Upate from Dean Lively
Dear Students,
I have a few logistical updates to share today, but first, I want to focus on the impact the crisis is having on many of you. We know that some of you are coping with the loss of a parent, a family member, or someone close to you. Our hearts are with you, and with all who are facing tragic consequences of this pandemic.
For all of you, we know that stress levels are increasing. I know we shared Health Service information last week, but it bears repeating that our primary care and counseling clinicians are here for you. Call 603-646-9440 or 603-646-9442 during the day, or 646-4000 to access on-call clinicians after hours.
In addition to individual conversations with many of you, we are also talking regularly with Palaeopitus and Student Assembly leadership. I've also had a number of conversations with students during my office hours. Without fail, these conversations vacillate between an acknowledgment of the magnitude of the situation, what we've likely lost, snippets of what life is like taking remote classes, navigating family dynamics, figuring out new ways to hang out with friends, and a sense of amazement.
Sometimes the amazement is in the form of disappointment and sadness acknowledging what's been lost - not just people and places, but also just ways of being. Sometimes, however, the amazement is centered more on just how much we've changed - how we've had to change - in such a short span of time.
Regardless of where these conversations take us, it's a lot. I get it. We all get it. And even though we may not all be together physically, just know that a sense of being unmoored is nearly universal. And it's okay. In fact, it's a completely normal and expected response to the situation at hand. No one likes ambiguity. But the ability to handle uncertainty - to surf, not sink - is one of the most critical life skills one can learn.
Now, to the updates:
Summer term: We've heard that many of you have questions about D-plan options, sophomore and senior residency requirements, course offerings, deadlines, and related concerns. The Registrar's Office will begin posting updated FAQs about summer term next week. Please bookmark this page http://www.dartmouth.edu/reg/global_health_emergency_information.html and monitor it regularly over the next few weeks for ongoing updates. And as always, the undergraduate deans are available to talk with you individually. If you haven't already connected with your dean this term, follow this link to set up an appointment: https://students.dartmouth.edu/undergraduate-deans/
Student employment: Several weeks ago, the College took steps to allow enrolled students the opportunity to work remotely for the duration of this public health emergency (see https://www.dartmouth.edu/seo/secure/index.html). We are following the COVID-19 federal guidelines that allow institutions to give a supplemental payment to help students that had work expectations in their spring term financial aid award who cannot work or are have had a significant reduction in hours (see https://www.dartmouth.edu/seo/supplementalaid/index.html). The supplemental aid amount is based on average earnings of prior enrolled terms. Please see the Student Employment Office FAQs for additional information, at https://www.dartmouth.edu/seo/docs/suppl_aid_faq.pdf.
Belongings: We know that the announcement about summer term has renewed questions about obtaining belongings you left behind. For the time being, however, it remains the case that no one - whether from near or far - may return to campus to pick up their things, nor is it possible for the College to retrieve individual items from student rooms. That said, we know how important this is to you - as it is to us. We have a team working on details and timing considerations. It is complicated given the scale, and it will take time, but this is a priority for us. I will be back to you within the next few weeks with an update.
Finally, even though we are not in the position to make promises about what the coming terms will look like, know that we, at the College, want you here as much as you want to be here. Unfortunately, however, we, too, are learning how to dance with uncertainty. We continue to consult daily with public health officials and local health care providers, and we will continue to share decisions and logistics as soon as they are available.
I wish you well as you head into midterms. And I encourage you to reach out to campus resources whenever necessary as we transition into the second half of the term.
All my best,
Dean Lively