February 26, 2021

Dear CalRBS Community,

We hope this note finds you all healthy and well.

In accordance with university policy and LA County restrictions, we’ve made the difficult but necessary decision to transition to 100% virtual learning for our 2021 season. With this decision, our course The Renaissance Book, 1400–1650 and has unfortunately been cancelled. Rare Book Cataloging will be reconceptualized for online teaching, and the length of the course and tuition costs are currently pending. Our other courses offered will proceed as anticipated, however, as faculty have been working hard in the background to plan for this contingency.

Though we regret that we won’t be able to gather in-person, we’re confident that our courses will remain intellectually productive and critically rigorous in our virtual environment. We are acutely aware of the fatigue caused by a week-long online experience, so all courses will be a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning. This approach will preserve the creative and intellectual intensiveness of courses, while also acknowledging the reality of online learning experiences.  

We’re hopeful, too, that remote learning will facilitate the establishment of a diverse student body, providing access to students and professionals worldwide. An online environment also reduces the travel and lodging costs typically associated with in-person experiences—a reality that expands access to many more individuals. Scholarships will still be available to offset costs associated with course tuition.

As we solidify our plans for our virtual environment, we encourage you to reference our Course Descriptions and website for news and updates. If you have questions about our ongoing transition to virtual learning, please don’t hesitate to CalRBS Project Manager Sam Regal at calrbs [at] gseis.ucla.edu. 

Though we know this announcement may be met with disappointment for some, we’re working with our instructors to ensure our virtual courses are accommodating, challenging, and deeply intellectually rewarding. 

Our best,

Robert D. Montoya, Director, CalRBS

Sam Regal, Project Manager, CalRBS