Plans for Spring 2021 (Oct. 29, 2020)
Dear All,
I am pleased to write with the promised overview of plans for Spring Semester 2021. Because the spring semester is still roughly three months away, these plans are necessarily contingent upon future conditions and governmental restrictions, but we want to share our intentions prior to spring registration and other decisions on your plate about the semester to come.
First, let me express my ongoing appreciation for the outstanding job that our readiness and contact outreach teams have done since summer. The plan outlined below, which reflects the original Fall Flex Plan with important modifications I will highlight, reflects an exceptional distillation of insights and lessons from other experts and institutions in and beyond New Jersey. Colleges and universities approached the fall semester in various ways, providing a laboratory for what works or does not in testing, contact tracing, residential accommodations, instruction, campus expectations, student activities, and other operations. Synthesis of this wisdom and experience undergirds our Spring Flex plan.
The Spring Flex plan also reflects several guiding principles for the college’s decision-making and action. By these, TCNJ will:
- implement and enforce protocol to reduce virus transmission through required face coverings, physical distancing, daily self-health checks, responsible hygiene practices, and regular testing.
- recognize that even while following health and safety precautions, risks remain, which must be balanced with the benefits of community socialization and access to education.
- prioritize and support academic quality, no matter how courses are delivered.
- closely monitor federal and state guidance, best practices for higher education, and conditions of COVID-19 on campus and in the surrounding community to responsibly adjust the plan.
TCNJ’s COVID-19 Dashboard includes daily updates of confirmed cases both on and off-campus as well as cumulative case totals.
