We know that many of you have questions about the July 6 news release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE)—Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) that took everyone by surprise. Colleges and universities in the U.S. did not anticipate this outcome as institutions began developing our plans for fall enrollments.
The 2020–2021 academic year at the Middlebury Institute will start with remote instruction throughout the fall. We will bring students back to campus in 2021, if we can do so safely. The academic calendar will not change. Classes will begin on August 24.
Education and action are the two forms of oxygen that can heal. Wherever you are in the world, use your Middlebury education to challenge bigotry and hatred. Call your congressman or senator. Get involved in local groups. And when you return to Middlebury’s campuses, collaborate with all members of our community to act against racism and become accountable for the work that needs to be done—in our classrooms, in our living rooms, in our workplaces, in our communities.
I write to offer my deep congratulations to all of you on the occasion of our graduates receiving their degrees from Middlebury, and my special congratulations to the members of the Class of 2020 themselves.