-- Ed. All other students should delay their return. We anticipate bringing sophomores, juniors and seniors back to campus in early September. Our goal is to host a grand celebration in May 2021 for the Class of 2020, with all the joy and the cherished traditions that make W&M Commencements special. Teaching and learning at a distance for the remainder of the semester will pose challenges, some we can anticipate and others we will encounter as we go. Thank you again for your patience as William & Mary finalized the policy and processes that enabled us to issue student rebates. In that message, she emphasized that confirmed conduct violations would be dealt with through the student conduct process and could result in consequences including separation. Today, Virginia Gov. Updates will include information about prizes & award nominations, diploma mailing, the timeline for ordering regalia, and registering for Octobers ceremony tickets. Volunteers at William & Mary must provide this critical support remotely. We welcome the insights that early start may yield for the rest of us. As we embark on a new semester tomorrow, the importance of ourHealthy Together Community Commitmentcannot be overstated. I am inspired by the resilience and compassion so many have demonstrated during this time. The Student Health Center will provide instructions on necessary next steps. So the deans, faculty, and staff are empowering each other to explore as many solutions as warranted for each discipline and each students learning situation. We are so proud of this community and the way it has shown its heart from small acts of kindness to larger efforts in response to COVID-19. will be limited for those with compelling reasons to be present, such as international students. Through education and regular public health messaging across campus, we will reinforce that everyone must follow the guidelines for mitigating risk during this time of pandemic, including mask wearing, physical distancing and handwashing. Please read the, Freshman and sophomore students are still required to live on campus. Please take a moment to review FAQs about the transition from fall to spring semester. These appropriate measures aim to slow spread and reduce incidence of COVID-19, which had risen at the end of this month. Residence Hall check-in will take place by appointment. You can sign up to volunteer on the Virginia Volunteer Health System website. Tribe Market is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Chick-fil-A is to-go only, no indoor seating. It is important to realize, however, that elimination of all risk is not possible. A total of 1,717 COVID-19 cases were reported in Massachusetts schools in the last week. As we plan for our spring semester, our overarching goals remain steadfast: to prioritize the health and well-being of the community; to keep teaching, learning and pursuing research; and to continue adapting our living, learning and working environments so as to mitigate the spread of the virus. A Student Health Center physician will clear you to return to normal campus activity after 10 days, as long as you have gone at least 24 hours without symptoms, including no fever (without the use of fever-suppressing medications). Please review the updates that include information about PPE, plans for symptom tracking and testing, hygiene practices and disinfecting protocols, face covering requirements and adaptations for both classroom and co-curricular spaces, including dining and residence halls. Great quotes make complexity simple. All great ideas are welcome as we work together to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and mitigate disruption. Katherine Rowe President Ginger Ambler Chair, Commencement Committee and Vice President for Student Affairs. In June we will have more details to share about ways we can prepare for the upcoming academic year. The universitys goal is to prioritize safety while offering as much in-person instruction as possible. W&M requires all employees and all students registered for courses to sign the Healthy Together Community Commitment and complete public health training. As for how the video came together, PrincipalGeorge Rauh explained to E! Event sponsors should explore solutions that include canceling, rescheduling or moving to alternative platforms. William & Mary has faced profound adversities before and flourished. Itonly takes a handful of studentsbehavingrecklesslyto jeopardizetheabilityfor all of usto be on campus this fall. I would like to thank you again for your incredible commitment to our healthy community and wish you the best as we continue through the second half of the fall semester together. We hope this information proves helpful and comforting. Now more than ever, I trust that our powerful sense of community will help sustain us, even as we adapt to new ways of connecting, learning, and affirming belonging., As the week begins here in Williamsburg, our top priority is supporting students as on-line learning commences and as we prepare for the closing of Residence Halls on Wednesday. Teacher Appreciation in the Time of Coronavirus | American Institutes If you see something, say something. Cognitively: studying together speeds and deepens learning in myriad ways. Thank you for your cooperation. This month we are adding a third effort: planning ahead for next year. 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 theme of my message is simple: You're amazing! Try these tips to help you create custom messages to share with your guests. Do not be selfish your actions impact the entire community. How to Support Teachers' Emotional Needs Right Now - Greater Good Currently, the state is. 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. 1,717 COVID Cases Reported Among Mass. Teachers and Students in Last Week Take care of yourself and each other (from a safe distance of course). We continue to be guided first and foremost by the advice of our local health authorities. As we work through immediate-term solutions in crisis mode, we will begin to shift to living, teachingand learning during a pandemic. 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. You will be able to quickly register your opinion by responding to the text with a yes/no or numerical value. As a result, some local students will be chosen to conduct a test at the clinic at 332 N. Henry Street. It operates within Blackboard and Google Chrome to validate identity and monitor student exam sessions via screen and webcam recordings. If you bring guests with you, they must remain in your vehicle. Thanks to each of you for your creativity, understanding and commitment to this shared effort. 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. The full Board will meet electronically on Tuesday, May 12th.President Katherine Rowe and the senior leadership team briefed us on the various efforts across campus to respond to the crisis and prepare for the future. It outlines hygiene practices and how to best navigate situations in which the people around you dont uphold our communitys standards. Removal of any member of our university community is not a decision we take lightly, and following our student conduct procedures provides due process for each individual. 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. By reaching out after a positive test or by answering our call, you gain immediate help and protect other members of the campus community. How Teachers Are Coping With the New Realities of the COVID-19 Classroom We will continue to communicate regularly, to provide as much clarity as feasible, as soon as possible. We recognize the stress this uncertainty places on students, families, faculty, staff and the communities we belong to. Walk slowly through your neighborhood or in your backyard and discover what Spring looks like. Cindy K. Its easy to feel helpless in situations like this, but we can make small differences. In the spirit of both/and, we will honor them in both May and October, both virtually and in person, in ways that are traditional, new, and joyful. We can succeed whereso manyother schools could not that number of universities is growing daily. They require dedication and sacrifice from our students, faculty and staff. All domestic students are expected to self-quarantine for eight days before arriving on-campus; students coming from international destinations must self-quarantine per CDC Guidelines (currently 14 days). Letter #2. Thank you for being our rock stars, everyday heroes, and for answering this call of duty. Ginger AmblerChair, Commencement CommitteeVice President for Student Affairs. School districts and schools should also support the social, emotional, and mental health needs of all staff. 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. For undergraduates, there will be six spring break days: On these spring break days, classes will not meet and no due dates for assignments or exams will be scheduled. We wish you the greatest success during this extraordinary period and into the future. COVID-19 poses an unprecedented threat to public health; so too this pandemic threatens the financial health of millions of households and institutions around the globe. Yet it is one thing to plan for hypotheticals and another to make decisions in real-time, under ambiguous circumstances, adjusting as new information arrives hourly. 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. Marjorie Thomas, Dean of StudentsMark Hofer, Director of the Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation. For some, there may be real sacrifices, unexpected challenges or burdens that are hard to see. Dear William & Mary Students, Faculty & Staff. As denial moves to anger or frustration, bargaining, and depression, teaching and learning performance may dip, and both students and teachers may need guidance about how to cope with the grief and loss associated with the change and reassurance that circumstances will improve. This remains a very fluid situation. We are in wholly new territory and will learn as we go, together. Verified disregard for mask-wearing, social distancing and other practices will not be tolerated. "It is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.". In an emergency situation, WMPD will help with a lockout, but we need this to be a last resort. These prudent measures ultimately increase our ability to be together as a community by decreasing the density on campus at a critical time. That I am thinking of them and missing them daily. Please read through all information, which includes: We recognize that this fall semester will feel very different for us all. Quarantine may occur anywhere the student feels most comfortable, e.g. Students who studied remotely in fall and wish to live in residence halls in spring may complete a housing application in the. White was exhausted and disillusioned from dealing with bad student behavior, which had escalated since schools reopened after the pandemic closures. Kick a ball around. They become our families each year and we love them fiercely, even when they cant follow through or act out or dont do the work. When it's dark, look for stars.". Rebates will be applied to your student account on or before Friday, April 10, through direct deposit or via check if you are not currently enrolled in direct deposit. Completion of the training program must occur by Monday, Aug. 24. The COVID-19 testing group will soon begin contacting students by email to coordinate test registration and shipments, based on students anticipated arrival dates. "Our students and community have responded to the video in a very positive fashion," he noted before reading appreciative responses from students and their families. It seemed so specialI miss you so much. But many parents and educators have been struggling with their new . Remote proctoring provides a reliable process for identity verification and secure testing environments. The invitation: in order to create some space to reflect together, I will be hosting a virtual Community Conversation (www.wm.edu/conversation) from the Presidents House this Friday at 2 p.m. by. In our residential setting, we interpret this as roommate/suitemate groups. Today, we are announcing rebates for the spring semester, for eligible students, as follows. Symptomatic students may be tested and treated through the Student Health Center. Starting next week, we will begin a program of prevalence testing, beginning with an initial sampling of 5% of the student body and 2% of the employee/contractor population. I miss each and every one of the kids in the pre-school, Pre-K, and kindergarten classes where I work. This accomplishment is hard-earned. Instead, approach lower grades with compassion, and help kids find intrinsic motivation. As we prepare to change our instructional delivery modes starting next week, we are expanding the pass-fail option for Spring 2020.