California Summer Information

COVID-19 Policies

Middlebury no longer requires COVID-19 vaccination, testing, or masking. We encourage all students, faculty, and staff to follow guidance from the CDC, state health department, and their healthcare providers for prevention and treatment of the virus. Please see Middlebury’s policy and recommendations as well as Middlebury’s summer health and vaccination guidance.

Pre-Arrival Must Do’s

California Pre-Arrival Information Form (due June 1)

Please complete the California Pre-Arrival Information Form found on your student enrollment portal by June 1. This form will collect itinerary, food allergy, and emergency contact information.

Middlebury Email Access

During the summer session, we will use your Middlebury email address for all BLSE communications. Before you arrive, you will need to activate your middlebury.edu account so that you can access all messages (either directly or by forwarding from another email account). See the Bread Loaf Technology Guide or contact the Middlebury Helpdesk for assistance.

Medical Insurance

You are required to have health insurance, to cover emergent and non-emergent healthcare. Please see the Middlebury Student Handbook for more information.

Academic Calendar

The Summer Institute is structured around intensive in-class, cross-class, and out-of-class learning, providing multiple opportunities for you to learn from each other, from faculty and guests, and from the local environment. Our preliminary calendar (to be updated during the session) is below.

Bread Loaf and Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) Staff

Emergency Contacts

In the event of an emergency, contact campus security if possible. Otherwise, dial 911. Blue campus phones connect directly to security. For detailed emergency contacts and guidelines, see the MIIS security and MIIS security resources and tips.

Travel to Campus

Our Monterey campus is approximately 130 miles south of San Francisco and 350 miles north of Los Angeles.The Munras House dorm is located at 787 Munras Avenue, Monterey, CA.

Campus Maps

Campus Map

Monterey Downtown Map

Directions via Car

From San Francisco: Take US 101 South to CA 156 West, heading toward the Monterey Peninsula. Merge onto CA 1 South. Stay on CA 1 South until you reach the Monterey exit. Take this exit to our campus in downtown Monterey.

From Los Angeles: Take US 101 North and remain on the highway until you reach the Salinas area, when you’ll take CA 68 West/CA 1 South toward Monterey. Take the Monterey exit to our campus in downtown Monterey.

Directions via Air

Fly directly into Monterey Airport (less than 5 miles from campus). Take the Monterey-Salinas Transit to downtown Monterey, or get a taxi from the airport for about $20.

Fly into San Jose Airport (approximately 75 miles from campus) and take the Monterey Airbus for $40 to downtown Monterey, which is a block from campus.

Fly into San Francisco Airport (approximately 110 miles from campus) and take the Monterey Airbus for $50 to downtown Monterey, which is a block from campus.

Academic Information and Resources

Pre-Session Preparation

The session is short, and you’ll need to hit the ground running in your classes. We encourage you to do as much of the required course reading as you can in advance: texts are listed in course descriptions in the order that they will appear on syllabi.

Library Resources

Students will have access to the MIIS William Tell Coleman Library located at 425 Van Buren Street. Library hours: Monday-Friday: 8:30 am-6pm; Saturday: closed; Sunday: 12 pm-5 pm. Librarians are also available online via email, chat, and phone during the same hours. All BLSE students also have access to materials online from the Middlebury College library. See Middlebury’s off-campus resources.

Technology Services

Wireless connections are available throughout student housing, campus, and public spaces. Printers will be available in the Munras dorm (available 24/7), the William Tell Coleman Library, and the Samson Student Center Media Room. Please see the Bread Loaf Technology Guide for the how-to’s of connecting at Bread Loaf.

Ken Macrorie Writing Centers

Each Bread Loaf campus offers a writing center staffed by trained Bread Loaf students. Peer readers offer students rich opportunities to develop discipline-specific writing skills in the context of their summer work. We are currently looking for peer readers! If you’ve completed our peer reader training and have served as a peer reader at BLSE for at least one summer, contact Gillian Zieger (gzieger@middlebury.edu) to apply for the post. Indicate the year(s) in which you served as peer reader.

Residential Policies & Provisions

Bread Loaf is committed to creating a campus culture that is welcoming and inclusive, respectful of differences, and mindful of the local environment. We aim to support a residential life that will maximize your ability to learn from each other and build a better world.

Summer Mailing Address

Your Name

Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English

460 Pierce Street, Room # (to be provided by June 15)

Monterey, CA 93940

You may mail items to yourself in advance of the session.

BreadWeb

BreadWeb is a digital contact point for the full BLSE community, providing spaces for you to connect with Bread Loaf peers, keep up-to-date on events, and reach colleagues at other campuses. Links and instructions for activating a BreadWeb account will be available at the end of May; look for an email from Tom McKenna.

Campus Housing

Students will be housed in the Munras dorm (787 Munras Avenue), which is within easy walking distance to campus. Though we share the dorm with other Middlebury programs, our students are clustered together on the second floor. Students will all have single rooms, plus access to study rooms and social spaces including an outdoor patio with picnic tables.

A few important policies:

• No overnight guests.
• No smoking in any campus buildings, including the dorm. If you smoke outdoors, be sure that you’re away from any open window and that you dispose of all smoking detritus in proper receptacles.
• Candles, incense, or halogen lamps are not allowed in the dorm. Be aware, too, that the heat from a running laptop can ignite flammable bedding.
• No pets.
• To promote a residential environment conducive to study, we ask that you observe quiet hours from 11 pm to 7 am every day, even on weekends and that anyone using a sound-producing device at any time use headphones.
• Children residing with off-campus students are welcome on campus. They must be accompanied by an adult, however, and should play in areas that are well away from classes or other program events.

All students (including those living off-campus) should review MIIS Residential Policies.

Amenities:

• Washers and dryers are available on each dormitory floor (free of charge). You will need to supply your own laundry detergent.
• You will have access to a community kitchen, which includes a stove, microwave, toaster, and refrigerator, and is stocked with some pots and pans, dishware, and cooking utensils. You will need to provide your own silverware, dishes, and dishwashing supplies.

Campus Dining

Although there is no BLSE board plan, you have multiple options for dining. The Samson cafeteria at MIIS will offer a limited pay-as-you-go menu for breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday. There are also numerous cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores nearby. We also encourage you to use the community kitchen in Munras House.

Student Events

Students are welcome to organize events, open to the full BLSE community, to supplement the programing that the School provides. If you’d like to organize an event that requires campus space, resources, or PR, reach out to the on-site director.

Health Services

There is no student health center on the MIIS campus for BLSE students, but all students have access to TimelyCare, a remote care option offered by Middlebury College.

Local walk-in medical clinics include:

Doctors on Duty (8 am – 6 pm)

501 Lighthouse Avenue         

Monterey, CA 93940

(831) 649-0770

MoGo Urgent Care (8 am – 8 pm)

2020 Del Monte Ave Suite B

Monterey, CA 93940

For emergency care:

Community Hospital

23625 Holman Highway

Monterey, CA

(831) 624-5311 or (888) 45CHOMP

Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital

450 East Romie Lane

Salinas, CA

(831) 757-4333

Vehicle Registration and Parking

There is ample parking at Munras House; however, if you wish to have access to parking elsewhere on the MIIS campus and/or are not living at Munras, you will need to go to the Security office located at 460 Pierce Street to request a parking permit. You will need to provide your Middlebury College ID card, car registration, and insurance.

Recreation and Other Resources

The MIIS campus is just blocks away from Monterey Bay, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the heart of downtown Monterey. For other local resources (including restaurants, movies, stores, services, and activities), see Eating, Entertainment, and Excursions compiled by the BLSE staff. See other Monterey local resources, Things To Do, and information for students with families.

What to Pack

• The average temperature for Monterey in July runs from a low in the 50’s to a high in the 60’s, so come prepared. Mornings and evenings tend to be overcast and moist. We suggest you bring plenty of layers.  
• Linens are NOT provided. Students living in the dorm will need to either send or bring bed sheets (for a regular twin bed), a blanket, pillow, washcloths, and towels. (You might consider bringing a sleeping bag.)
• Students living in the dorm might want to bring (or purchase on site) a desk lamp.