ESS updates in response to COVID-19
New Updates
April 27 Update
Academic Support/Tutoring has changed their virtual tutoring access and you can now make appointments, as well as drop-in. Please check entry to the left for all the details.
March 30 Update
It’s very important to take care of yourself and each other. Here are some tips from UHS counselors on different areas of self-care and wellbeing.
March 26 Update
College of Engineering Spring 2020 COVID-19 FAQs
March 20 Update
Grading policy update: In light of the substantial disruptions to instruction caused by the novel coronavirus emergency, the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate has made changes to grading options for the spring 2020 semester. The key points are:
- The default grading basis for all undergraduate courses for the spring 2020 semester will be changed to Passed/Not Passed (P/NP).
- Instructors must continue to maintain and submit records of letter grades earned.
- Students will be permitted to change their grading option to letter grade until at least May 6, 2020 (the Wednesday of RRR week).
In addition, the COE Academic Senate faculty has approved the following:
- For undergraduate students: For the Spring 2020 semester, a course completed with a grade of “P” is permitted to count for any college or major graduation requirement as long as a grade of “C-” in that class would also have counted to satisfy that requirement.
- For graduate students: For the Spring 2020 semester, a course completed with a grade of “S” (satisfactory) is permitted to count for any college graduate degree requirement as though it were a graded course with a suitable grade, but will not be factored into GPA calculations.
The campus is expected to provide additional details about implementation of these policies by March 27. Students are welcome to reach out to their ESS advisers with any questions.
Please visit the Graduate Division’s COVID-19 information and resource webpage for the most up-to-date information and resources related to graduate students.
Student emergency needs fund
If you are experiencing unexpected financial hardships due to the COVID-19 situation please visit the Student Emergency Needs Fund page.
Spring 2020 FAQs for undergraduates
College of Engineering Spring 2020 COVID-19 FAQs
Undergraduate advising
ESS advisers will be available for online-only appointments beginning today and until further notice. When you sign up for an appointment during this time, your adviser will send you a bCal invitation to a Google Hangout before your appointment time.
Tutoring: Center for Access to Engineering Excellence (CAEE)
Due to student feedback we will be moving to a hybrid model of drop-in and appointment-based tutoring for the Center to Access to Engineering Excellence.
Sign up for an tutoring appointment:
- Access the CAEE Online Tutoring Schedule. This will allow you to see which tutors are available to support you with a specific class.
- Go to the Google calendar for CAEE Online Tutoring for CAEE tutoring drop-in.
- Find the tutor’s appointment event on the calendar. It will be orange and say “[Tutor Name]: Appointments”
- Click the desired 30-minute time slot with a given tutor, and click save. This will reserve your tutoring slot. You will receive an email/add to your calendar your appointment event.
- At your appointment time, please join your tutor’s google hangout with the link in the description of the appointment event.
Drop-in tutoring:
- Access the CAEE Online Tutoring Schedule. This will allow you to see which tutors are available to support you with a specific class.
- Access the Google calendar for CAEE Online Tutoring. The green-colored events will give you access to the tutor’s name, hours, email, and Google Hangout link, which you will click to access the drop-in satellite tutoring.
As we move forward in the rest of the semester, we ask that you do the following when joining a tutoring session:
- Introduce yourself!
- What course are you seeking support on?
Be mindful:
- If in a group session, please mute yourself when not actively working with the tutor.
- Tutors will give one-on-one priority to students who have scheduled appointments at least one-hour in advance to an appointment slot.
Online tutoring services etiquette
- Please understand that this format is new to us all, and we ask that you are respectful of the tutor and your peers as they transition into this setting
- If you are not directly working with the tutor at a given moment, please be mindful and mute yourself appropriately as to prevent distracting background noise
- Tutors will try their best to address student’s needs throughout a session, however, we ask you to please be patient while waiting for help, and respectfully make use of the chat feature when necessary
- If you notice a particular Google Hangouts tutoring session is very busy, view the CAEE Online Tutoring Schedule spreadsheet to find another tutor who may be tutoring the subject you need.
UHS counseling in ESS
241 Bechtel Engineering Counseling Satellite Office is offering virtual appointments via confidential zoom and phone now! Students can access the services by utilizing one of the following drop-in hours via phone and leave a voice message for the therapist to call back. Please clearly spell out your name and your phone number. When the therapist returns your call, it is likely that it will come from a private number so make sure to answer the call. They will discuss ways to set up a confidential zoom or phone appointment for follow-up or connect you with local resources. Virtual appointments are free for all engineering students. There is no need to have SHIP in order to access services. For graduating seniors, you will still be able to access services until July of 2020.
- Tuesdays 2-4pm: Call 510-643-7850 leave a message for Dr. Christine Zhou
- Wednesdays 10am-12pm: Call 510-664-9124 leave a message for Dr. Genee Jackson
- Thursdays 10am-12pm: Call 510-642-6722 leave a message for Dr. Yi Du
For Students with urgent mental health needs, please call Counseling and Psychological Services at the Tang Center (510-642-9494) 10am-4pm, Monday-Friday. You will be able to speak to an on-call counselor on the same day. For after-hours crisis support, please call 855-817-5667.
University Health Services has mental health resources available online.
Career counseling in ESS
Wednesday afternoon career counseling in ESS is suspended until further notice. The Career Center is operating virtually beginning March 16, 2020. Services will be available electronically between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm (email, video and teleconference). For more details about specific services, visit their website or contact them via email.
Waiver of semester-out rule
For the Spring 2020 semester, the College of Engineering is waiving the semester-out rule for students who withdraw (drop all classes) after the eighth week of the semester. Please contact your ESS adviser if you have any questions or if you are considering withdrawing.
UC Berkeley library updates
The library has a Remote Resources for UC Berkeley Library Users site that highlights their online resources and services. It also includes important information on due dates, renewals, and recalls while they are closed – most importantly, they are asking people to hold onto print materials; they have extended the due date for all items due between March 16 and May 31 to June 1.
Basic needs
The Basic Needs Center is continuing to provide services during these challenging times. Students and staff may be facing increased vulnerability to basic needs insecurity during disruptions in school, work, transportation, and family care. This living document is frequently updated with resource information on access to food, emergency housing services, and wage/work accommodation issues.
What students should know about the coronavirus
In an interview with campus public affairs, John Swartzberg, MD, emeritus professor of public health at UC Berkeley, discusses what students should know about the coronavirus.