To: The Wellesley College Community
From: Piper Orton, Vice President for Finance and Administration; Carolyn Slaboden, Chief Human Resources Officer; and Sheilah Shaw Horton, Vice President and Dean of Students
Re: Dining Update
Date: December 13, 2020
We want to update the community on changes that the College is making to dining during exam week starting tomorrow and into the winter break.
On Saturday morning we learned that a dining employee who had been working in Bates tested positive for COVID-19.
From our contact tracing, we understand that this case does not appear to be the result of an exposure on the College campus. Ten close contacts from the dining staff were identified and are now quarantining at home. No students were determined to be close contacts. Wellesley brought in an outside cleaning company to thoroughly clean and disinfect the Bates kitchen and dining areas and near-by bathrooms and break rooms. Out of an abundance of caution, dining staff will be able to be tested twice this week.
Because of the reduced numbers of students remaining on campus, as well as the reduced number of available dining staff, we are limiting dining to two dining halls during the exam period.
Starting tomorrow, December 14 through Saturday, December 19, student dining will be provided at Bates and Tower. Bae Pao will be closed, with the staff shifting to Bates. Keeping Bates and Tower open will allow us to serve students living on the east and west ends of campus, as well as maintain our gluten-sensitive room, nut-free dining hall and Clarity stations for students with allergies. Bates will also be open for late night dining Monday through Friday this week.
Starting Sunday, December 20, Bates and Tower will close and Bae Pao will open to serve the 40+ students who will remain on campus and will be living in Munger during winter break.
We want to thank our dining employees and AVI for their flexibility and patience as we make necessary changes in order to serve the dining needs of our students. Our thoughts are with the employees currently quarantining, and we wish them continued good health.
