Update for Residential Students
Summary of updates and reminders:
- Residential students should leave campus by 12:00 noon on Saturday, March 14 and plan to not return until Sunday, March 29 after 10:00am.
- Residential students may request to remain on campus from March 14–29 through this link, and explain the circumstances which prohibit them from returning home.
- Residential students who are approved to remain on campus should plan to practice social distancing, and only travel off-campus for basic errands.
- Residential students must commit to either: (1) leaving campus for the two-week period, or (2) staying on campus for the two-week period (if approved), to fulfill the goal of social distancing.
- For those students approved to remain on campus, there will not be dining/meal service the week of Spring Break (March 14–21), as was originally scheduled. However, there will be limited dining/meal service the week of March 22–29.
- For students who are not approved to remain on campus, we will apply missed meals from March 22–29 to students’ accounts, for use at some point over the remainder of this semester.
- Instruction for undergraduate students will be online during the week following Spring Break, and the college plans to resume face-to-face instruction on March 30.
Dear Goucher Students:
We are writing to update you on the college’s decision to ask residential students to leave campus over Spring Break and the following week (March 22–29). As was also shared, we will move to online instruction for the week of March 23–27. There is the possibility that the college might need to extend the online instruction mandate for an additional week, should conditions warrant. However, at this time we are not planning to move to an online instruction model for the remainder of the semester as some colleges have done. We expect to resume face-to-face instruction on campus as of March 30th.
We have taken these steps to help slow the spread of the coronavirus/COVID-19, and to provide time to work with local public health officials in further assessing and determining appropriate courses of action. We are asking every student who is able to leave to depart for the entire two weeks from March 14 until March 29. We realize that this places a heavy burden on many students and families; however, we believe this is the appropriate response to this global pandemic. We are taking all reasonable measures to minimize these burdens and will be providing additional updates in the days to come.
For those students who have submitted requests to remain on campus, the Residential Life staff is currently evaluating those requests, and will be responding to students in the coming hours. As a reminder, those students most likely to be approved to remain on campus are those whose permanent residence is outside the US, some in-season spring athletes, and students with extreme circumstances which prohibit them from returning home. The provision allowing in-season student athletes to remain on campus during the two-week period is due to conference requirements, and is subject to change, based upon any upcoming decisions by the Landmark Conference.
We know there are questions about whether students’ hometowns constitute an area where sustained community transmission of COVID-19 is prevalent. While the public information in this regard is still developing, students from California, New York, and Washington state should pay special attention to whether there is sustained community transmission in their hometown. If students need assistance in making a judgment about their hometown area, they should contact the department of health in their city or county of residence.
As a reminder, we will not have dining/meal service the week of Spring Break (March 14–21), just as was originally scheduled. However, for those students who are approved to remain on campus for the two-week period, limited dining/meal service will be provided for March 22–29. For students who are not approved to stay on campus, we will apply missed meals from March 22–29 to students’ accounts, for use at some point over the remainder of this semester.
We will continue to provide regular updates as information becomes available, and we are grateful for your patience and understanding during these unprecedented times.
Sincerely,
Bryan F. Coker, Ph.D., Vice President and Dean of Students
Lindy Bobbitt, Director of Residential Life