By Casey Roepke ’21
News Editor
President of the College Sonya Stephens wrote a letter to the Mount Holyoke community regarding the College’s preliminary plan for the spring 2021 term on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Stephens wrote that the College is preparing to welcome up to 60 percent of the student population to campus in the spring.
“Our goal is to safely accommodate as many students wishing to return as we possibly can, and to continue to ensure that those for whom Mount Holyoke is their permanent address or who need to be on campus can remain in residence,” Stephens said in the letter.
Campus life for spring residents will resemble that of the limited number of students currently on campus this fall. Residential students will have required access to COVID-19 testing twice a week. The Dining Commons will continue to offer takeout-only meals, and students will not be allowed to host visitors or travel more than a limited distance from campus. Students will also likely be responsible for following a social compact, potentially the one currently in place.
Students who plan to live on campus in the spring semester will need to fill out a residential intent form distributed by the Office of Residential Life. If more than 60 percent of students indicate a desire to live on campus, ResLife will “put in place a prioritized application process.” The deadline for the form is Nov. 8.
Classes will continue to operate under the Flexible Immersive Teaching model, and faculty will make individual decisions as to whether they will hold hybrid or fully virtual courses.
Stephens’ statement included an announcement that all spring 2021 study abroad programs through the College will be canceled, “given the continued challenges of travel and COVID-19.”
There were no details regarding student employment or athletics for the spring term, although Stephens anticipates news for winter athletes as soon as next week.
This preliminary plan was a result of the original summer reopening plan and a Spring Review Group process in conjunction with the Emergency Response Teams. “We have also examined international, national, regional and local COVID-19 data and trends that inform the requirements for campus quarantine and isolation spaces, other recommended or required conditions that mitigate spread of the virus, and many other details related to campus testing and tracing, facilities, and access,” Stephens wrote.
The email to the community also included a summary of the October 2020 Board of Trustees meeting, which gave a budget update, endowment report, and other information. According to Karena Strella ’90, chair of the Board of Trustees, Mount Holyoke has “received the largest gift in support of financial aid in its history” in the form of a 10 million dollar donation from an alum and trustee toward an upcoming financial aid fundraising initiative coming in January 2021.
Additionally, Vice President of Finance and Administration for the College Shannon Gurek gave an update on the budget and a forecast for the financial year 2021. After a report on the revenue decrease resulting from the COVID-19 campus closure and reduced residential student population, the Board voted to “increase the draw from the endowment for FY 2020-2021 to help close the budget gap.”
Strella noted that this increase complies with existing parameters of the College’s endowment spending policy. According Ana Yankova ’97, chief investment officer for the College, Mount Holyoke’s endowment is $789 million as of June 30.
The Board recognized that the budget for next year cannot be solidly predicted while spring plans remain subject to change.
“Because of the range of spring enrollment possibilities, from having a sizable cohort of students on campus to having a very limited residential cohort, the FY 2021 forecast is still uncertain,” Strella wrote.
Vice President for Enrollment Management Robin Randall updated the Board on student enrollment. While first-year enrollments this fall were lower than expected, “inquiries from prospective students” have increased by 30 percent. It is unclear how Wednesday’s announcement regarding the spring 2021 term will impact applications from the class of 2025.
Community members can expect further information on the College’s plans for spring 2021 by Nov. 12.