On Monday, Sept. 7, a group of Trump supporters participated in a “Back the Blue” pro-police demonstration in front of the South Hadley Village Commons. The event, advertised on Facebook and hosted by Dianna Ploss, whose Facebook profile indicates she is a former Massachusetts deputy state campaign director for Donald J. Trump for President, garnered pushback from Mount Holyoke College students.
Brief: Quarantine policies on Mount Holyoke’s Campus
With COVID-19 affecting schools across the country, Mount Holyoke reversed their plan to bring students back to campus this fall. Instead, the fall semester is being conducted entirely online. This semester, the College is only allowing students to stay on campus if their travel home is restricted, if they cannot effectively work in their home environment or if campus is their legal permanent residence. These students are experiencing a different kind of college life on campus, as they now have specific guidelines to follow in regard to curbing the spread of COVID-19.
College Issues New Anti-Racism Plan
“Mount Holyoke must be persistent and uncompromising in addressing the challenges that members of our community who identify as BIPOC — Black, Indigenous and people of color — have brought to our attention. We must identify and address all forms of implicit and explicit racism, bias and discrimination on our campus,” wrote President of the College Sonya Stephens in an Aug. 27 letter to Mount Holyoke community members.
Residential Life Student Employees Share Their Experiences With Fall Planning: Inequitable Pay, Room and Board Fees, Increased Labor
Students were asked to decide by July 8 whether they wanted to take up Residential Life positions for which they had been previously hired. These positions, previously titled Senior Community Advisor and Community Advisor have been renamed based on modifications to responsibilities under the new social compact and campus reopening plan: Residential Fellow and Community Assistant, respectively.
Mount Holyoke Releases Official Fall Plan, Including Information on Housing and Student Life
Mount Holyoke Announces Juneteenth Donation Matching Initiative
On Juneteenth, the Mount Holyoke administration announced a Community Match program for financial gifts made by students, staff, faculty and alumni in recognition of Juneteenth and Pride month. The initiative, led by the Office of the President and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, will strive to match community members’ donations to three charitable organizations: The Loveland Foundation, the Marsha P. Johnson Institute and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Jon Western Steps Down as Dean of Faculty, Dorothy Mosby to Serve as Interim
College Administrators Roll Out Plan for Distributing Cares Act Funds
On Monday, June 15, a few days after the College announced information regarding the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, students who receive financial aid were notified by Student Financial Services about their eligibility for funding under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF).
Administration Releases First Decisions Regarding Academic Planning in Fall 2020
Mount Holyoke released the new information about the timeline of fall semester operations in an email to the College community on Thursday, June 16. The following day, Dean of Studies Director of Student Success Initiatives and Associate Professor of Psychology and Education Amber Douglas wrote to students with further information, including the College’s creation of a “Flexible Immersive Teaching” academic plan.
