| by Jeff Dayton-Johnson

Dear Prospective Students,

I hope your 2021 is off to a great start. I am writing today with an update about our plans for the fall, as well as with some new information for our current semester.

Fall Update

I will start with the most important news for many of you: the Middlebury Institute is planning a return to primarily in-person instruction starting in the fall of 2021. As we look forward to vaccines becoming more readily available, we also realize that there will be many variables in the fight against this global pandemic that we can neither predict nor control. With that in mind, we are preparing for several scenarios that balance remote and on-site activities––all of which will allow students to return to campus for a meaningful in-person educational experience.

We believe it is important to share this information early to help you make your own plans. We continue to prioritize the health and well-being of the MIIS community worldwide. You can expect regular updates with more details in the weeks ahead. We plan to share more specific information about our fall plans during our upcoming virtual Preview Days, March 22–26.

Many of you will have questions about how these plans affect you. International students not already in the United States, for example, will want to know whether they will be able to enter the country to begin their in-person studies in Monterey. It is our hope that our fall semester plan will allow international students to secure the documentation needed to join us; our International Student and Scholar Services colleagues will help students admitted for fall 2021 navigate the process. Others of you may wish to start your MIIS studies remotely. We will be sharing more details with you about online options for our normally on-site programs.

If you are interested in starting your graduate degree this fall, I strongly encourage you to submit your application and supporting materials at your earliest opportunity so we have time to work with you on your next steps.

Current Semester

Last week, California’s most recent emergency stay-at-home order was lifted, but Monterey County and most of the state are now in the most restrictive Purple Tier of the state’s coronavirus monitoring system. The distribution of vaccines, after a frustratingly slow start, is beginning to increase.

We are preparing for a gradual return to activities on campus, starting with our outdoor areas, where we have installed new WiFi access points. For our students who need a quiet place with reliable Internet for job interviews or special projects, we will also be offering limited temporary use of campus offices.

This pandemic, now over a year old, continues to test our flexibility and nimbleness. Against that backdrop, we recognize the importance of communicating our intentions and plans as we make them. We will continue to coordinate with local health agencies as we finalize our fall semester plans. I will update you regularly as the situation evolves.

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy,

Jeff Dayton Johnson

Dean of the Institute and Vice President for Academic Affairs