VP Update February 26

Dear MIIS Campus Community,

As we work on our phased return to campus, it is my intention to update you regularly on our progress, as well as the evolving situation in our local community. 

Campus News

Last week, we started accepting sign-ups for eight outdoor tables for 1:1 meetings between students or students and faculty members. All meetings between faculty and staff will remain remote. Please reference the February 15 message from Barbara Burke for more information and guidance on how to use our outdoor spaces.

We have also established a process for signing up for students to reserve quiet office spaces for job interviews and other important online meetings; you can review the details here.

As I am sure most of you were already expecting, a final decision was made this week to celebrate Spring Commencement virtually with a series of online events culminating in the official ceremony on May 15th. 

Fall 2021 Planning Updates

As announced earlier this month, we are planning a primarily in-person semester in the fall. The likelihood is high that we will still be operating under restrictions from public health authorities that will require us to adapt the onsite experience to those restrictions. These adaptations include smaller classroom capacity and safety protocols that all campus community members will be required to observe. More details on these adaptations, and their implications for curriculum, pedagogy, class scheduling and more, will be provided in these regular updates between now and the fall semester.   

Last week, we surveyed all faculty regarding their preferences for fall teaching. The results provided invaluable insights into faculty members’ adaptation to remote instruction, as well as their readiness to make the transition to on-site teaching under conditions of public-health restrictions. We are sharing these survey results with program chairs. This information will be used to inform class scheduling for the fall. 

Our International Student and Scholar Services office has communicated an updated timeline to continuing and incoming international students with details on securing the documentation needed to come to the United States in the fall. If you have any questions about the process, please contact Kelly O’Connell.

Community Update

We learned last week that all employees who are currently working in education and childcare in Monterey County can begin registering for the vaccination process beginning Wednesday, March 3, 2021. This is great news for our Middlebury Institute community and we are working with local health authorities and hope to provide faculty and staff with more information as it becomes available.

Monterey County remains in the Purple Tier, and while still high, the number of positive Covid-19 cases is steadily decreasing. Several public school districts are working towards bringing back students in grades K through 6, and some schools have started outdoor sports practices and competitions.

This positive trajectory is welcome news but it is important for all of us to maintain vigilance, and to keep wearing our masks, practicing social distancing, and washing hands frequently. 

Sincerely,

Jeff Dayton Johnson