Dear Middlebury Students, Faculty, and Staff,
As an educational institution, we have two overarching obligations to our community: to provide the educational opportunities Middlebury is known for, 1/n
The rapidly developing circumstances of the novel coronavirus now require extraordinary changes to our usual practices to fulfill those obligations. We are making these changes to maximize our ability to continue 2/n
Date Change:
Middlebury College will begin spring break this Friday, March 13, after classes end, which is one week earlier than scheduled. 13/n
Students who have underlying health issues or who may be immuno-compromised are permitted to leave when they are ready, before Friday. 14/n
Following spring break, students who can will be expected to remain at home and not return to campus until further notice. We will re-evaluate this new policy in the first two weeks of April. 15/n
While we will require most students to leave campus, we know that some students cannot go home for spring break and will need to remain on campus for the rest of the semester. 16/n
We will contact you with a decision on your request no later than 9:00 a.m. Friday. When you leave for spring break, you must be moved out of your rooms by 8 pm 3/13. 19/n
Following break, all instruction will be offered remotely. 21/n
Academic Continuity:
All students will be able to fulfill their academic requirements remotely. 23/n
As we wrote last week, we are developing high-touch instruction as well as these resources prepared by Middlebury’s DLINQ (bit.ly/dlinqresources) office to help you with the transition to teaching remotely. 25/n
We will provide technology support and will make available equipment you need (headsets, webcams, and other technologies) on long-term loan. More details on this to come tomorrow. 29/n
The circumstances in our Schools Abroad vary greatly depending on the specific country in which a program is located. 30/n
Maintaining Your U.S. Visa Status:
U.S. government agencies recently issued guidance regarding COVID-19 adjustments to academic programs and maintenance of visa status. The guidance allows for greater flexibility than usual. 32/n
Group Gatherings:
Effective immediately for this week, group gatherings on campus are limited to no more than 120 participants. 34/n
Effective 10 p.m. tonight, we are suspending all spring athletic activities, including practices and home and away games, until further notice. 35/n
Effective immediately, there will be no college-sponsored travel of any kind, including trips by athletic teams and clubs; faculty and staff in-person participation in conferences; and other engagements. 36/n
We will keep updating our FAQs. middlebury.edu/office/announc…
Please send your questions to sao@middlebury.edu. 38/n
Changes to Dining Services Operations: This week, we will announce changes to how dining services will operate until spring break begins. The changes will decrease the number of students congregating at any one time in the dining halls. 39/n
Thank you all for your understanding, your patience, and your partnership during this challenging time.
Sincerely,
Laurie Patton
President
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