Dear Southwestern Students,
As of today, we are exactly one month into our 180th fall semester, and I’d like to take a moment to update you about what is happening on campus. I’ll also include important updates to our calendar for the remainder of the fall and start of the spring semester.
You are carrying a heavy load this semester, and I’m not just referring to your courses and co-curricular activities. Thanks to the countless efforts of you, staff, and faculty, we have entered a steady state in terms of managing the pandemic, with positivity rates near zero. This week marks our third week of randomized testing of students, faculty, and staff to ensure we maintain this status. We remain ready to act should we start to see any spike in positive cases on campus. I want to personally congratulate you for your leadership, compassion for other people, and your ability to navigate uncharted waters. As tiresome as these new policies can get, it is crucial that we remain vigilant. I am the first to recognize that the protocols in place are not ideal for any member of our campus community (I now own as many face masks as I do pairs of reading glasses); however, these measures are allowing our campus to remain open.
Because we find ourselves in this fortunate position, unlike some of our sister institutions, we will no longer require on-campus students to move out of their rooms in the residence halls prior to the Thanksgiving holiday break. Like so much these days, our policies are evolving to match current realities. We do ask that students clean their rooms, removing any loose items from the floor and surfaces, and take valuables in case residential rooms need to be accessed over the winter break for maintenance. You will receive checkout information from the Housing Office very soon. In the interim, you can address housing questions to
reslife@southwestern.edu. We have also been hearing from students currently living off-campus who would like to move back on campus for the spring term. We will deal with those requests on a case-by-case basis and do our best to accommodate everyone.
We are following CDC recommendations for quarantine and isolation, and are continuing our series of communications to reinforce the importance of staying vigilant about wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing. Our student-athletes continue to train responsibly, and we will post the spring schedules for applicable sports as soon as the respective athletic conferences release this information. For students who may be struggling, our Counseling Center is open and ready to assist. This semester has created challenges for all Southwestern students, but especially for our newest Pirates looking to make connections and build friendships. Student Life and other offices and organizations across campus are constantly creating great opportunities to socialize, and I want to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and participate. You can view upcoming events
here.
While some members of our faculty are teaching remotely, they all are available for scheduled virtual office hours. Additionally, all courses include interactive conversations between the professor and students. Make sure to take advantage of opportunities to engage in office hours and class discussions and have your camera on if you are actively participating in remote classes. If you experience challenges or an absence of meaningful engagement, please reach out to your professor or, if you are uncomfortable doing so, to Julie Cowley, associate vice president for academic affairs, at
cowleyj@southwestern.edu.
As we approach the end of the fall semester and make preparations for the spring, some changes have been made to the calendar. The University will begin classes on January 19 and prioritize students remaining on campus until the end of the semester. A fully updated spring semester schedule will be posted soon. To reduce exposure to COVID-19 and maintain the normal number of instructional days, there will be no spring break and students will remain on campus for class during that week. As the spring semester approaches, we will provide details regarding intake testing, which we anticipate will be conducted in a similar manner to the fall semester.
We appreciate your support and patience, and I am so glad to see you on campus doing what generations of Southwestern students have done before you.
Best regards,
