To: The Wellesley Community
From: Paula A. Johnson, President; and Andy Shennan, Provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College
Re: Summer Programs
Date: April 13, 2020
As we continue to monitor public health guidance from state and federal authorities, it is very unlikely that the COVID-19 crisis will be resolved by June. Based on this understanding, we have a series of updates about summer programming and campus operations to share.
We recognize that the lives of our students, faculty, and staff remain disrupted by the pandemic. Our paramount concern has been to protect the health and safety of our community, while providing as much continuity and support as possible for the educational experience of our students and for internship and other co-curricular opportunities. We have made these decisions in close consultation with the faculty and staff who are responsible for our various summer programs.
On-campus summer academic programs
- All Wellesley Summer Session courses will move to a remote format. To make remote summer courses more manageable for both students and faculty, Wellesley will offer one six-week summer session instead of two four-week sessions. These courses are likely to be particularly important for students whose spring semester and/or study abroad experiences have been disrupted, so we are adjusting the schedule to maximize options. The Summer Session Office will be in touch with faculty to facilitate scheduling and will share updates about available courses later this spring.
- The Science Center Summer Research Program and the Social Science Summer Research Program will operate virtually. Both programs will last six weeks, with defined start and end dates to be determined by each program. Student participants will receive a stipend of $3,000. We anticipate hosting a virtual poster session at the end of these programs, and we are looking forward to celebrating the work our students complete in this new format.
Off-campus College-sponsored programs
- Wellesley will provide funding for virtual summer internships only. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Wellesley will be suspending College sponsorship and funding of all in-person internships this summer. Student participants who have already been offered funding will receive a stipend of $3,000 if they are able to confirm internships in a virtual format that meet the other requirements of their College-sponsored programs. We will ask departments and programs that sponsor summer internships to work with internship hosts and students to support summer experiences in a virtual format. Career Education will share additional details soon.
- Please note that for this summer only, the Committee on Curriculum and Academic Planning (CCAP) will extend eligibility for the non-academic internship/research transcript notation to include virtual opportunities. This will safeguard the credit for international students who rely on it for Curricular Practical Training (CPT).
- Career Education is working with the alumnae network to develop virtual summer opportunities for students. We hope to be able to offer a number of two-week virtual opportunities through the Hive, which ensures they will be available exclusively to Wellesley students. While this initiative is still in the planning stages, our hope is to provide a wide range of opportunities for students, including graduating seniors. Career Education will be sharing more details in the weeks to come.
- Wellesley will not fund study abroad programs scheduled for May-July 2020. Students are strongly discouraged from pursuing summer study abroad independently if the Level 3 CDC and Level 4 State Department warnings remain in effect. Students who pursue study abroad against our recommendation may request transfer credit only upon completion of their program. Students will not be eligible for the Wellesley College Travel Assist Program or other support from the College. The status of College-sponsored language programs in Italy and France scheduled for August will be determined at a later date.
On-campus residential summer programs
- All residential summer programs have been canceled. These include on-campus Wellesley Summer Session programs, college preparation programs, Upward Bound, and the Posse immersion experience. In addition, we do not expect to have students working on campus.
Students who have remained on campus this spring will be expected to leave by the day after the last day of final exams, May 16. The College will work with individual students who may have extenuating circumstances and either ensure that they can return home or assist them with alternative housing options.
As we navigate the evolving COVID-19 crisis, we continue to be grateful for the commitment of our community to reimagine the work we do in creative ways that minimize disruption and ensure an exceptional Wellesley experience for our students.
We extend our deepest thanks to the working group members who made recommendations that helped inform these decisions:
Nancy Coleman, Strategic Growth Initiatives
Stacie Goddard, Wellesley in Washington
Rebecca Gordan ’01, Madeleine K. Albright Institute
Diane Kimball, Office of Finance and Administration
Elizabeth Mandeville ’04, Career Education
Tana Ruegamer, Slater International Center
Carol Shanmugaratnam ’84, Registrar
Olga Shurchkov ’01, Knapp Social Science Center
Cathy Summa ’83, Science Center
Lori Tenser, Class Deans
Jennifer Thomas-Starck, Office of International Study
Ann Velenchik, Dean of Academic Affairs
