Jack Margaros
@JackMargaros
On Wednesday morning, Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper revealed the school’s preliminary plans to bring students back to campus for the upcoming fall semester.
Students will experience a full 15-week semester with a unique layout:
- The first day of classes will be on Monday, August 31 (a week earlier than planned), and classes will be held on Labor Day, Monday, September 7.
- The last day of finals will be on Tuesday, December 15, also a week earlier than originally planned.
- On-campus instruction on Friday, November 20th. There will be no classes during Thanksgiving week in order to allow for a staggered move-out of students.
- Classes will resume remotely on Monday, November 30th. Final exams will be conducted remotely.
In terms of health and safety protocols, Springfield will enforce the use of masks, social distancing and enhanced hygiene. There will be testing and contact tracing programs implemented, as well as identifying spaces for isolation should a student test positive.
Cooper also stressed the importance of every Springfield community member taking the necessary steps to reduce the possibility of the coronavirus making its way to campus.
“Successfully remaining on campus throughout the fall semester will depend on the degree to which we, as a community, work together to reduce the possibility of the virus appearing on campus and, if it does, responding quickly to limit its spread,” she said in the email.
Students who do not feel comfortable taking classes in-person or living on campus will be given opportunities to commute or learn remotely. Cheney Dining Hall and the Student Union are in the process of being reconfigured to ensure safe dining. Certain courses could be a mixture of remote/online learning and small group meetings with proper distancing. Upon additional guidance and plans from the state of Massachusetts, the school will finalize its fall semester plans to be reviewed and approved.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Featured photo: Springfield College