March 16, 2021
Dear Wilson Students and Families,
As the weather outside begins to warm and our attention turns toward spring, I’d like to provide you with an update on our plans for the Fall 2021 semester and its academic calendar.
Wilson is presently planning for a fall semester where the majority of classes will be held on-campus and in-person, with some online courses also available. Our campus will continue to follow theHealth and Safety Plan and adhere to all state and federal guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes the continued practice of wearing a mask, maintaining social distance, washing hands often, using hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available, and continuing surveillance testing.
Zoom to Campus
One change between this semester and the fall semester will be the elimination ofZoom to Campus as an option for regularly joining classes. While the technology has worked in the short term, it is not an effective long term way for students to participate in class nor for faculty to convey course materials. Should a student become ill, need to quarantine, or otherwise need to miss time from class, they can work with their faculty to make accommodations. Faculty may choose to temporarily allow students to use theZoom to Campus technology for this purpose.
On-Campus Housing
For the fall semester, Residence Life will operate under the College’s normal residency policy. All traditional students will be required to live on campus. Students must be enrolled on a full-time basis and degree-seeking to live on campus. Exemptions from the residency requirement will be considered, but not guaranteed.Students seeking an exemption must complete the Off Campus Housing Application by the stated deadline for the semester for which s/he is requesting. All forms must be filled out completely, reviewed by Financial Aid, and returned to the Director of Residence Life.
Academic Calendar
At this time, we do not expect any changes to the Fall 2021 calendar. Please note, our traditional fall semester breaks have been built back into the calendar. These breaks are important for the health and well-being of the entire campus community. However, should the pandemic shift, we may need to make adjustments to the calendar.
Fall Semester Key Dates:
Classes begin: August 30, 2021
Fall Break: October 18 and 19, 2021
Thanksgiving Break: November 24 – 26, 2021
Classes conclude: December 10, 2021
Fall Semester Exams: December 13 – 17, 2021
Thanks to you, our community is making good progress with the COVID-19 pandemic. Franklin County has a reduced positivity rate, and we are experiencing a low COVID-19 case count on campus. A note of caution, however; state and federal health authorities are watching the virus variants, and there is concern there could be upticks in positive cases with the spread of those variants this spring. Please stay vigilant. Continue to wear your mask, stay socially-distanced, and wash your hands often. We will communicate additional details as the start of the fall semester gets closer.
My best,
Wesley R. Fugate, Ph.D.
President
Wilson College
