Public Statements

Planning for the Fall Semester

April 25, 2020

Dear Students, Parents, Faculty, and Staff,

As the weather warms and the semester nears its end, all of us are starting to feel keenly the constraints of life in the shadow of a pandemic. Many of you have written to ask whether we can resume on-campus instruction this fall. The short answer is that it is too soon to know.

We are a community that thrives on face-to-face interaction. With that in mind, we are working hard to prepare for an on-time, on-campus start in August. If we can do that safely, we will.

Unfortunately, no one can be certain what things will look like four months from now. We hope, of course, that the pandemic will abate, that testing, tracing, and treatments will improve, that social distancing restrictions will be relaxed, and that we can resume normal operations in the fall. However, we must also consider and plan for other scenarios, including the possibility that some or all of the semester must be delivered through remote instruction.

Virtually all colleges and universities are going through a similar planning process. Ultimately, our decisions will turn on public health guidance and government directives, with the health and safety of our community the number one consideration.

We will know much more in a few months. I understand that waiting may heighten the uncertainty and anxiety all of us feel, but that is the price we must pay to ensure the best possible outcome in what is surely not the best of all possible worlds.

At the town halls later this week, we will address questions you may have about the options we are considering and the factors that will influence our decisions. I look forward to speaking with you then.

David