To: The Wellesley Community
From: Andy Shennan, Provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College; Carolyn Slaboden, Assistant Vice President for Human Resources; and Sheilah Shaw Horton, Vice President and Dean of Students
Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Date: March 8, 2020
Over the weekend, we have been continuing to monitor developments related to the COVID-19 outbreak from the CDC, the Massachusetts Department of Health (Mass. DPH), the Wellesley Board of Health, as well as steps that other colleges and universities are taking, and we are writing to update you on new guidance for our community, which will be in effect from Monday, March 9 to Wednesday, May 6.
There have been no cases of COVID-19 among Wellesley students, faculty, and staff on campus or among those studying or working abroad. According to Mass. DPH, the state continues to evaluate the current risk to Massachusetts residents as low. If a case were to be identified on campus, we would promptly inform the community, provide resources and assistance, and take any necessary action in adherence to all public health best practices.
We are instituting these changes now in an effort to be proactive in protecting the health of the members of our community.
New College-related travel restrictions
We are suspending all College-related international travel, and all College-related domestic air travel or out of state travel. We are also suspending College-related local travel to gatherings (conferences, meetings, or events) of more than 100 people. Any exceptions will need to be approved by the President, the Provost, or the Vice President and Dean of Students.
Personal travel
We strongly discourage all personal international travel and urge caution about any personal domestic travel.
Registering all travel
In a previous communication, we asked all students, faculty, and staff to register their international travel. We are now asking you to register any domestic travel as well.
Change to self-quarantine policy
Anyone—including Wellesley affiliates and invited guests—who enters the country from a location with a CDC Level 2 or 3 warning for COVID-19 must self-quarantine for a minimum of 14 days before coming to campus. If you are in close contact with someone—a spouse, partner, or housemate—who has traveled recently to a Level 2 or 3 location, you must notify the College and self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to campus.
Note: This policy is intended to minimize risk to all members of our community. The College considers the requirement to register travel and observe self-quarantining, if necessary, as falling under the Honor Code.
Notification of exposure
If you have been notified by a local or state department of health of a known or potential exposure to COVID-19, or if you learn that you or your spouse, partner, housemate have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please notify the College through this form.
Academic courses
All academic courses are continuing as normal. Faculty should plan for the possibility of remote and online teaching, which may need to be instituted with very short notice. Faculty are strongly encouraged to participate in upcoming sessions being hosted by PLTC and LTS and to utilize their resources.
On-campus events
All Wellesley College-sponsored, on-campus events with 100 or more attendees that include members of the public should be postponed, canceled, or offered virtually. This does not apply to internal gatherings that include only members of the Wellesley College on-campus community, or to classroom instruction. At these events, we recommend practicing social distancing and not shaking hands.
As a result of these guidelines, the in-person Spring Open Campus for admitted students has been canceled and will be re-envisioned as a virtual event. Although we are disappointed that we will not be able to host this event for prospective students, we look forward to working with the community to create an engaging virtual experience for all of our admitted students so that they may learn more about the College and feel welcomed and excited about Wellesley.
We are currently considering options for the Ruhlman Conference, and plan to update with more information within the next week.
The health, safety, and well-being of our community members remain our highest priority. We will continue to share updated guidance as it becomes available. Thank you for your understanding and support. Please continue to reference Wellesley’s COVID-19 website for up-to-date information and utilize this Google form for any questions or concerns.
