To: The Wellesley College Community
From: President Paula A. Johnson, Andrew Shennan, Provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College, and Sheilah Shaw Horton, Vice President and Dean of Students
Re: Changes to Wintersession
Date: December 21, 2021
Given rising COVID-19 infection rates here in Massachusetts and uncertainty about the impact of the new omicron variant, we are taking steps to reduce the number of people on campus by converting Wintersession courses and other non-credit programs (including the Albright Institute) to a remote format. Programs that cannot be remote will need to be cancelled.
- Students who were planning to return to campus to take Wintersession courses or participate in the Albright Institute or other organized activities may not return before January 20.
- Students who had planned to be on campus for an academic or other organized program are expected to stay home or find a different housing option. If this is impossible, they may request to stay on campus by filling out this form by 5 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, December 22.
- Students who were planning to return to campus to do research or work on senior theses may do so only if they have compelling research-related reasons to be on campus before January 20. They must contact their faculty thesis advisor and department chair to confirm their plans.
- Students who were previously authorized to remain on campus for reasons other than taking Wintersession courses or participating in on-campus programs will receive an email from student housing shortly confirming their status and will not need to fill out the form mentioned above.
- Varsity athletics will pause all intercollegiate practice and competitions until at least January 10. The KSC will be closed for general use during Wintersession.
- Faculty and staff who are able to work remotely are strongly encouraged to do so until it is time to return to campus for the start of the second semester. Faculty and staff will need to have a negative COVID test before returning to campus. Please refer to the testing schedule in the Toolbox and plan accordingly.
- Students remaining on campus must continue to wear masks while inside any building, including residence halls, and will test twice weekly. Please follow CDC guidance and use two-layer paper or cloth masks, which research has shown provide greater protection against infection.
We regret the disruption these changes will cause, but given the predictions about the anticipated spread of the omicron variant, which is expected to peak in the first weeks of January, we feel they are essential to protect the health and safety of all members of our community.
We are still planning to invite students to begin move-in on January 20, which will allow for a phased return and testing protocols before the start of classes on January 24. (Residential Life student staff should still plan to return on January 18.) We will continue to monitor the public health situation closely and will provide updates on these plans as necessary.
Please remember to get your vaccine booster before January 15 and continue to mask and avoid large gatherings during the winter break. We should all be proud of the fact that we were able to complete the school year with relatively few cases on campus—a remarkable accomplishment. Moving to remote learning and working over the next few weeks will help us prepare for a successful spring semester.
We wish you a safe, healthy, and restful holiday season.
