President McCartney announced Wednesday that, contrary to the original plan put out by the college, students – except those who absolutely cannot learn remotely – will not be allowed back to campus for the fall semester due to an increase of COVID-19 cases around the country and in Massachusetts.
McCartney announced in a July 6 email that first year and sophomore students as well as seniors graduating in January or students who needed to be on campus to complete a thesis would be allowed to return to campus for the fall semester. Juniors and seniors would take classes remotely and then return to campus in the spring.
Now, as a result of rising health and safety concerns, President McCartney has announced that all courses for the fall semester, including for graduate and post-bacc students, will only be offered remotely and those previously invited back to campus will no longer be brought back.
McCartney cited a variety of concerns around reopening including an increase in transmission rates nationally and in Massachusetts, high potential for asymptomatic spread and the difficulty of creating the necessary conditions to protect schools from an outbreak of the virus.
“As critical as higher education may be, none of us wants it to be the driver of a second wave of virus transmission in our host communities,” McCartney wrote. “While the mode of instruction is changing temporarily, students will still receive the high-quality academic experience they have come to expect from Smith College.”
McCartney also noted that limiting the number of students and employees on campus will mitigate potential exposure not only for the Smith community but for people living in the Northampton area who would also face higher risk of infection if students were to return to the area. She stated the importance of limiting travel in and out of Massachusetts.
Under federal law, first year international students will not be able to obtain an F-1 visa as Smith’s academic programming will be fully remote, an FAQ on Smith’s website stated. Any international student who takes a leave of absence will have to leave the U.S.
The FAQ also stated that only those students who demonstrate a complete inability to meet academic outcomes in their home environments may apply to be in residence. Students currently on campus will be contacted August 6 regarding housing permissions. Ada Comstock Scholars already assigned on campus housing will remain but no additional Adas will be assigned housing. Additionally, graduate students currently living in campus housing may remain.
If the college is able to bring students back to campus in the spring, juniors and seniors will be prioritized per the original plan put out by the college.
“I remain optimistic that, with improved treatment and prevention protocols, we will be able to return to life together, in person, in this remarkable community,” McCartney wrote. She encouraged students to send any questions to covid19info@smith.edu.
