August 26, 2020 Update

Dear Students,

I know what an immensely challenging week this has been. For those of you wrapping up summer term classes today and preparing for exams in the coming week, we're all very sorry this last week of the term has become so complicated. I know that for many of us, the ambiguity of not knowing what you might be doing for fall or where you might be doing it has been hard.

I also want you to know how much we appreciate all of you who have shared deeply felt opinions about our way forward. No matter where you stand, personally, on the direction moving forward, you've made it crystal clear how deeply you care about Dartmouth, and about your fellow students, faculty and staff. We need to draw on that common bond as we move ahead, putting our differences aside and coming together as an intellectual and compassionate community that not only allows for disagreements, but celebrates them. And, finally, for those of you waiting to know whether to make travel and other plans, thank you for your patience. Now that we have a shared path, we must pivot quickly to prepare for fall.

Here is what happens next. Two sources of information will go live later today: the residential life portal, and a new fall arrival web page on the Student Affairs site. Brief summaries of key arrival information follow below.

ASSIGNED ARRIVAL DATES and TIMES, and RESIDENCE HALL ROOM ASSIGNMENTS

Those of you who are approved for fall on-campus enrollment will receive a message from Residential Life later this afternoon, directing you to the portal for assigned arrival dates, times and rooms.

Your assigned arrival date and time are exactly that - assigned. We must manage the number arriving by both date and time to ensure that we are able to conduct arrival testing at the Dick's House tent as effectively, efficiently and safely as possible. No early arrivals on campus will be permitted. You must arrange your travel plans so that you arrive as assigned and expected.

PLEASE recognize that the Residential Life portal will only accommodate a limited number at a time. If you attempt to go in and the portal is at capacity, you will see a system-generated "service temporarily unavailable" message. Don't panic. That does not mean you aren't in the system. It simply means that you will need to try again a bit later. Your information isn't going go anywhere, and if all of you try to go in at once the system may become overwhelmed. For everyone's benefit, please be patient. If you have not been able to retrieve your information by 9 am tomorrow morning (Thursday), send a message to residential.life@dartmouth.edu. If you have a question about your approval status, send a message to dean.of.the.college@dartmouth.edu.

HEALTH MONITORING

Starting now, you must monitor your health for the fourteen-day period before you begin to travel, and you must contact the Health Service at 603-646-9440 if you develop a fever or symptoms of illness. Our Health Service clinicians will determine whether you may travel or must delay your arrival date until they clear you to return to campus.

PRE-ARRIVAL TESTING

Students approved for fall on-campus enrollment will receive an email from Dr. Reed at the Health Service first thing tomorrow morning (Thursday, 8/27), providing specific pre-arrival test ordering requirements. Please be sure that you watch for that, and that you follow the unique link you will receive to respond to the testing provider, immediately. You will need to provide a shipping address so that the testing kit can be shipped to your current location as soon as possible, and you will need to schedule a time to conduct your test observed by the testing provider. Observed testing times will be  available starting this weekend as early as 8 am. You need to complete this as soon as possible. If you have a positive test, you may not travel to campus, and you will be contacted by a Health Service clinician for follow-up.

Pre-arrival testing is both required (as you know from your Community Expectations Agreement) and entirely at the College's expense. Thank you in advance for getting this done in the next few days.

ARRIVAL QUARANTINE

If you are among those who told us you are living locally in the Upper Valley, you must self-quarantine in that location immediately on arrival. See https://news.dartmouth.edu/covid-19/academic-year-2020-21-return-campus-plan/quarantine-and-testing-guidelines students#Undergraduate%20Students%20Living%20in%20Off-Campus%20Housing. You will receive information from the Health Service about the on-campus arrival testing process. If you have questions, call to speak confidentially to one of our Health Service clinicians at 646-9440.

If you are arriving to move into your assigned room on campus, you will be tested on arrival on your assigned day and time, and then will move into your residence hall room to begin your arrival quarantine period. See https://news.dartmouth.edu/covid-19/academic-year-2020-21-return-campus-plan/quarantine-and-testing-guidelines-students#Undergraduates%20Living%20on%20Campus.
Please note that arrival times and dates have been designed to disperse move-in across campus and within buildings. Some floors in some buildings may be arriving on different days. This is intentional and will not be subject to change.

MOVE-IN

As you prepare for arrival, please remember that we are asking that you say good-bye to friends and family at home. It is critical that we all do all we can to reduce the number of people arriving in Hanover, and to reduce the risk of transmission. If you are accompanied to campus, you will need to say your  good-byes outside, following face covering, physical distancing, and other campus health requirements. Family and friends will not be permitted to enter any residential or other College facilities.

Please also remember that you may only bring with you what you can carry yourself in the event that we need to evacuate the campus. We recognize that this will not be an ordinary move-in, nor is it likely the one you and your families imagined. We're sorry about that, but our current situation is one what we never would have predicted a year ago, and yet here we are. That said, if you need assistance due to a health condition, college staff will be on hand to escort you into the building. As you will see in the arrival information, you will need to pack what you need for your first fourteen days here.

QUESTIONS

We know you will have many questions in the coming week. We will update the arrival page regularly so that any new information we are able to provide is available to all of you - and your families - at the same time.

As we have said before, you may always choose to decide to enroll remotely, to change your D-plan, or to request a five-year enrollment pattern if you decide that you don't want to be here this fall. The undergraduate deans are available to talk with you about those options. If you decide not to come, you need to let us know by sending a message to the dean.of.the.college@dartmouth.edu. With that notification, we will reverse the approval for on-campus enrollment and your bill will be adjusted accordingly.

I want to end by recognizing and naming the mix of excitement and anxiety that everyone is experiencing - for a variety of different reasons, from a variety of different perspectives. No matter who we are, how old we are, where we come from, or what we hope for, every single one of us is grappling with the reality that we are not living in normal times. The things that matter most to each of us, and the foundations that each of us relies on, have been shaken by this virus and the myriad of ways we've had to change our behaviors across nearly every domain. I think one of the most challenging changes has been in how we communicate and connect with one another. That and simply how much stress we've all been under - fear for our health, fear for our families' health, our educational opportunities, our aspirations, our jobs, our future plans, our ability to travel, our ability to spend time with friends and family, our livelihood, the ambiguities and the not-knowing -- is deeply affecting each one of us.

As we begin what is likely going to feel much more like a marathon than the typical sprint of a normal ten-week term, it is important to remember that these are unchartered waters -- for all of us. Therefore, it is critical to remind ourselves that we are all here for a reason. We all love Dartmouth. We all want to be here. And we are all committed to living and learning and leading -- be in the front of the room, the middle of the room, or the back of the room -- in a community of like-minded students, faculty, and staff. Recognizing that we all share both this love of this small and tight-knit community and the common experience of ambiguity, disruption, and fear, we must also remember to be generous, kind, and supportive of one another. As you well know, Dartmouth prides herself on creating leaders -- this is your moment to bring out the best in others by modeling what it means to be a true and valued  member of the Dartmouth Community.

All best,

Dean Lively