Important Spring Term Announcement
Dear Undergraduate Students,
Thank you for your patience. I know that you've been waiting anxiously for this information.
I also know that this is a lot to absorb.
That said, here are the key points:
*Dartmouth is moving to a remote instructional format through May 1st. All spring term classes will be conducted virtually and activities will be limited.
*You must leave campus by Monday as planned, and you may not return for the time being. As with the care team's interim housing/travel assistance process that is underway right now, there will be only a small set of exceptions for medical, visa status and other reasons.
*Any of you still in the process of leaving should take as much as you can with you. Those of you who are already gone can't return right now. We need to plan for the possibility that you may need to be away for the entire spring term. We will have information for you soon about issues like packing and storing the things you've left or have to leave behind.
We know how disruptive and disturbing this is, but we have to do this to reduce the risk of transmission, protect the most vulnerable members of our community, and eliminate more dramatic and problematic disruption later. Many of you have been asking for clarity. We are being clear about these things now, and we will help and support you in adjusting to this new way of functioning for the time being.
The interim care team is working through the interim housing and travel assistance requests. You should be hearing from them individually very soon.
We are also working very, very hard to address all of the questions you have raised about registrarial issues, available courses, billing and financial aid, graduation, and so, so many other ramifications of this. For those of you with visa status questions, our internal and external experts are working very hard to get answers on your behalf as quickly as possible.
We are going to continue to get all of you as much information as quickly as we can, but because of the complexity of the situation, the ways in which so many things are interconnected, and the hourly and daily changes in the public health landscape, you just need to know that like every other institution and organization across the country, we are doing the best we can.
For those of you who need personal or emotional support, the undergraduate deans, counseling staff, chaplains and campus ministers,
and other resources are here and will continue to be tonight, tomorrow, throughout the weekend and beyond.
I meant what I said last night: These are extraordinary times. We will work through them to the other side. And I have no doubt in our ability to weather this challenge not only with grit and resilience, but also with patience, compassion, and care for ourselves and those around us.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Lively Dean of the College