Photo by Ali Meizels ’23
Mount Holyoke recently finalized its fall 2020 plans, which include drastic changes to residential life and a split-semester module course system.
By Casey Roepke ’21, Kate Turner ’21 & Flannery Langton ’22
News Editors and Managing Editor of Content
After months of student speculation and administrative planning, Mount Holyoke recently publicized its official plan for the fall semester. The College will invite first- and second-year students to campus for the fall modules, with juniors and seniors participating in classes remotely. In the spring, “assuming the fall semester proceeds as expected,” according to a statement to the Mount Holyoke community, juniors and seniors will be allowed to reside on campus while first-years and sophomores live off-campus.
In the statement addressed to the community, President Sonya Stephens emphasized the core commitments of the College’s plan as “safeguarding the health and safety of our campus and surrounding communities, assuring and enhancing the College’s core academic missions and supporting inclusive excellence and ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the College through organizational efficacy.”
This statement released further information regarding the fall semester academic calendar, including specificity of arrival times and further details regarding the module system. Students’ arrivals will be staggered to adhere to social distancing guidelines. New students will arrive from Aug. 18 to Aug. 20 and returning students will arrive from Aug. 20 to Aug. 22. Each seven-and-a-half week session will contain short breaks with a larger intermission after two reading days and two final exam days. On Nov. 25, during the second module, all students will depart campus for Thanksgiving recess, then complete their courses remotely.
In an effort to minimize the risk of transmission, the College is creating a “de-densified campus.” By bringing only half of the students back to campus, the Office of Residential Life will be able to offer every campus resident a single room.
In addition to first-years and sophomores, students with extenuating personal circumstances, such as “current location, travel or visa concerns [or] health and safety considerations,” will be able to apply for campus housing.
Mount Holyoke’s fall plan was announced nearly two weeks before the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement mandate that international students must take in-person classes at their schools or risk deportation. Students attending schools that offer a hybrid model — like Mount Holyoke’s — “will be allowed to remain in the U.S., provided they are not taking a fully online course load,” according to Verge.
ICE’s new regulation “does not address many of the unique situations in which our international students find themselves,” Director of International Student Advising Bri Rhodes said. “We are working to seek clarity on exactly how this will affect Mount Holyoke’s international students,” she continued. “International students of all years are eligible to apply for on-campus housing, so we recommend anyone wanting to remain in the United States for the fall to apply as soon as possible.”
Rhodes noted that the new ruling was “very sudden and is still unclear,” so the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives is still working to advise students on how to remain in compliance with immigration regulations.
For the continued safety of those who are on campus, regular COVID-19 testing (in the form of a nasal swab) will be provided free of charge upon arrival at the start of the semester and at regular intervals throughout the terms, with a potential frequency of two times per week. Frequent testing will also be provided to employees interacting with students. All community members will receive a daily symptoms checklist and be required to physically distance from others. It will also be required to wear a face mask or cloth covering in public or shared spaces at all times.
According to the letter, the College has created specialized isolation and quarantine spaces where students may choose to recover if they do not return home in the event of a student contracting COVID-19. Students who choose to return home will be allowed to return to campus after providing a medical clearance.
Alongside these more physical changes, the College has made substantial changes to curriculum, teaching and learning styles to adapt to the challenges of remote learning. The community address notes the possibility of all courses being conducted entirely remotely, even for students living on campus. These students will continue to have limited access to spaces like the Williston Library, though resources and technology support will be available to everyone online. Buildings on campus will only be accessible via OneCard swipe and will have restricted hours.
Changes to housing go beyond simply assigning each student a single. A new housing lottery will take place from July 14 to July 16. Specific information will be sent directly to students approved to live on campus in the fall. Lottery selection times will be prioritized based on class year from seniors to sophomores. First-years will be assigned their rooms by Residential Life.
In addition, Living Learning Communities have been suspended for the entire academic year. “Instead, we will offer a number of cohort communities,” the “Opening the Gates” FAQ page reads. “These communities will differ from Living-Learning Communities in that they may not be housed in the same locations, and lounges will be closed. However, we plan to offer robust programming.” Stephen’s statement to the College community promises to offer virtual and in-person opportunities for cohort-based community building, specifically for first-year and identity-based groups.
Stephens’ statement also contained details on College activities beyond residential and academic life. The athletics department is forfeiting varsity sports’ competitive seasons this fall. As Stephens wrote, Mount Holyoke “could not see a way to participate in any NEWMAC conference play, or other competitions and championships requiring both close contact with other teams and travel to other campuses.” Following the varsity cancellations, Stephens announced that club sports will also be prohibited from fall participation. Students residing on campus will, however, be able to access recreational spaces including Kendall Sports and Dance Complex, as well as Williston Library, after a mandatory two-week quarantine period. According to LITS research librarians, the library will begin scanning materials upon request in August.
Counseling Services will be available for students both on and off campus in a consultation capacity. Stephens wrote, “Whether or not remote students can receive services beyond consultation varies, depending on state laws.”
Decisions pertaining to dining options have not been specific as they will be reliant on guidelines put forth by the state of Massachusetts and the CDC; however, “students should expect quality take-out options” during the fall semester, the letter stated.
Following the release of this information to students, the College hosted a one-hour Reopening Panel and Q&A for Students and Families on Monday, July 6. The panel featured members of the administration including new acting Dean of Faculty Dorothy Mosby, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Kijua Sanders-McMurtry and Stephens, amongst other faculty. The discussion was moderated by Vice President for Advancement and acting Vice President of Communications and Marketing Kassandra Jolley.
This panel — the only Q&A session on reopening Mount Holyoke has so far advertised or offered to the general student body — provided little new information, instead frequently referring students back to the College’s website. Much of the content was aimed at parents of incoming first-years.
Further and frequently updated information can be found on Mount Holyoke’s “Opening the Gates” page and will also be updated on MountHolyokeNews.com.