Children around the world thank teachers for helping them keep learning before, during and after COVID-19 school closures. Special Celebrations and New Traditions Planned for this May We must also find meaningful ways to celebrate the Class of 2020 this spring. Quarantine may occur anywhere the student feels most comfortable, e.g. We understand that a positive test result is by its nature distressing. We continue to place first priority on the health of our community. Their actions have resulted in sanctions, which in some instances include removal from campus housing and/or separation from the campus community. All of our lives have been upended by COVID-19 and we will all be balancing competing demands for some time to come. Symptomatic students may be tested and treated through the Student Health Center. We know we can help by providing as much clarity as we can, as soon as we have it. The Office of Student Affairs is overseeing student support during this transition. With great strength of purpose, William & Mary students and their families, faculty and staff embraced the work of safeguarding our community while ensuring that our learning and research mission remains strong. In that capacity, I write with an update on the spring semester. Social class juniors, seniors, and graduate students may request housing contract release without penalty. We want to support your success as we transition online. All general requirements stated above apply. 10 Awe-Inspiring Quotes for Teachers and Parents As we move forward, we are committed to ensuring the standards of excellence that distinguish a William & Mary education. As COVID-19 cases rose sharply in Williamsburg this week, I shared the wrenching news that we would need to close dorms and find the students still on campus places to stay where they can more safely self-quarantine. Thank you for your resilience and kindness and for being a constant in a time of rapid change. We ask the community to be aware that the public health context and VA directives will continue to change in the coming weeks. Just days before New Jersey GovernorPhil Murphyannounced schools in the state will remain closed for this academic year, staff from a Bridgewater elementary school virtually banded together to spread an uplifting message to their students. Something I find quite moving: in recent days, so many students and families have asked how you can help peers in need. 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. Our youth do not have the years of wisdom many of their teachers, counselors, and educators have from living more life on this earth than they. 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. This virtual goodbye is not the forever goodbye, said Mills. Many of you are back in the classroom, as Arts & Sciences, Education, and VIMS started classes this week. The upcoming tests will also be processed by William & Marys partner lab, Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories, facilitated by VCU Health System. Here are two web resources that provide additional information: Connecting remotely to campus IT resources. According to the CDC, symptoms of fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath appear within 14 days after being exposed to the disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best in many peoplepeople who have shown compassion and empathy and offered a helping hand to others during this extraordinary time. We are making decisions in a phased, evidence-based way and understand extreme flexibility is essential to our plan. You will make the best memories at SHU; your friends, your professors and classes, everything. We are planning a phased move-in for undergraduate students living in on-campus housing. "Thank you teacher" | UNICEF Administrators were the ones most often caught in the crossfire: 42% said they experienced this behavior from parents, while 37% said they got it from students. Teachers on Covid: lessons learned and advice to pass along Please read through all information, which includes: We recognize that this fall semester will feel very different for us all. No university-sponsored travel (domestic or international) will take place, unless required to meet obligations of externally sponsored research or state scientific advisory services. 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. What a fall this has been! These prudent measures ultimately increase our ability to be together as a community by decreasing the density on campus at a critical time. As always in these uncertain times, we will adhere to Virginias public health advisories to ensure the safety of all participating in and supporting events in the coming year. A number of students have inquired about Summer 2021 course offerings. We will have more general information about Summer 2021 later this summer. That is all. As a result, Gov. I love the way your mind works and promise to come see Mrs. Richards next year.. In an emergency situation, WMPD will help with a lockout, but we need this to be a last resort. As an alumnus and employee, I have had the privilege of being associated with Springfield College for 36 years. I miss them. On April 28, a video was shared on YouTube featuring the principal, teachers and staff members of the Van Holten Primary School. As we navigate this new territory together, that spirit of partnership will be essential. Testing frequency and population percentage will evolve based on campus trends and available testing methods. "I was so happy when I saw it. We determined that the logistics company Kallaco and its CLIA-Certified lab partners, including Opteo, provided the best balance of things we needed: high-quality clinical testing laboratories (CLIA is the gold standard); volume of tests available for those laboratories, and turnaround times. - George Burns. I felt like I was actually with you and the other teachers.". Duty Office Hours. Touchless temperature stations placed strategically around campus will support self-assessment. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. The entire faculty Provost, deans, department chairs and faculty members quickly moved more than 2,000 classes to distance learning, ensuring that teaching remains vibrant despite a mid-semester interruption and that our students remain the focus. Barnes & Noble, through VitalSource, has made arrangements for students to have free access to eTextbooks. Restoring student motivation after COVID | Harvard Graduate School of Because children look to their parents for signs of safety, parents may need to put more effort into expressing confidence and security with words and body language in addition to facial expressions. 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. Graduate students residing in university housing. As we continue to chart a path forward together, I feel honored to be part of this community. Since January of this year, W&M has been monitoring the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and actively responding, in close consultation with public health experts, the VA Department of Health and our peers. For more inspiring messages, check out these inspirational quotes about hope and healing. Testing frequency and population percentage will evolve based on campus trends and available testing methods. We must do all in our power to protect one another. (Photo: Natalie Wieland). 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. You will be able to quickly register your opinion by responding to the text with a yes/no or numerical value. Thanks for your flexibility, resourcefulness, creativity, and kindness. We are living, learning, and connecting with one another in new ways. Please know that although the Residence Life office is closed to the general public they will still be responding to emails sent to living@wm.edu. Celebrating the work of W&M faculty, staff and students. Itonly takes a handful of studentsbehavingrecklessly, to jeopardizetheabilityfor all of usto be on campus this fall. When it's dark, look for stars.". If you have direct questions for Residence Life, all communications have been sent to student W&M emails and shared via our Residence Life website. Amy SebringVice President for Finance and Technology. That plan reflected the work of five Plan Ahead squads composed of campus experts faculty, staff, students, administrators. As for how the video came together, PrincipalGeorge Rauh explained to E! Please review the 2020-21 Resource Guide (pdf) for more details, but a summary of essential points include: For Fall 2020, use of space at William & Mary is dedicated to core mission activities and restricted to the immediate campus community. Group Gatherings. Working closely with our local and state health officials, as well as our Virginia university partners, W&M is closely monitoring all guidance related to health and safety practices and protocols. The ability to physically distance within a space does not eliminate the above requirements. Please note that intentional submissionsof false reports are subject to disciplinary action. Connect with your friends in small groups, outside (where the ventilation is good), and with masks on. KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19. Build a snow sculpture. Students who lived on campus in the fall but have a fully remote schedule for the spring semester may request a release from their housing contracts. The five most-mentioned feelings among all teachers were anxious, fearful, worried, overwhelmed, and sad. Until then, may this community and those we love be healthy and safe. The emotions many of us feel this week have been intensely mixed, with good reason. All testing and distancing protocols will remain in effect. We will redouble our efforts to support one another, to reach out and to commit to making choices that minimize risk to all. As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, Commencement 2020 has been front-of-mind for our graduating students and their families. When we experience emotions like sadness and anxiety, research suggests that expressing them through visual and performing arts is one of the most effective ways to address them. As we begin to plan for next year and ways in which we can flatten the curve of financial impact for our community, the Board and administration concurred that freezing tuition and mandatory fees for all students at the current years level was critical, as were other prudent decisions to freeze new hiring and limit other costs.What has been especially evident to us is the very thoughtful and capable manner in which the university community has responded to this emergency. With the exception ofOctober 19, when well start at 9:00 AM, testing will be available for students from 7:30 a.m. 4:00p.m.each day. Even if you are unable to give in the same way as before, every gift, no matter the size, helps. We remind the community of CDC guidelines and recommendations, which include a self-quarantine of 14 days after travel abroad in specific regions. You bring me more joy and happiness than any of you can imagine, and I hope we are together again soon. Justin M. The whole purpose of this quarantine time is to keep as many of us safe and healthy as possible. The universitys Path Forward: Fall 2020 lays out our commitment to highly engaged and close connections between teachers and students; that commitment underpins the effort to return to in-person experiences as appropriate under pandemic conditions. Thank you again for your patience as William & Mary finalized the policy and processes that enabled us to issue student rebates. May we each commit to doing our part to mitigate risk, to actively demonstrate our care for the physical and emotional well-being of others, and to complete a successful year together. Graduate schools will be in direct contact with students by the end of October regarding spring break days and other academic calendar considerations. Extending the time between phases of return allows us to welcome new students in our community safely, helping them form connections. The provost and deans offices will coordinate this transition for all academic programs. Technology is a saving grace and has made virtual learning possible, but it's still not the same as going to school and learning. The August on-campus move-in dates for the following groups of students are not affected by this adjustment. By taking further preventative steps, we maximize time for measured transitions and reduce the risk of future disruptions to our teaching, learning and research mission. Take care of yourself and know your limits Teaching can be an extremely stressful profession, particularly now. This is the second time in its history that a BOV committee met virtually under rules established by the Attorney General in response to the State of Emergency in Virginia. William & Marys Public Health Advisory Team and the COVID-19 Response Team continue to closely follow local, regional, state and national developments during the pandemic. We are always grateful for the work that you do, but at this particular moment in time, we are even more appreciative for your work and your caring for students. Working as swiftly as they can, they will apply eligible rebates no later than April 10. To support that effort, yesterday, Provost Agouris shared temporary adjustments to grading policy for this semester that provide options to undergraduate students in different situations. To ensure a fast and secure refund, please sign up for direct deposit through Banners eServices. Students Suffer. Our mission calls us to convene together, and we have all explicitly committed to supporting that mission in this time. William & Marys response to the pandemic and reopening follows Commonwealth guidelines. We'd love to know what messages are giving you strength, today and every day. Teachers Share Uplifting Message to Their Students Amid Coronavirus Pandemic In these trying times, this school staff has gone the extra mile to make sure their students know they are. We are so looking forward to welcoming our sophomores, juniors, and seniors back to campus this weekend! Specifics on operations for all employees will be announced by the week of November 16. Additional details will be shared early next week. We are firm in our convictionsour actionswillbe swift anddirectfor those who arent following theguidelineswe have in place. Its been tough, and she said an added challenge for her students is having the equipment to connect with her virtually, whether its because of not having the means or not having internet access . Teachers, in a non-coronavirus world, already had to deal with an array of student challenges, parents, and an unrealistic amount of standardized testing. Room and board costs will be adjusted accordingly. So many offices and individuals on campus have been working incredibly hard behind the scenes over the past weeks. Wieland teaches sophomores, juniors and seniors in her Pre-AP and AP chemistry courses. It is equally disruptive for faculty and staff. Watch: Teachers Share Uplifting Messages to Students Amid Coronavirus In these trying times, this school staff has gone the extra mile to make sure their students know they are missed. Helping Young Children and Parents Transition Back to School