Students who need accessibility accommodations to fully participate in the fall semester campus housing, curricular offerings, etc. For travel guidance, see CDC's Travel webpage. Additionally, if you do not have WiFi connectivity or access to the internet and currently have a cellular phone, you may want to contact your carrier to determine if your phone has the ability to serve as a mobile hotspot. The spring course schedule will include in-person, blended and fully-remote sections, as the fall semester did. And remember: We're not gonna' let COVID-19 beat us. Editors note: Phased planning has amended some information included in the July 22 message. Some students and faculty may elect simply to unplug and rest on these days; others will want to participate in a variety of recreational, social, wellness and service opportunities that will be announced later. Violations of this personal commitment endanger our collective well-being and will result indisciplinary action. (Photo: Natalie Wieland). This option was provided at the request of fellow students who desired to forego their rebates. Provost Agouris and the deans have encouraged teachers to approach this transition as a period of discovery, with students as our chief partners. Dear William & Mary Community, At our first weekly Community Conversation, I invited our far-flung William & Maryfamily to learn how the Alma Mater of the Nation is responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Full or partial remote work at William & Mary will require a telework agreement. With a better understanding of the viruss progress nationally, we will identify a time when we can convene such a sizable group without great risk to health. Wear a high-quality mask if you must be around others at home and in public. On March 12, 2020, Virginias Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic that is ongoing. During the first lockdown in Spring 2020, teachers, students and parents had to face the challenge of maintaining learning processes via remote schooling in Germany, as in almost all European countries ().Short-term modifications without sufficient experience were necessary and forced all providers and . Cognitively: studying together speeds and deepens learning in myriad ways. The ways you grow and learn are unbelievable. Testing is an important part of the multiple strategies W&M uses to safeguard the health of students and employees by reducing transmission on campus. This message was sent to students, staff, faculty and other academic personnel at the University of Washington's Bothell and Seattle campuses on behalf of the UW Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases. You can also access Kids Help Phone's e-mental health services 24/7 for support. When it's dark, look for stars.". Please mark your calendars. at home with family, at an apartment, at a hotel, etc. -- Ed. The world is watching, and we want W&M to be the model for how universities can successfully operate in person during a pandemic. "Don . If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. I am proud of each and every one of you. Tressa S. We know being home (in sometimes tight quarters) is tough on everyone, so now is the time to dig deep and be kind. Thank you for the questions you have submitted through the Path Forward website and via email. William & Mary is proud of you, and we look forward to coming together to celebrate you. Based on these determinations and the most recent federal and state guidelines, Family Weekend 2020 will be re-imagined as a fully virtual event. We will redouble our efforts to support one another, to reach out and to commit to making choices that minimize risk to all. We wish you the greatest success during this extraordinary period and into the future. I write also to acknowledge the incredible difficulty of what we are undertaking. The prior message you received included incorrect information regarding the time frame for tests to be analyzed and results posted for view in your Kallaco account. Yet at a time of loss and sacrifice, we have also made gains. While many students are complying with the rules and regulations set forth in our Healthy Together Community Commitment,too many are not. I feel great pride in our communitys shared commitment to this effort, despite the sacrifices that it has entailed. This note has only one piece of business, an invitation, and then reflections on insights that have been shared with me this week from many different sources. Over the past weeks and through next year, we strive to flatten the curve of the financial impact on W&M, our faculty, students and families, staffand region. As this world faces our greatest shared challenge in living memory, its humbling that so many of you are asking how to help William & Mary. This week, we have also made progress on key decisions regarding room, board, and parking costs. We make these decisions in conjunction with the advice of local health authorities, recognizing that the Peninsula Health District, in which our main campus resides, has a dense concentration of positive COVID-19 test results now including individuals on our campus. Our plan is for 5% of the student population and 2% of employees to be tested every two weeks throughout the semester, pulled from the local and on-campus population. By establishing a care network, we hope to lessen the complications of navigating the university system as you work to remain well or recover. Instructional design support for technology-enhanced instruction. All residential students also have agreed to adhere to specific Covid-19 Health and Well-Being Policies as part of theirhousing contract. Student tuition and fees make up our biggest source of revenue. We are working with real-time information, assessing current conditions and predictions for future trends with expert advice guidance from authorities in infectious disease, epidemiology and our regional public health partners. As teachers we encourage our people to remain at home, minimize movements and maintain social distance. These are the tests required for move-in and in-person instruction; W&M does not plan to accept outside test results due to the variability and efficacy of COVID-19 tests nationally and difficulties in streamlining testing results and reporting requirements from multiple sources. Spikes in positive COVID-19 cases at other institutions came in the first few days after students arrived on campus, often as a result of large gatherings where mask-wearing and physical distancing expectations were ignored. And we will pick up right where we left off!! I should be coming in every day having my kids in my classroom, she explained. Heres what they said: Out of the hundreds of teachers who told us what they wanted students to know, 100% started by saying they miss them. Nothing is more important than the health and wellness of our community. Volunteer boards must hold their meetings remotely, including their executive and committee meetings. Every institution has continuity plans with scenarios for epidemics, W&M included. W&M leadership will continually evaluate our path forward in light of those changes. Technology Questions? COVID-19 testing is relatively new and questions are understandable. In order to provide restorative breaks while remaining vigilant about the spread of COVID-19, we will offer individual spring break days in 2021, rather than a consecutive, five-day break. While the governor loosened some restrictions, William & Marys requirements remain in place, to minimize spread of the COVID-19 virus: So far, your compliance with these basic requirements has resulted in a limited number of positive cases in the community. Masks should be worn when moving around on campus. A. Milne. Having concluded this process, the university has made the decision to offer rebates to all students with a university housing contract, meal plan and/or parking pass, regardless of the use of institutional aid. University requirements for face coverings apply to all faculty, staff, students, contract workers, vendors and others who are on William & Marys various campuses or enter university owned or leased buildings. Undergraduate, graduate Arts & Sciences, and Marine Science classes will begin January 27 and end May 7. Slots are first come, first served. Because our initial testing round began several weeks ago and based on patterns we are seeing at other campuses, during the first week after arrival we have decided to conduct a second required round of testing. At W&M, we take care of one another. Last Friday, a William & Mary faculty member shared her experience of being in the final year of her Ph.D. program in New Orleans in 2005, during Hurricane Katrina. For a close-knit community that treasures our ceremonies, Commencement stands out as among our most cherished. Completing the address confirmation and questionnaire is necessary, but your test may not ship immediately. We love them. My sincere thanks to all parents who have entrusted students into our care during this time. Do not be selfish your actions impact the entire community. Social distancing protocols will be in place and we will require compliance with these actions. Seeing people wearing their masks on campus and in the surrounding community hearing faculty and staff talk about connecting to students in Williamsburg and around the world I feel pride and hope as the semester comes alive. The COVID-19 Response Team is pleased that health metrics in Hampton Roads have improved over the past few weeks. A compilation of resources was created and shared last week with all students who had alerted us to their urgent need; the Dean of Students and Reves Center teams are following up with those students by phone today to determine what needs have yet to be met. The following have three themes in common: 1) They speak to parents and teachers. Responses will be tallied as they come in, but not saved by individual student. Our neighbors,parentsand friends have pulled together to support this community through words of encouragement, guidanceand continued investment. William & Marys funding model centers on people. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Sign Up for Daily News & Breaking News Newsletters, Sign up for Digging Deep: Inside KXAN Investigates newsletter. We will continue to add to this calendar overview so all students have the dates that are most critical to planning for fall. Looking ahead, we must prepare for possible reductions in state support in FY21, as the Governor and General Assembly have predicted significant revenue shortfalls. We know how challenging learning has been during the pandemic. School outbreak. Volunteers at William & Mary must provide this critical support remotely. If possible remove all of your belongings at this time and complete the online check out process. "It is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.". As William & Mary moves into the Fall 2020 semester, the COVID-19 Response Team provides the following summary of the universitys testing protocol for students and employees. We asked students, faculty, and staff to email us their thank-you notes to those who have helped, supported, or encouraged them. 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On nearly a daily basis, new reports emerge from institutions around the country of behavior that endangers the health of entire communities. Touchless temperature stations placed strategically around campus will support self-assessment. The information it provides allows us to better support your health, and for you to better protect the health of your friends, faculty members and support staff. An elementary school principal who had to quickly pivot her school to remote learning amid the novel coronavirus pandemic has implemented an array of tools for students, parents and teachers. Affirmation of the Healthy Together Community Commitment is required for anyone who will be living, learning, and working on campus this fall. Our ability to flourish through fall will depend on the commitment each member of the W&M community makes to one anothers health and safety. 3. I just really miss them. Cory L. WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Sadness comes with every cancellation that passes on the calendar of self-quarantine. Entry will be restricted to these doors. Nothing makes me prouder than the wonderful things our teachers do for their pupils. Socially: collaboration accelerates the creation of new knowledge much faster than solo effort. Virginias Phase 3 of reopening began July 1. Students should call ahead to schedule an appointment. The CRT also recommends that community members limit personal travel. Both the Provosts Office and Student Affairs want and need your real-time input concerning questions related to planning for the fall semester and beyond. A return to campus, like all aspects of life, carries with it potential risk. From a learning perspective, we know that the best-case scenario is to have students on campus in person. Residential students will need to take good care of themselves and one another. All testing and distancing protocols will remain in effect. The Bursars Office will credit the appropriate amounts to your student account. From students donating their rebates to others in need to our makerspaces creating personal protective equipment for first responders and healthcare workers, the people of W&M are finding ways to support one another, their families and their communities during this challenging time. 1 (or more) student/staff with COVID-19 in multiple classes/cohorts. . For employees, they will help transition to remote work or leave, coordinate notification to departments and arrange cleaning and disinfecting. Additional information about testing plans and protocols will be shared later this month details are being finalized in collaboration with a partnering third-party healthcare provider. Our researchers have pooled their PPEs and shared them with local hospitals resources we hope will extend the safety of our courageous local healthcare providers on the front line. Do not gather socially in larger groups in your residence halls, across campus or in locations in the community. Student Affairs is finalizing a process to consider exceptions for students who have compelling personal circumstances for returning to campus as part of the initial group in August. Assuming you returned the kits as promptly as expected, we do not anticipate the turnaround from lab to results will affect your ability to move in or begin classes as scheduled; however, we want you to know accurately when your test results will be available to view. Do not be the person who causes us to shut down this semester. Special Celebrations and New Traditions Planned for this May We must also find meaningful ways to celebrate the Class of 2020 this spring. Honorlock is an online remote proctoring service that allows students to take exams from home. Our fall calendar anticipated a winter surge and the urgent need we face now, nationally, to minimize every path of transmission for COVID-19. We want to hear your voice and believe this app will help us better stay in touch with student opinions as we plan ahead. A multi-tiered system of supports ( MTSS) framework, like positive behavioral interventions and supports, relies on a continuum of evidence-based practices matched to student needs. 16 After teachers and students cycle through the depression phase, UNICEF. While the series is mandatory, the COVID-19 Response Team hopes you will find the videos informative and reinforcing of the promises weve made to one another as community members through the Healthy Together Community Commitment. Build a snow sculpture. Some teachers left because of the challenges of teaching during a pandemic, while others were fearful they would contract Covid-19 and some were offered higher-paying jobs. In addition to the Healthy Together Community Commitment, every student at William & Mary is accountable to theStudent Code of Conduct. Heres to you, William & Marys remarkable Class of 2020! Students may also opt to return to their permanent homes/families as they await results. To this end, all members of the W&M campus community will be asked to affirm their commitment to shared actions to mitigate risk of spreading COVID-19, to show care and concern for others, and, thereby, to support the universitys ability to succeed during these most challenging of times. Next week we will update the campus on financial projections for FY21. Celebrating the work of W&M faculty, staff and students. Custodians had started cleaning, the walls in her classroom were bare and there were all kinds of things in the hallways. What are your favorite quotes or words of encouragement that have helped you during the Covid-19 pandemic? Online instruction will continue uninterrupted. Be calm, honest, and caring, and demonstrate a positive attitude to children. The frequency and population percentage will evolve based on campus trends, evolving science and available testing methods. They should be telling me their stories from the weekend and being with me and theyre not.. forced to try different methods to see what worked best for them and for their students. We will have a clearer picture of this impact when the state closes the books for this fiscal year and revises its revenue forecast later this summer. $3.50. Commons is set up as a to-go option only and no self-service. This is the time to show everyone what W&M students are capable of doing. Were writing with important news about a COVID-19 testing update. Symptomatic individuals awaiting test results will need to self-quarantine, rather than remain in their assigned residence halls. We have begun to see the positive effects of self-quarantine measures in flattening the curve of COVID-19 infection. Employees will receive a copy of the Healthy Together Community Commitment along with their PPE kits, and they will be asked to affirm the commitment as part of the required on-line COVID-19 training that will be made available by Human Resources via Cornerstone. This remains a very fluid situation. Many on campus are already exploring ways to use telecommuting, virtual meetings and buddy systems. COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruption to education, with a peak of more than 1.5 billion children in 190 countries out of school. "Thank you very much for doing that video. Preventing COVID-19 during travel and gatherings. Kimberley Gorelik on March 27, 2020 If your students can't hear you correct their grammar, are you even teaching? We strongly discourage all personal travel, domestic or international, and may require employees who do travel to self-quarantine upon return. "They reached out, said, You know we're feeling that our students aren't feeling connected to school. Itonly takes a handful of studentsbehavingrecklesslyto jeopardizetheabilityfor all of usto be on campus this fall. Below I share the additional details and guidance promised earlier today in the message you received from President Rowe and me related to directives from the Governors Office. Do not be the reason that valued W&M employees are furloughed or lose their jobs. Meals will be delivered to students in isolation in Richmond Hall. Mehta says that while traditional in-person school can be exhausting for students required to be "on . As we welcome new students into the William & Mary community and formally start classes, the excitement of a new academic year is palpable. As a reminder. That plan reflected the work of five Plan Ahead squads composed of campus experts faculty, staff, students, administrators. Group Gatherings. COVID-19 Messages to Students (2020) | William & Mary An archive of messages sent to William & Mary students about the university's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. And, no matter what happens this year, be proud of yourself, your resilience, and your ability to adapt to extreme circumstances. Many of the outbreaks to date have resulted from large gatherings of young adults, without masks and physical distancing. As the semester winds down, I write to share my gratitude for your steadfast and creative efforts over the past nine months of pandemic. It is based on collaborations with Commonwealth public higher education (including peer university public health and medical centers), CDC and VDH guidelines, and the Governors guidelines. Please note that future health conditions in our region may require adjustments to these proposed dates. We can mitigate, but not eliminate, risk of coronavirus transmission. Teachers all over the world have an obligation to educate not only their learners but the general populace on the dangers of the pandemic and the measures to take. We want to try to do something," he recalled. Several faculty members told her they had 100% virtual attendance in their sizable classes and they were able to be more available to students with later office hours. You can read additional information for students and employees below and on our Path Forward website. Simply browse our wellness departments' resource pages or our App and dive into something that speaks to you. Duty Offices in Residence Halls will remain closed at this time.