COVID-19 Information & Resources

• Important COVID-19 Resources
• Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)

Update from Pacifica – Spring and Summer 2021 Quarters

As we move through a difficult winter in the wake of severe storms affecting much of the US and with variants of the virus causing COVID-19 surges, we hope that you are healthy and well, and are helping to keep your communities safe by continuing to follow the CDC recommendations and your local/state guidelines. This month of March marks one year since the closure of Pacifica campuses and move to remote delivery of classes, and while these times have certainly not been without distress, the resiliency of our learning community has been remarkable.  As a community committed to depth psychology, we are keenly aware of not only the physical impacts of this pandemic, but the mental health impacts as well. In many ways, our work is more important and needed than ever.

Looking ahead to upcoming quarters, we have now received approval from our accreditation agency (WSCUC) to continue to operate remotely through spring and summer. With these assurances from our accreditors, we are announcing that Pacifica will remain with distance delivery of courses through the remainder of the academic year (spring and summer 2021 quarters).  We hope that the government’s efforts to stem the pandemic are successful over the next six months and that a return to campus will be possible in the new 2021-2022 academic year.  However, given the present status of the pandemic in California and in Santa Barbara County, we cannot make predictions but shall stay in close communication with health and safety agencies, monitoring the situation and informing the community when decisions are made that allow different ways to proceed.

With this announcement, we realize that those students finishing classwork this year will not have an opportunity to return to the campuses before completing this phase of their degree. Similarly, our graduates for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 years will not have the opportunity to return to campus for commencement ceremonies, though as announced we will hold virtual commencement ceremonies this May. We understand that these are deeply meaningful culminating events in students’ academic careers at Pacifica and that not being able to experience them with cohorts and professors on campus can feel like a significant loss. Being mindful of the distress this may cause, we look to a possible reopening celebration within the next academic year where we can gather in community on the campuses.

As we move towards spring, let us work together and support one another in all of our endeavors and embrace this time of potential renewal.

Important Resources