To: Wellesley College Students Arriving on Campus in August
From: Sheilah Shaw Horton, Vice President and Dean of Students
Re: Important Changes to Student Life Programs and Services
Date: August 17, 2020
We are excited to welcome you to Wellesley and to have you on campus this fall. Student Life departments are working on programs and services to meet the needs of students on campus as well as those who are remote. As you well know, the pandemic continues to intensify in many parts of the country, which has caused us to implement additional testing and safety protocols. In light of this evolving situation and new state guidance, we need to make more changes and add some restrictions and new guidelines to our programs and services.
We also want to make it clear that students who come to campus need to abide by the health and safety guidance we have provided, including these recent changes. We are able to have students on campus only if students and other community members accept a shared responsibility to follow our protective measures. While I fully expect students to respect these rules and act in the best interest of our community, please be aware that students who knowingly violate these rules should expect to be required to leave campus and move to remote enrollment. Please know that while we will work hard to create community and support every student, we will also strictly enforce our policies in order to protect the campus community.
These are some of the changes that are necessary for this fall. We may be able to adjust them over time, but you should expect the following to be in effect during the start of the academic year.
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Testing is essential, required, and non-negotiable. As you have been informed, and as you have signed the Student Acknowledgment of COVID-19 Risks and Shared Responsibilities, you cannot miss any testing appointments. We will provide ample reminders and support; however, if you miss appointments, you may lose housing privileges and be required to move off campus to complete the semester remotely.
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Gatherings are limited to 25 people. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts recently reduced the size of gatherings permitted in outdoor locations. The College has decided that gatherings larger than 25 are not safe at this time in any indoor or outdoor space on campus. We will adjust our programming to allow sufficient spacing for us to adhere to this guidance. Clubs and organizations may continue to plan events outside with masks and physical distancing, but they may not exceed 25 people in any location. Bring your creativity, but also live within the current limits. Students are expected to limit indoor social gatherings and events to 10 people or fewer in a single space, adhering to posted maximum occupancies along with physical distancing and wearing of masks in all spaces.
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Kitchens across campus will be closed. While we understand that community kitchens are an important component of student life, they contain many surfaces that can lead to transmission of disease. Wellesley’s dining halls are subject to the restaurant guidance in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and their plans for operations have been approved by the Town of Wellesley Board of Health. Cooking and dining outside these facilities is not permitted. Therefore, it is prudent that we begin the year by closing all kitchens other than those in the dining halls. Kitchens in residence halls, including French House and Instead/Homestead, and in the cultural houses will be closed until further notice. The only exception is that students are permitted to use the microwaves in the residence hall kitchens, being careful to clean surfaces before and after use.
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All students will be required to be on the meal plan. Students who have accommodations to be off the meal plan are encouraged to discuss their plans with Accessibility and Disability Resources to find suitable options.
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The Honor Code and the Code of Conduct have been updated. Some students have asked for specific examples of what would now constitute an Honor Code violation. The Honor Code Council will hear cases of typical behavioral problems, but the example violations that follow will be immediately addressed through administrative action. Examples of violations that pose such a significant risk to the community that they will result in a student’s immediate removal from the residence halls by an administrative action include:
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having outside guests in the residence halls
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visiting the homes of friends off campus or attending off-campus parties (including those of Wellesley students) or hosting a party that violates health and safety protocols
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refusing to wear masks outside of your room, especially in public places like classrooms or where others are near
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traveling out of state without prior approval from the Dean of Students
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refusing to comply with the daily health check app or the testing protocol
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refusing to adhere to the instructions for quarantine or isolation, and purposely exposing others or threatening to expose others to the virus
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We will make changes to the schedules of Student Life offices. All the offices you interact with will be open, but they will be operating on different schedules to allow for physical distancing. Students may request in-person meetings, but you should also expect to interact virtually. It is important to check websites in advance to determine department schedules. A list of resources will be sent to all students next week, or you may find links to departments on the Dean of Students’ website.
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Students may not leave campus during the break between terms 1 and 2 in October or over Thanksgiving. There will be ample virtual and in-person programs, retreats, and health and wellness activities during these times. If students travel out of state during October break without notifying the College, they will be asked to return home to complete the remainder of the semester remotely.
In order to maximize in-person classroom and lab time, students are strongly encouraged to remain on campus over Thanksgiving break until the end of classes on December 11. If students decide to travel during Thanksgiving, they will not be permitted to return to campus and will miss vital weeks of class. After classes end on December 11, students can choose to either stay on campus or return home during reading period. All students will take final exams virtually.
Some students may find these changes to be severe and very different from the kind of rules they are used to following at Wellesley. Others may feel reassured that we are serious in our attempts to keep them safe. In either case, we must remember that this is a different time, and we need your understanding and your commitment to protect the health and safety of our community during this pandemic. These measures are necessary in order to preserve our ability to offer an in-person experience.
If you do not feel you can follow these protocols or live comfortably at Wellesley with these changes, you will be allowed to cancel your housing and go fully remote as long as we are informed by August 21. Please notify studenthousing@wellesley.edu.
I will continue to share additional information and announcements as they become available. We are all trying to make the right decisions and adapt to evolving guidance from federal, state, and local officials while moving ahead with our plans to have you back on campus.
Travel safely, be well, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
