Photo by Ali Meizels ’23 | Graphic by Declan Langton ’22 & Mariam Keita ’24
By Declan Langton ’22, Liz Lewis ’22 & Rose Sheehan ’22
Editor-in-Chief | Managing Editor of Content | Managing Editor of Layout
Mount Holyoke will begin the spring 2022 semester with two weeks of remote learning, according to a Jan. 13 letter to the community from President Sonya Stephens. The period of remote teaching and learning will take place from Jan. 24 to Feb. 5, with in-person classes resuming on Monday, Feb. 7.
“The global surge of the omicron variant requires us to make several critical short-term changes to our previous plans,” Stephens wrote.
In addition to remote classes, the College made adjustments to move-in times, dining arrangements and mask policies.
Move-in & dining
Students’ return to campus will be “spread out over 10 days,” according to Stephens. Students will be able to move into their rooms from Jan. 18 to Jan. 27. Those who have already registered to arrive on campus prior to Jan. 17 are able to keep their current move-in plans.
Students who can “easily access campus” were asked by Stephens to delay their arrival until at least Jan. 23. The Office of Residential Life will release new move-in sign-up times.
Beginning on Jan. 18, all meals will be to-go. Additionally, students will be required to eat outdoors or in their rooms rather than common spaces. “The Dining Commons is closed to employees until further notice,” the letter reads.
Testing & booster shots
“In an effort to mitigate the number of infected students arriving on campus, all students are expected to obtain a COVID-19 test as close to departure as possible and to receive the results of the test prior to arriving on campus.”
Twice-a-week on-campus testing will continue for students in the spring semester. Employees, however, will continue to be tested only once each week.
“At this time, we are not able to extend testing to employees beyond once weekly,” the letter reads. “We are exploring additional opt-in opportunities for employees in our testing program.” The College will continue to use PCR tests.
On Jan. 29, the College will host a booster shot clinic on campus. “Any student who is eligible for a booster and has not yet received one should plan to attend this clinic,” Stephens said. The booster clinic will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Quarantine policy
In the event that students test positive, the College will provide isolation housing to “as many students as possible.” Stephens acknowledged in the letter, however, that the campus faces “very real space constraints” that may limit quarantine options in the event of an outbreak.
“Some students may need to recover in place in residence halls with strict health and safety protocols,” Stephens wrote. She confirmed that the College is currently finalizing protocols, with further communication to come.
New mask requirements
Effective immediately, community members are required to wear face coverings “that consist of at least three layers,” Stephens wrote, citing KN95 and KF94 masks as the preferred covering. According to the letter, other “three-layer disposable masks [or] a disposable mask worn under a cloth mask,” are also acceptable. Masks for accessibility are exempted from the new guidelines and will be supplied by AccessAbility Services at request.
Stephens further said, “Some individuals may be required to wear KN95 masks as a result of recent COVID-19 status and/or proximity of their work to others.” According to the letter, the College will provide KN95 masks “to students and employees who need them” at the testing center. Stephens did not specify what process it would use to determine who needed these masks, or how they would be distributed. The section on masking concludes by stating that more information about mask requirements and procedures will “be posted soon.”