A Letter From the Dean of Students.

This is an interesting read. There are probably many of these emails going out right now. Will it be enough? I've removed identifying information.

Dear Students,

About a month ago I shared a message with you the preparations being made to welcome students back to campus. It is hard to believe how quickly a month has gone by. A week ago the first wave of students arrived on campus to begin their quarantine process. I write to you today as the remainder of the student body returns to our campus this week. We are ready for your return, but need to acknowledge that this preparedness is accompanied by significant trepidation and caution as we focus on the health and safety of our University community.

I imagine you’ve been paying attention to the news and have heard the reports of spikes in confirmed cases of COVID-19 that have coincided with the return of students to college campuses across the country. As a result of these spikes, many campuses have made the decision to move to remote rather than in-person instruction within days of students arriving on campus. While we know there will be positive cases of the virus by virtue of repopulating the campus, from what we have observed occurring on other campuses, we also know that these spikes can be attributed to the careless behavior of students who choose to party rather than abide by the directives put in place to keep their campus safe.

So my question to you is this: Do you want this to occur at XXX? Do you want to be barred from campus, or dismissed or expelled from the University? If your answer is no to either of these questions, then I have one simple request for you: Follow the directives issued by the University. Do not gather in groups greater than ten on or off-campus. Wear your face covering. Stay away from the XXX or the XXX unless you live there or are invited.

There will be zero tolerance for violation of the COVID-19 Student Directives, and less leniency for other violations of the Student Conduct Code and other University policies. There will be no warnings. The repercussions will be swift and direct for those who are non-compliant.

• As a reminder: Student gatherings of any kind – both on and off campus, with more than ten people are not permitted.
• Students must wear a face covering over the nose and mouth at all times except when in their assigned room in University housing, or where otherwise provided by applicable protocols (e.g., when eating in XXX or other dining venues).
• Off-campus and commuter students may not enter University housing.
• No overnight guests.

If this is too much to ask, it is not too late for students to stay at home and complete their coursework remotely.

I am confident that the overwhelming majority of students will do what is required of them. To support these students in their effort to keep the community safe, we have increased public safety patrols on campus and the town of XXX has agreed to increase patrols in the beach area. Despite these enhancements, we know that it will not take many acts of indiscretion by others to potentially ruin the semester for everyone. Help uphold these health and safety protocols and hold your peers accountable. Stop them. Report them. Step up Stags! Reports of alleged violations can be submitted via LiveSafe or using the incident report form.

Lastly, the Office of the Dean of Students will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, August 26th at 11 a.m. EST. Pre-registration is required. You can register for the webinar here.

Our goal is to have a wonderful semester on campus and our community depends on you to do your part. Feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

XXX