National College Decision Day is May 1 — an occasion which usually marks the deadline for incoming first-year students to commit to a college or university. This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, over 400 colleges nationwide extended this deadline, including the Universities of Massachusetts Lowell and Boston.
After weeks of planning, consulting and researching options, college administrators have put forward a proposal for fall semester contingency planning to faculty and small student focus groups. Following a virtual town hall in which administrators presented the College’s proposal on Thursday, April 30, multiple professors confirmed that a module plan was in the works.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is taking a global toll, with now just a handful of countries around the world not reporting any confirmed cases. Originating in Wuhan, China in December 2019, it was not until early January that a case was first reported outside of China. By March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
On Wednesday, March 11, the day after Mount Holyoke announced its plans to close due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Office of Residential Life held a routine meeting with Senior Community Advisors (SCAs) and Community Advisors (CAs). But with the mood of the campus and uncertainty many students faced, it was anything but routine.
Since Mount Holyoke officially closed its campus for the academic year, roughly 800 student employment positions have been lost. Of the over 400 student jobs that remain, most positions — including those in Admissions, Student Financial Services, Library Information and Technology Services (LITS) or academic departments — have begun operating remotely and with a limit of 4.5 hours per week.
Mount Holyoke informed the College community of its first reported case presumed to be the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, on Wednesday, April 8. In a statement sent to the entire student body, Associate Vice President of Human Resources Heidi Friedman and Director of Health Services Karen Engell said that the College was alerted of a community member’s presumed positive test for COVID-19 on April 7. According to the email, the individual was not in contact with anyone when last on campus, nor were they experiencing symptoms at that time.
According to an email sent to members of the College community on March 30 by President of the College Sonya Stephens, the Mount Holyoke College Board of Trustees met in New York from Feb. 27-29 for their annual retreat. The Board discussed tenure and retirement of professors, voted on the awarding of degrees on March 6, 2020 for 68 seniors and appointed new Trustees.
