Middlebury College partnered with the Town of Middlebury, Porter Medical Center, and the Addison Central School District to produce a special supplement in the Addison Independent, published today (Friday, September 11) and distributed to all students on campus.
As you are probably aware, today is the day that 325 of our student leaders return to campus. We are excited to have our students back on campus, even as the Middlebury world they are returning to has radically changed and the semester they are about to embark on will be unlike any other semester in Middlebury’s history.
There is no perfect solution to the Covid-19 reopening dilemma. In our view, we will get farther if we try not to polarize on this topic. There is an ethics of closing and an ethics of reopening. At Middlebury we know residential education reduces inequities for students and supports their mental health. The question for us was, could we create the safest possible environment to do so. We need to be deeply conservative in re-opening.
As I know you are aware, news reports of the past few days and weeks have underscored the significant challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, as cases continue to climb at a rapid pace throughout the United States, affecting people of all ages. While these spikes are particularly prevalent in populous states where restrictions were less stringent or eased more quickly than in Vermont, they are not limited to those areas. As a global community, Middlebury is not immune to these challenges, even on our rural campus in Vermont.
As I know you are aware, news reports of the past few days and weeks have underscored the significant challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, as cases continue to climb at a rapid pace throughout the United States, affecting people of all ages. While these spikes are particularly prevalent in populous states where restrictions were less stringent or eased more quickly than in Vermont, they are not limited to those areas. As a global community, Middlebury is not immune to these challenges, even on our rural campus in Vermont.
The NESCAC presidents released a joint earlier today announcing that NESCAC competition for 2020 fall sports will be canceled due to ongoing concerns around COVID-19. As a result, there will be no scheduled NESCAC competitions or championships. Individual institutions do, however, have the discretion to organize practices and to consider alternate competitions, dependent on state and local health guidelines.
As I am sure you are aware, Gov. Phil Scott has released new state of Vermont and he held a press conference today to further explain these rules and regulations.
As I am sure you are aware, Gov. Phil Scott has released new state of Vermont and he held a press conference today to further explain these rules and regulations.
I write with a brief update before the weekend, following up on the June 22 announcement about Middlebury’s plans for the fall semester. This is the first of the weekly updates we will be sending you throughout the summer to keep you informed of our progress.
I write with a brief update before the weekend, following up on the June 22 announcement about Middlebury’s plans for the fall semester. This is the first of the weekly updates we will be sending you throughout the summer to keep you informed of our progress.