Wittenberg Students:
As we continue to be guided by all state and local directives designed to keep our community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, much of our focus and attention has been “in the moment” as we made decisions specific to the completion of spring semester. Now we are turning to questions such as: What does this mean for summer classes and work arrangements? What about fall? When will this end?
The last question is still impossible to answer, but we can say some things about summer at this time, with other things yet to be resolved. For now, there remains considerable uncertainty about how we will operate in the fall. We are thinking and talking about multiple scenarios in our Senior Staff discussions, and engaging members of our community in specific areas of planning. We need to be prepared both for a return to “normal” at some point (August, we all hope) and also for this disruption to persist.
This is where we stand today:
- We will continue to rely on guidance from local, state, and federal governments.
- We have decided that all summer session classes will be via remote learning.
- We are hoping that we will be able to have research experiences, Hagen Center internships, and similar learning opportunities on campus this summer, but still have many details to consider before finalizing that decision.
- We are preparing as if we will be teaching classes in-person on campus again this fall semester, but again more details need to be worked out before finalizing as noted above.
- We recognize that this all is subject to change (see #1), and we will prepare for that as well.
Even if I don’t have all the answers yet, sharing as much information with you and your families is a high priority. I will continue to reach out as decisions are made. We are on schedule to announce more details around our plans and processes for issuing credits for room and board charges by April 30. You will also hear soon about federal CARES Act support that will be coming to almost all students.
Your well-being continues to be top of mind for me. I hope you and your families are all staying safe and healthy, and please let us know if you need anything or have any further questions.
Best regards,
Mike Frandsen
President