By Anna Hansen
March 1, 2021
Edgewood College will be in-person and on-campus for the Fall 2021 semester.
President Andrew Manion said late Monday in an email to OTE that a Fall 2021 Task Force will prepare the campus for in-person teaching in most classrooms and in-person student services on campus.
“I have asked (the task force) not to return us to ‘normal,’ but have charged my colleagues with a return to ‘better,’ applying all the lessons we continue to learn through this experience,” said Manion in the email.
The president informed faculty members of the decision to reopen during a virtual meeting Monday.
The college has taken direction from Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) since the beginning of the pandemic. Manion said this will continue with the fall reopening.
“This community remains an important example of how adhering to protocols established by PHMDC can be successful – even in the face of great challenge,” said Manion.
The president added in the faculty meeting that some offices on campus may still be staffed virtually in keeping with social distancing protocols.
“One of the takeaways from the pandemic is that we can get a lot of work done from home,” said Manion.
Masking and social distancing protocols, however, will depend on the state of the pandemic and the number of people vaccinated, according to Manion.
Manion told OTE that Edgewood has offered to serve as a vaccination site but has not been asked to do so. He said that he does not anticipate that students, staff, and faculty will be required to get vaccinated, adding:
“(Taking the vaccine) is a personal choice. I believe that anyone who is able to do so has a responsibility to others to get vaccinated as soon as possible and I trust that our faculty and staff will do the right thing.”
Undergraduate admissions numbers are currently behind by 6% compared to last year. Recruiting counselors have said that they face difficulties in showcasing campus life on a relatively empty campus.
Incoming freshmen will move into residence halls August 15, and classes will begin August 18.
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