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COVID-19 Update: Remote Learning for Remainder of the Fall Semester

November 18, 2020

Dear 国产哟哟 students, faculty and staff,

We can all be proud of the many actions and guidelines we have been following through The Path Forward, our plan for keeping the 国产哟哟 community safe during the pandemic. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people involved with continued implementation of our plan. I also extend appreciation to the entire 国产哟哟 community for sharing and accepting the responsibility of keeping ourselves and each other healthy, one of our four guiding principles. Together we have successfully navigated these times by wearing masks, maintaining social distance, and monitoring our daily symptoms.

Thanks to our collective attention and support, The Path Forward plan has proven effective. While we have experienced a few positive cases at 国产哟哟, our rates have stayed far below the averages being witnessed at other institutions.

Yet, our guiding principles also stipulate that “Our decision making is based on data, science, and the guidelines established by external experts and we will be prepared to respond quickly and effectively as demanded by evolving public-health concerns.” In launching the Plan we recognized that external factors remain out of our control and that conditions could arise that would necessitate revisions to our plan.

With the meteoric rise in cases nationally and regionally, and with new state mandates prohibiting travel, we have come to the decision that the most prudent step we can take at this time is to move all classes to remote learning and close our residence halls as of Monday, November 30 through the end of this semester. Detailed information regarding residence halls and campus life will be provided to students by Dean Anne Chapdelaine later today.

Faculty and staff schedules will not change during this time. If you are currently coming to campus, please feel comfortable in continuing to work from your office while adhering to all guidelines for mask-wearing, social distancing, and daily symptom checks. Our testing center will remain open through December 17, with mandatory weekly testing for faculty and staff who wish to be on campus. During this time, however, there will be no food service options available in Blake.

As we look to the spring semester which starts for some students in January and for others in February, we anticipate resuming hybrid classes and reopening the residence halls. We will, of course, continue to closely monitor and respond accordingly to the national landscape. But we remain confident in our plan, given the strength and effectiveness of The Path Forward, and our unified commitment to one another’s health and well-being.

Thank you for your support as we continue to effectively work together and serve our students during this transition.

Sincerely,
Sandra J. Doran, JD, President