COVID-19: Remote Instruction and Other Measures

Dear Middlebury Institute Students, Faculty, and Staff,

 

As an educational institution, we have two overarching obligations to our community: to provide the academic opportunities Middlebury is known for, and to do so in a safe, healthy environment. The rapidly developing circumstances of the novel Coronavirus now require extraordinary changes to our usual practices to fulfill those obligations. We are making these changes in order to maximize our ability to continue the core educational activities that are our mission—teaching classes.

 

Given the rapid spread of the virus and its proximity to the Middlebury campuses, we have made a series of decisions we believe are in the best interests of our students, faculty, and staff. The aim in all our deliberations is to move quickly and thoughtfully to minimize, as best as we can, the risk of exposure for members of our community.

 

We know from public health authorities, epidemiologists, and our own advisors that it is best to assume that the virus will eventually reach our own communities. That means we should act now to keep the impact on our communities minimal. We particularly want to be able to focus on the people who might be immuno-compromised, and for whom the virus might have more serious impact.

 

Public health authorities advise that practicing “social distancing” is the best way to slow the spread of infection. We therefore identified opportunities to eliminate, as much as possible, the need for students, faculty, and staff to congregate. We seek to minimize the risk that the virus will be introduced to our campus from the outside.

 

Therefore, we are taking the following measures:

Academic Schedule

• Spring Break: The Institute spring break will remain the same as originally scheduled, beginning at the end of classes on Friday, March 13.

• Suspension of In-Person Classes: Following break, classes will resume on Monday, March 23. All Institute courses will be conducted remotely for the rest of the semester.

• Campus Access: We will follow up with information regarding services provided on campus.

Remote Instruction

• Institute Classes Resume Remotely March 23: Our staff will work with faculty to ensure that they are as prepared as possible to resume teaching online using a variety of tools and modules. Requests for faculty support should be made via the DLINQ consultation request form.

• Academic Continuity: All students will be able to fulfill their academic requirements.

• Students, We Are Here to Support You: We are exploring tech-support options to ensure the continuity of learning. There are resources available from DLINQ. We greatly appreciate your flexibility and patience.

• Faculty, We Are Here to Support You: We will have instructional support as well as these resources prepared by DLINQ to help you with the transition to teaching online. Here is the current schedule of workshops, and there will be more details to come. We greatly appreciate your flexibility as we adapt to our new circumstances.

• Staff, We are Here to Support You: As we move to remote delivery, you may wish to view these resources for supporting your work. We greatly appreciate your flexibility and patience.

Limitations and Cancellations

• Events: Effective Wednesday, March 11, all non-class in-person events are cancelled or postponed.

• No Middlebury-Sponsored Travel: Effective Wednesday, March 11, and until further notice, there will be no College- or Institute-sponsored travel of any kind, including in-person participation in conferences and other engagements.

• Spring Immersive Learning: In light of the suspension of Middlebury-sponsored travel, all spring break trips have been suspended. Our team at the Center for Advising and Career Services has already come up with a plan to offer some of the sessions with employers planned for the DC Career Trip remotely. Look for more information about that later this week.

• No Visitors: Effective immediately, no visitors, including prospective students, alumni, speakers, job applicants, etc., will be permitted on campus. To the extent possible, visits and meetings will need to be conducted online.

• Student Employment: More information will be forthcoming regarding work-study positions and on-campus employment.

• We are sure you have questions: Please contact Barbara Burke (blburke@middlebury.edu) in the Office of the Institute Vice President. We will respond as quickly as we are able.

International Students and Scholars

• Maintaining Your U.S. Visa Status: U.S. government agencies recently issued guidance regarding COVID-19 adjustments to academic programs and maintenance of visa status. The guidance allows for greater flexibility than usual. International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) will provide more information via a separate email to our international populations.

This is a lot to take in. We are aware that the impact on everyone—students, faculty, and staff—will be great. However, our top priority is the health and welfare of the entire Middlebury community, and to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19. We are taking these actions now, as disruptive as they might be, to lessen the risk of facing greater challenges and consequences in the future. We are confident that this is the best course forward in support of you and our academic mission.

 

We will continue to provide regular updates on how we are responding to COVID-19. Given how fluid the situation is, we may need to adjust this plan as necessary. We know that there are a variety of opinions as to how communities might respond to the spread of coronavirus. We are making decisions in real time in a rapidly evolving situation.

 

To our students and faculty, we are committed to seeing you through this semester and we are going to support you in every way we can. There will be many bumps along the way. We know that this might be disappointing news, especially as you were looking forward to events and activities already scheduled for the spring.

 

To our staff, who every day do such remarkable work on behalf of this institution, we are here for you and will work with you to navigate the coming weeks and months. We know that your support keeps the campus vibrant, and we will be communicating with you closely and regularly in the coming days. We will soon let you know about new remote work policies for those who may be able to work remotely, and for those who have health risks (or family members with risk factors). Please know we will work with you to provide necessary support.

 

I want to acknowledge everyone on our staff who has worked tirelessly over the weekend to assess the situation and how best to fulfill our academic mission while reducing risk. We will be back in touch with more logistical information soon.

 

Thank you all for your understanding, your patience, and your partnership during this challenging time.

 

Sincerely,

 

Laurie Patton

President