Dear Students and Colleagues,
Nothing is more important to me than the well-being of this community. The COVID-19 Incident Team, the senior leadership team, and I have been meeting for weeks and monitoring the ongoing COVID-19 public health developments to determine the best path forward. With careful consideration and after intensive research and discussion, we have made the difficult decision to move to remote learning for the remainder of the semester.
We considered all options thoughtfully. I know it will have a profound impact on us all. We are deeply committed to maintaining the excellent teaching and learning standards at Rhodes College and addressing this unprecedented situation as equitably as possible.
Our decision is grounded in our responsibility for the well-being of our students, our employees, and our Memphis neighbors. Various health experts have warned us that we should expect heightened levels of risk over the next several weeks and should anticipate that cases of the virus would emerge at Rhodes if we were to continue the spring semester as usual.
The close campus quarters in which we live, learn, eat, and work would make it difficult for us to ensure the health and safety of our campus during an outbreak. In moving to a remote learning plan, we aim to reduce the number of people on campus while continuing to allow students to complete their academic semester.
In light of these extraordinary realities, I am writing to you to let you know that we will be making significant changes for this semester:
- Classes are cancelled March 16th through 20th and all subsequent in-person classes will be delivered through remote learning.
- Remote learning will begin on Monday, March 23rd. This will give our faculty and students time to prepare for this new phase of the semester. All academic requirements will be met remotely.
- This remote learning format will allow the small classes and one-on-one attention that is a hallmark of a Rhodes education. Faculty will determine the best instructional methods for their classes and will use a variety of platforms and resources to meet their teaching goals.
- Issues related to internships and other special learning situations will be handled individually. Students who remain in Memphis have the option of continuing their internships with the permission of their host sites.
- Students who are able to do so must move out of on-campus housing no later than Wednesday, March 18th by 5:00 p.m. We will refund a portion of the cost of room and board for students who leave campus. Students with compelling need––for example international students, students without reliable internet access, or students without a home or safe home––may request to remain on campus during this time via a waiver request.
- All in person public lectures and gatherings are cancelled for the remainder of the semester. Events that can be delivered remotely may continue.
- Intercollegiate athletic competition on campus is also cancelled through the end of the season, effective today.
- Academic advising, counseling services, career advising, and many other student services will be available remotely. Information will be forthcoming.
- Students with work study jobs should expect to hear from the office of financial aid shortly.
- At this point, the college is not closed, and we do not have plans to close the campus. Staff and Faculty will continue to have access to their offices and labs. Services and amenities on campus will be limited and the college will practice recommended social distancing and mitigation efforts.
As we made these decisions, we have been guided by several principles. We remain committed to:
- Providing a high-quality learning experience, allowing all students to complete their semester’s credits.
- Providing key student support services including academic and career advising, counseling, and opportunities for leadership development.
- Providing a safe and stable employment environment for faculty and staff.
- Sharing the burden of this public health crisis equitably, recognizing that students and employees with fewer resources may need different accommodations than those with greater resources.
- Maintaining a spirit of community even as we are physically separated.
This is an unprecedented decision for the college, and we ask for your patience as we work out the details of what this remote learning plan will mean. This is a difficult situation for everyone. We will rely on the spirit of resilience and shared concern that defines us as members of this community at Rhodes College.
I am grateful for the hard work of campus leaders—staff, faculty, and students—who have assisted us in planning and decision-making.
We are committed to working with students in special situations. I am sure many questions will enter your mind—some of which we may be able to answer right away and others that will take some time to research. We have set up a dedicated website for students and parents, which we will continue to update. Please send us your questions through this form and we will respond as quickly as possible. You can expect to hear from me and our team regularly.
I am aware that there have been incidents of bigotry and especially prejudice against our Asian people across the world. The student leaders of our Rhodes A.S.I.A. club have been proactive in responding to this. I share their concerns. This is a moment to underline the importance of respect and understanding and our commitment to fostering a community in which diversity is valued and welcomed. We are all responsible for making sure that fear does not overcome our best natures.
I know many of us consider Rhodes home and will dearly miss the tight knit community that we have built here. It is indeed what makes our college who it is. I know that, especially for seniors, this will be disappointing and even heartbreaking news. My heart has broken several times today as I thought about each member of our community. This has been the most difficult decision in my years of leadership, but I am confident it is in the best interest of our community.
President Marjorie Hass