021 and 2022, in some cases, teachers choose to offer students facing special circumstances the option to join campus courses remotely through the zoom link, or to hand over assignments remotely.”

Currently, on campus, switching to remote coaching can be hard to notice, with fewer courses and students on this campus than usual due to summer meetings. When the fall semester begins on August 18, it is not yet known how extensive online courses will be.

It is unclear whether similar accommodation will be available on the California State University campus in the Los Angeles area or elsewhere in the state. Cal State LA and CSU systems previously offered remote options during the pandemic and wildfires and offered options for students in military deployments.

Federal immigration action has attracted serious concerns from universities and public schools. In a unified area of ​​Los Angeles, some teachers reported growing absences. Rolls leaders said during graduation last month that they will deploy school police to create a “safety zone” around campus to deal with potential encounters with federal agents.

CSU leaders also created a FAQ on campus immigration enforcement. The latest version, published in February, said: “College Police will not engage in, detain, ask or arrest an individual based solely on suspicious undocumented immigration status, or discover any individual’s immigration status, and the University Police will not conduct joint lawsuits with federal immigration enforcement agencies to investigate violations of federal immigration laws for violations of federal immigration actions.”

As a public university, CSU is often unable to keep federal immigration authorities away from public campus areas, the FAQ adds. The guide said: “CSU has no right to prohibit federal immigration law enforcement officers from entering campuses to these public areas, even if their purpose is to enforce federal laws.”

There are about 9,500 immigrants on the California State University campus, with no records, totaling 461,000 students. Of the nearly 296,000 students in the University of California system, an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 students have no records.

The largest undocumented student population in the state is estimated to be at least 70,000 in community colleges, up to 100,000.