Williams College announces plan for classes to return in August

Classes will be back in session for students of Williams College when the semester begins in August.  That is according to an announcement this morning by college President Maud S. Mandel and posted in an article by Pittsfield.com.

According to the article, the semester’s makeup will be a combination of hybrid courses that include both in-person and on-line classes.

Pittsfield.com points out that in a letter from Mandel, the faculty and college administration used guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to structure the reopening plan for the return of classes and the reopening of the school.

According to the release by the school’s President, Williams has lowered the number of courses required in the 2020-21 fall and spring semesters with no implications on a student’s progress towards graduation.  Students can also choose to take a year off of school with no penalty.  A student can also choose the option of completing all of their class work remotely and will have total access to all of the college’s courses.

Also announced in the letter by the school’s President, Williams athletic teams will not participate in any completion in the fall semester.  It will be determined at a later date if the winter and spring athletics will also be affected.

With the unpredictability of the pandemic, plans announced by the school today are all subject to change as the college is anticipating some Covid-19 cases.  In the announcement by Madel she writes "The question is not whether they'll happen, but how we'll care for people who get sick and also contain the spread."  "Our plan establishes protocols for on-campus treatment, quarantine and isolation as needed."

Read the entire letter from Williams College President Maud Mandel here.