Updates on Covid-19 Novel Coronavirus

Hampshire is continuing our efforts to keep the community healthy and to monitor Coronavirus COVID-19

Prevention

Please remember to practice preventive health and social distancing as recommended by the CDC, including:

  • Careful and frequent hand washing or cleaning with hand sanitizer.
  • Social distancing: Staying at least six feet away from other people and avoiding crowds and large gatherings. Where possible, work remotely and avoid crowded public spaces.
  • If you are sick, don’t spend time in any public spaces. Stay at home and self-isolate until all your symptoms are gone. This could be as long as 14 days.
  • Carefully disinfect and clean high-touch items.
  • Get an updated annual flu vaccine.

Responding to and Reporting Potential Cases of Covid-19

Patients with respiratory symptoms—sore throat, nasal congestion, fever, cough, or shortness of breath—are best triaged over the phone by medical staff. For mild to moderate symptoms, do not walk into a health office without calling first or enter any public spaces in order to limit risk of exposure to others.

If you have severe symptoms, including any difficulty breathing, call 911 for emergency response.

Students

Students who have left campus, please call your primary care provider for medical care. All students remaining in residence seeking medical care must call the Health Services office first. Contact Hampshire Health Services during normal business hours Monday–Friday at 413.559.5458—this number may also be used for counseling and mental health services. After-hours medical advice is available 24/7 through UMass Triage at 413.577.5229 or 413.577.5000.

Students, please contact Hampshire Health Services if you’ve been tested for Covid-19, to help us assess any impact on fellow community members.

Download Student Table for more information.

Employees

Please contact your primary care provider(s) for medical and mental health care.

When you are not able to work for Covid-19-related circumstances affecting you or a family member, please contact Hampshire Human Resources (email jtHR@hampshire.edu) and your supervisor. Our employee assistance program, e4Health, has many benefits and supports for all employees and their immediate family members—800.828.6025.

Download Employee Table for more information.

November 5, 2020

In response to increasing COVID-19 infection rates in the State of Massachusetts and throughout the region, Executive Orders 53, 54, and 55 have been issued by Governor Charlie Baker and will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, November 6. These orders institute mandatory night closings for certain businesses/activities and create a new Stay at Home Advisory with a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. (Executive Order 53), restrict gathering and event sizes (Executive Order 54), and mandate face covering in all indoor and outdoor public spaces (Executive Order 55).

Some minor changes to Hampshire College’s COVID-19 policies will go into effect to accommodate the new executive orders. These are as follows:

  1. Face-coverings are now required outdoors at all times for anyone over the age of five. This rule applies to all users of campus, including community members using the campus for passive recreation, and will be communicated via signage at vehicle and pedestrian entrances.
  2. Official in-person student activities sponsored by the College will not take place between the curfew hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
  3. Indoor informal gatherings must conform to the new gathering limit of 10 people, or the occupancy limit of the room, whichever is smaller.
  4. Outdoor informal gatherings must conform to the new gathering limit of 25.
  5. Residential students are expected to comply with the curfew by staying on the campus between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., with the exception of the following activities exempted in the advisory: “Only leave home to go to work or school, or for essential needs such as seeking emergency medical care, going to the grocery store or pharmacy, picking up take-out food, or receiving deliveries. If you do leave home, practice social distancing by staying six feet away from others and wearing a face covering.”

The campus of Hampshire College is considered home for our residential students. Therefore, no changes are being made to amenities (food service, campus store, athletic facilities) or access to spaces including, but not limited to, academic buildings. Students are encouraged to continue to make full use of the Hampshire College campus.

Staff, faculty, and approved commuter students whose commute requires travel between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. should understand that this commute is included in the activities allowable under the executive order. Hampshire College will provide documentation to support this if it becomes necessary, though it is not required at this time.

We also remind everyone that face coverings do not substitute for physical distancing. Individuals in the public portions of campus (indoor and out) should maintain a minimum distance of six feet from others as much as possible. Remember, if you remain within six feet of another person for 15 minutes during a 24-hour period, you are considered a close contact, even if wearing a face covering.
Thank you for all your efforts to keep our community safe during this pandemic.

Employees who have questions can contact human resources and students can contact student affairs.

The Covid Response Team:

Elizabeth Craun
Jake Toomey
Sarah Steely
Sara Aierstuck
Pam Tinto
Matt Lewis
Ed Wingenbach
Yaniris Fernandez
Zauyah Waite
Stacie Kroll

June 18, 2020

Dear students and families,

This spring and summer have brought grief and outrage but also renewed energy, hope, and movement toward building a more just and sustainable society. At Hampshire, we are working to identify and dismantle the structures of implicit bias and white supremacy that have marked our own institution and to live up to our ideals as a college committed to social justice and equity. Our faculty are building a curriculum that engages students to address racism, pandemics, climate change, and other crucial problems of our time, and to respond to them with creativity and determination.

We are applying the same creative thinking to the challenge of designing a safe, meaningful college experience in the face of COVID-19. This fall, we expect to welcome all of our new and returning students to campus. Our clear plans will create an environment that preserves the immense benefits of a residential campus while minimizing opportunities for potential transmission of the virus. We will provide a comprehensive range of programming to support community engagement and connection, following guidelines for safe social distancing when in person, and also offering online options such as lectures, presentations and interactive discussions.

New Dates for Fall Semester

Fall classes will now begin on August 25 and end on November 20, the Friday prior to Thanksgiving. Once students arrive on campus, they will be expected to remain until the end of classes. There will not be an extended fall break. Please note we are not shortening the fall calendar; we are starting and finishing earlier and compressing the calendar by eliminating breaks, allowing us to teach a full semester within a compressed time frame. Students are welcome to remain in residence through the end of the term in early December, as long as they remain on campus during the Thanksgiving Break. Students who leave campus for Thanksgiving will not return until the beginning of the spring term.

Faculty are currently building course options and schedules that provide for adaptability and support to meet students’ needs. The course registration process is still in flux, as faculty at Hampshire and the other Five Colleges redesign and reschedule their courses. We are coordinating with our Five College partners so that Hampshire students may continue to take courses at the other institutions, though likely only in an online mode. As soon as these issues are settled, we will let you know and provide updated information about course registration.

Safe On-Campus Living

Every Hampshire student will have their own single room. Occupied rooms will be spread out within campus residences, maintaining all areas below 50% capacity. The number of students sharing any bathroom will be strictly limited. Our food services are prepared for in-person dining, pick-up meals, or food delivery, depending on the state guidelines in place in the fall. Making sure every student has the space to maintain social distancing in their daily living situation is the minimum expectation any college should have in order to open – we will more than meet that standard.

Accommodations for Learning

Academic courses and student activities will observe social distancing guidelines while providing ample opportunity for the sort of interaction and personalized attention that characterizes a Hampshire education. We will hold seminar meetings in rooms that accommodate adequate spacing and will follow guidelines for facial coverings. We are expanding the course schedule so that class meetings can be spread out to reduce traffic within academic buildings. Every class will be designed to include online options to accommodate changing circumstances without disrupting the academic experience, and to accommodate the use of spaces and equipment in areas with limited capacity for social distancing. Student activities and co-curricular opportunities are being thoughtfully designed to support vibrant programs while respecting limits on gathering sizes and space usage.

Ensuring Health and Wellness

Hampshire has a strong plan in place to address medical concerns. The Hampshire COVID-19 response team is in the process of evaluating several state and national recommendations for campus testing programs. The group will have detailed plans for student COVID-19 screening testing requirements for before and after return to campus. There will also be ample same-day symptomatic COVID-19 testing available on campus this fall. Expect to see more information about testing in the next two weeks.

There are plans in place for designated isolation or quarantine housing, along with dining, medical, and residential support for students who may need to be in quarantine because of COVID-19 exposure on campus this fall semester.

Hampshire has an extraordinarily dedicated faculty and staff, a spacious campus, access to state-of-the-art medical services, and a commitment to experimentation, creativity, and problem solving. Few other colleges have these advantages, which is why we are so confident that, if any colleges are open for in-person learning in the fall, we will lead the way.

Djola Branner, Vice President for Student Affairs 
Professor of Theatre

Christoph Cox, incoming Dean of Faculty & Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Philosophy

May 13, 2020

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff,

Yesterday afternoon the faculty voted to award the Bachelor of Arts degree to 289 graduating Division III students. On Friday the Board of Trustees will approve the conferral of degrees to our graduates, and on Saturday we will celebrate their achievement virtually. I invite everyone to attend. In any year, Commencement is both a celebration of the students who have completed their individual journeys through Hampshire College and a recognition that everyone in our community is essential to making those journeys possible. Our graduates, and all of our students, were successful during these unprecedented conditions because of the extraordinary efforts of everyone at Hampshire. I look forward to congratulating our 2020 graduates and hope everyone will take the opportunity to celebrate along with them. We all deserve some communal joy.

I also encourage you to participate in the Division III Showcase taking place this week (details on the Commencement webpage). Among the many regrets of our remote spring, the absence of in-person Div III presentations was profoundly missed. Our students do exceptional work—we are all incredibly fortunate to be able to share in their process and learn from their passions. I am thankful that we will recreate some of that excitement over the next several days.

I hope that next fall and spring, our campus will be filled with Div III presentations and Div Free bell ringing. Many in our community continue to work creatively and quickly to make an in-person Hampshire possible and safe next year. One of these groups is the Academic Continuity committee, established in late April to determine how best to prepare the campus and the academic program for the 2020-21 school year. The work of the committee is divided into two phases. In the first phase, a group of thirteen faculty and staff explored a wide range of curricular models and are narrowing these to a small set of options that are best for Hampshire. In the second phase, this committee will add another ten faculty, staff, and students to refine these models and prepare them for implementation.

The first phase concludes this week. In determining the best course of action for Hampshire, the committee considered more than a dozen different curricular models and examined their impacts on the health and safety of the community, the needs of the new curriculum, faculty and student workload, college finances, information technology, the academic calendar, and other considerations. The group also paid close attention to the planning of the other Five College institutions and that of other regional colleges and universities.

In this first phase, the committee determined that it is in the best interests of the College and its community to bring students back to campus next year, to institute regular testing for the virus, and to establish firm policies regarding off-campus travel and social distancing in and out of the classroom. The committee has also concluded that, to ensure the safety and participation of as many students and faculty as possible, all courses should be hybrid (both face-to-face and remote) and, in some cases where necessary, taught remotely. The committee will make specific recommendations about course scheduling and the academic calendar that reflect these goals. The second phase of intensive planning will commence the week of May 18. The College must develop policies to ensure health and safety for the entire campus as we prepare for in-person operations. That work will require close collaboration with the Emergency Response Team and employees across the College to ensure coordinated efforts. It is essential that this planning work happens quickly and with focus.

The Board of Trustees will meet this weekend to take up the regular business of the spring meeting, held annually leading up to Commencement. The Board has assembled almost weekly throughout the spring, and will continue to meet regularly. As the College develops a budget for 2020-2021 and resolves the challenges to our financial planning posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic disruptions, the Board will continue its efforts to ensure our success, and the long-term viability of our mission.

Hampshire, like every college and university, faces substantial challenges because of the current global crisis. My foremost goal as president is to ensure that Hampshire College will not merely survive these challenges but emerge as a more stable institution, one that pursues its identity as an experimenting college with courage and ingenuity. Our mission is “to transform higher education.” Living up to that mission means transforming ourselves and building the future that students deserve. I remain confident in that outcome, while acknowledging that reaching that point will impose additional burdens on our staff, administrators, and faculty. I recognize that Hampshire has already asked a great deal of all who work here and all who support the College. I am sorry that so much continues to be asked. I hope the celebration of our graduates this weekend, and the imagination of many commencements to come, offers inspiration for the future.

Ed Wingenbach
President

May 5, 2020

Dear Hampshire Community,

As we complete the 2019-20 academic year this week, marked both by historic progress for Hampshire and unprecedented challenges presented by Covid-19, we’re receiving many questions about Hampshire’s plans for our next academic year.

As long as the State of Massachusetts allows colleges to open, which seems likely, Hampshire fully intends to welcome students to campus in the fall. Hampshire has some significant advantages for ensuring health and safety of our students on campus, and has already taken steps this spring to institute protocols.

We’re projecting enrollment of 550-600 students on our 800+ acre campus, making social distancing viable. Our class sizes are small, allowing students and professors to spread out in classrooms.

Our students have single rooms, and we have surplus housing for quarantine or isolation if necessary. Thankfully we have had no confirmed cases among students on campus this spring, and we instituted protocols to support a small number of quarantined students as they awaited test results.

Hampshire Health and Counseling Services benefits from a long partnership with UMass Amherst Health Services. Under Director Sara Aierstuck, we have maintained services for students by offering telehealth for both medical and counseling visits. This spring we have offered students on-campus Covid-19 testing (PCR test) in an outside triage tent on campus and now offer antibody testing as well. By the summer, we are planning to have same day rapid testing for Covid-19 infection and antibodies. And our staff is experienced in contact tracing and notification of close contacts.

I have directed our Covid-19 Emergency Response Team and newly formed Academic Continuity working group to plan for all contingencies for the fall, more on that below.

Altogether, Hampshire's circumstances are ideal to open safely in the fall and maximize community health. If we are unable to open, I cannot imagine any college will.

Campus Health Notice: Masks/Face Coverings

Massachusetts Governor Baker has issued an order effective tomorrow, May 6, requiring masks/face coverings in public places where social distancing is not possible. Starting tomorrow on campus, all students, employees and visitors must wear a mask/face covering in the Hampstore, post office, and dining commons, and at all times when social distancing of approximately six feet is not possible, indoors and outdoors. A face covering is anything that covers your nose and mouth, including scarves and bandanas. Exceptions are allowed for those unable to wear a mask/face covering due to a medical condition and children under the age of two. See more from the Department of Public Health.

For our students remaining on campus and small number of employees working on campus, you can find masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer at the Hampstore, its hours are weekdays noon – 2pm.  The College’s emergency funding for students may be used for these purchases. There are many online videos about how to DIY fabric masks, and the CDC has posted guidance on how to wear and make a cloth face covering.


Some employees require Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including masks for job-specific tasks, and it’s available by contacting your supervisor. Hampshire’s employee guidelines for campus work during Covid-19 were posted on April 14 and are still in place.

Update on Providing Shelter for Town of Amherst

Last month, we had offered available space in Dakin for the Town of Amherst to use as an isolation and quarantine shelter for townspeople experiencing homelessness. The town recently tested all homeless individuals and workers at the Craig’s Doors shelter in town, and all tests were negative for Covid-19, so the town will not need use of Dakin. Thank you again to our staff from Campus Safety and Security, Facilities, Dining, and Residential Life and for everyone at Hampshire who supported our effort to protect our most vulnerable population during this pandemic. We will be prepared if we are called on again to support our community during this crisis.

Emergency Response and Academic Community

I have directed our Covid-19 Emergency Response Team and newly formed Academic Continuity working group to plan for all contingencies for the fall and to coordinate closely in their work.

Hampshire’s Covid-19 Emergency Response Team continues to meet twice a week and has turned its attention to developing processes for employees to return to work once the Governor’s stay-at-home order is lifted, possibly beginning May 18, recognizing that some employees have children and family at home who will need care. The team is also preparing for the College’s anticipated reopening including college operations, student life, and college-sponsored travel by employees and students in late summer or fall.
The Academic Continuity working group is developing models in the event we need to deliver remote/hybrid teaching for 2020-21, to ensure the models are feasible from both a curricular and financial perspective. Chaired by Incoming Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs Christoph Cox, the working group is proceeding in two phases:

  • The first phase began two weeks ago with six faculty and six staff working toward generating two or three viable models by mid-May. They are consulting regularly with the Health and Counseling Services director and other on-campus experts, and also monitoring the plans of our Five College partners.
  • The second phase will begin in mid-May and will involve an additional five faculty and five staff working to refine these models and prepare them for implementation.

Student Emergency Fund

Since we established a student emergency fund a few weeks ago for students struggling with unexpected financial expenses brought on by Covid-19, nearly 250 students have submitted requests, and the College has approved $286,120 in disbursements. The fund utilizes emergency aid that the College received from the federal government’s CARES Act, plus funding for international students in need from Sontag-Miller/SAF. Students who have not already applied may still submit emergency funding requests until June 1.

Summer Housing

While Hampshire is not staffed to provide summer housing for students, Student Affairs has developed criteria to house a small number of students who need to stay on campus during the summer. We are approving students:

  • who have identified themselves as homeless
  • who have reported their home/family would put them in danger
  • who are international students and cannot travel home

We will hire two-three students as resident assistants, plus one full-time area coordinator to start in June to help live-in staff with on-call coverage.

Virtual Commencement and Div III Showcase

Our Dean of Faculty’s Office is leading the planning for our virtual Commencement and Division III Showcase events next week, with many collaborators and contributors across campus. On Thursday and Friday May 14-15, Hampshire will host a virtual Division III showcase featuring presentations by many graduating students. Our virtual Commencement will take place Saturday May 16, at 11 a.m. Invitations will be distributed this week, and the final schedule and viewing details will be posted on commencement.hampshire.edu.

We’re planning to follow the virtual Commencement with an in-person ceremony for 2020 graduates as part of our 50th Anniversary event, scheduled for Oct. 16-18 weekend.

Ed Wingenbach

President

April 17, 2020

Dear Students,

Hampshire College remains focused on our students’ health and well-being. This week the College established a Student Emergency Fund for current students who are struggling with unexpected financial expenses or hardship brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting transition to remote learning. Hampshire designed the fund to provide students in these circumstances with temporary, short-term financial assistance, utilizing emergency aid that the College has received from the federal government’s CARES Act.

Hampshire’s Student Emergency Fund is overseen by our Division of Student Affairs. Requests for assistance must be necessary, reasonable, and related to Covid-19 impacts, and may be retroactive reimbursement of related expenses incurred starting in March. Areas considered for support include but are not limited to:

  • Travel: unexpected expenses of emergency travel
  • Technology: to support remote learning
  • Living expenses: including food, housing, medical care and counseling, hygiene products, medications, eyeglasses, and hearing aids
  • Course materials: books and academic materials related to courses and divisional work
  • Summer: including housing impacts beyond May 17 such as international students unable to travel home

Students may request a maximum amount of $2,000 but can add to an initial request if emergency expenses continue beyond May 17.

Please complete the Hampshire Application for Student Emergency Funds. You will be asked to certify that your request is for expenses related to Covid-19 impacts. These emergency funds may be taxable to students, so the College is required to send students a 1099 at the end of the calendar year for tax purposes. You are encouraged to retain your receipts and other supporting documents.

If you have questions, please contact deanofstudents@hampshire.edu. We also welcome suggestions for other ways the college can be supportive of students during this challenging time.

Djola Branner
Vice President for Student Affairs

April 8, 2020: Financial Planning for Pandemic Impacts

Dear Hampshire College Community,

In this challenging time, I am especially grateful for the caring support of the Hampshire community. Over the past three weeks, we have weathered extraordinary changes in our world, our lives, and here at Hampshire. Indeed, colleges and universities, private and public institutions, small and large schools are all being stretched by this unprecedented crisis. We cannot yet know the impacts of the pandemic in terms of admissions, enrollment, operations, fundraising, and more.

In spite of the many unknowns, we are adapting our financial plans to address the problems presented by Covid-19, responding to fast-changing circumstances with imperfect information. In the short term, we’re prioritizing what’s in the best interest of our employees and students. Long term, our priority is to preserve Hampshire as an autonomous, experimenting institution that continuously pursues our mission to transform higher education. While it may not be easy, and difficult decisions will be required, I am confident we'll be successful.

Hampshire has distinct advantages—we are creative, innovative, and experimenting, and not burdened by rigid requirements. We're partners in a major, distinguished consortium. I believe these better position us to survive this trying period.

Obviously, the timing is difficult. We endured a major disruption a year ago, and are now in year one of a five-year plan to achieve a balanced budget and long-term sustainability. Fortunately, we based our plan on conservative projections across several key elements:

  • Launching a reinvented academic program and student experience next fall to increase value for students while, just as importantly, controlling our expenses
  • Reducing our operating budget to sustainable levels, offset by a five-year, $60 million fundraising campaign
  • Rebuilding enrollment year by year to full enrollment by 2023-2024, based on reasonable, conservative projections.

The pandemic will likely have significant implications for our plan, especially in relation to revenue. Given the uncertainty, we are responding with a three-tiered approach:

  • Triage. We’re maintaining operations and continuing to deliver a quality personalized education this semester through teleworking, remote learning, and creative forms of virtual community-building and engagement.
  • Short-term planning. We’re assessing implications for our current revenues and securing the College's finances through the end of the fiscal year in June. Our revenues this year will be impacted by room and board reimbursement, event postponements and cancellations, donors deferring gifts due to market instability, and increased student financial need. For this fiscal year, we anticipate that lost revenue and emergency costs may have a $1.2 million negative impact on our budget. This could increase depending on the duration of the pandemic.  We’re analyzing how these reductions may be countered by federal and state economic stimulus packages. We are in regular contact with our education association partners and we’re planning to leverage the aid that will help colleges replace lost revenue through grants and other means.
  • Long-term planning. We’re scenario-planning, considering the consequences of the pandemic on student behavior, the economy, and higher education as a whole. I’ve asked a group of trustees and senior leaders to work with me to develop a range of possible scenarios and to create financial models. As the depth and severity of the pandemic's consequences become more apparent, we will be prepared to act quickly to ensure that Hampshire persists as an autonomous college.

This spring we sent acceptance letters inviting approximately 650 students to join our 50th anniversary class in the fall, when we hope to enroll a total student body of 600. Hampshire is engaging with all our accepted students this spring through virtual accepted student day events and via direct personal communications featuring faculty, staff, students, and alums, to invite them to join our community.

We’re continuing to raise funds through our Change in the Making: A Campaign for Hampshire initiative, and assessing the impact of the pandemic on our philanthropic support. We’re asking all those who care deeply about Hampshire to please continue to prioritize the College in their giving this year.

If there is one thing I know for certain, the events of this spring demonstrate the genuine importance of Hampshire’s educational approach. Responding to a global pandemic requires citizens who look at a problem or question well beyond the limits of disciplines. Addressing the pandemic involves science, health, politics, history, psychology, arts, music, the media, storytelling, and more. An end to this epidemic will require leaders grounded in ethical decision-making, trained in entrepreneurial approaches and able to ask new questions. It’s a perfect example of the value of Hampshire’s transdisciplinary approach.

While Covid-19 may be an extreme test, it illustrates an essential point—every significant and meaningful challenge our graduates will encounter will require them to grapple with complexity and uncertainty, and develop creative solutions. A Hampshire College education is designed with these skills at the center. It’s one reason why I believe our model is unrivaled in higher education.

I welcome your input on how we may work together to continue to plan for Hampshire’s future.

Ed Wingenbach
President

>> Please see our FAQs for more information

>> See updates for faculty and staff here

>> Hampshire's Covid-19 Response Team

Covid-19 Resources

Archived Messages to the Community

  • April 7, 2020

    Dear Hampshire College Community,

    I’m following up on my letter last week on Hampshire College’s collaboration with the Town of Amherst to assist their efforts to respond to the pandemic. The College has offered space in a largely unused dormitory for the Town to use as an Isolation and Quarantine (I&Q) shelter, for up to eight people. We are one of many colleges and universities across the state and country responding to community requests for urgent assistance during this pandemic, and I am proud we are able to follow our mission of ethical citizenship and social justice at this critical time.

    Starting this week, the Town of Amherst is preparing an isolated, unused wing of Dakin in case they need to house up to eight people experiencing homelessness who need to be in isolation to fight Covid-19. Dakin is not being used to house students this year. The College is entering into this partnership confident the terms protect the health and safety of our students and employees.

    The Town has agreed to provide 24-hour staffing for the shelter, cover all expenses, ensure the College has no liability, and professionally clean and sanitize any space after it is vacated. Craig’s Doors, the non-profit organization that operates the homeless shelter in Amherst, will work closely with Town officials to fully staff and operate the I&Q shelter with 24-hour staffing, including medical personnel. No Hampshire College employees will be involved in the management of the I&Q shelter once it is occupied. Hampshire Dining Services has offered to provide three meals a day if any residents end up living in the shelter, to be picked up by Town staff.

    I deeply appreciate the support and coordination provided by Campus Safety and Security, Facilities, Dining, and the Residential Life teams as we worked with the Town to make this service possible. Amherst Town Manager and Hampshire alum Paul Bockelman thanks the College, recognizing that people experiencing homelessness are the most vulnerable population during this pandemic. “Offering available dormitory rooms as quarantine shelters will save people’s lives and help minimize the community spread of the virus,” he told me.

    I recognize that this is a frightening time, and that offering aid to those in our community who are most at risk might exacerbate our concerns. But I also believe it is at times like this that individuals and institutions demonstrate their real character, even in the face of fear. This pandemic demands generosity and cooperation among everyone, and I’m proud we can do our part to help. We will continue to offer our support to the town, the county, and the state as needed during this crisis.

    Ed Wingenbach
    President

  • April 2, 2020

    Dear Hampshire College Community,

    Colleges and universities across the country are responding to community requests for urgent assistance during this pandemic. In Massachusetts, both local governments and the state Emergency Management Agency have approached institutions to help house medical workers and first responders, provide isolation and quarantine spaces, offer shelter for the unhoused, and provide cold storage spaces for bodies. Hampshire College’s mission encompasses ethical citizenship and social justice, so we need to be prepared to help where we can as we live our mission.

    This week Hampshire College offered to work with the Town of Amherst to understand how we can assist their efforts to respond to the pandemic, such as offering space in empty dormitories. These conversations are in progress and nothing is settled yet; if approached, we will also work with the county or state. I will keep our community informed if we are called upon to help. We will continue to offer our support to the town, the county, and the state as needed during this crisis.

    Specifically, we are preparing a portion of Dakin in case a request is made to provide housing. If we do partner with the town, county, or state, any offer of our campus facilities will not involve the work of our staff, beyond initial preparations of the building. If our facilities are used, the partner will staff all activities, cover all expenses, ensure the college has no liability, and professionally clean and sanitize any space after it is vacated. The College will only enter into a partnership if we are confident the terms protect the health and safety of our students and employees.

    This situation demands generosity and cooperation among everyone, and Hampshire will do its part to help. I know this is a stressful time—I will do my best to keep people informed while also working to respond quickly to the needs of our community.

    Ed Wingenbach
    President

  • March 26, 2020

    Dear Hampshire College Community,

    Hampshire College has learned that one of our employees was confirmed this morning to have Covid-19. The employee has been out of office and not working on campus since Friday, March 13, and does not work directly with students. The employee had no campus contacts that put any student or colleague at risk of exposure, and a small number of employees who may have been in direct contact with the employee in the last 14 days have been notified. The employee’s work area has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

    It’s the college’s responsibility to notify our campus of a case of the disease in our community. The employee is following public health guidelines and recovering at home. Public health officials are leading the investigation into the employee’s case following standard practice.

    The college will not release any identifying information about the employee out of respect for their privacy and applicable HIPAA privacy laws. We ask you to please respect their privacy—even if you believe you know who they are—so they can focus on recovering.

    It’s likely Covid-19 will continue to spread in our region and further affect our college. We are providing you here with information on how to prevent, report and respond to potential cases.

    Prevention

    Please remember to practice preventive health and social distancing as recommended by the CDC, including:

    • Careful and frequent hand washing or cleaning with hand sanitizer.
    • Social distancing: Staying at least six feet away from other people and avoiding crowds and large gatherings. Where possible, work remotely and avoid crowded public spaces.
    • If you are sick, don’t spend time in any public spaces. Stay at home and self-isolate until all your symptoms are gone. This could be as long as 14 days.
    • Carefully disinfect and clean high-touch items.
    • Get an updated annual flu vaccine.

    Responding to and Reporting Potential Cases of Covid-19

    Patients with respiratory symptoms—sore throat, nasal congestion, fever, cough, or shortness of breath—are best triaged over the phone by medical staff. For mild to moderate symptoms, do not walk into a health office without calling first or enter any public spaces in order to limit risk of exposure to others.

    If you have severe symptoms, including any difficulty breathing, call 911 for emergency response.

    Students

    Students who have left campus, please call your primary care provider for medical care. All students remaining in residence seeking medical care must call the Health Services office first. Contact Hampshire Health Services during normal business hours Monday–Friday 413.559.5458—this number may also be used for counseling and mental health services. After-hours medical advice is available 24/7 through UMass Triage 413.577.5229 or 413.577.5000.

    Students, please contact Hampshire Health Services if you’ve been tested for Covid-19, to help us assess any impact on fellow community members.

    Employees

    Please contact your primary care provider(s) for medical and mental health care.

    When you are not able to work for Covid-19-related circumstances affecting you or a family member, please contact Hampshire Human Resources (email jtHR@hampshire.edu) and your supervisor. Our employee assistance program, e4Health, has many benefits and supports for all employees and their immediate family members—800.828.6025.

    Students and Employees

    Please review more detailed guidance in the attached table based on similar protocols in place at UMass Health:

    I encourage everyone to monitor your Hampshire email for continued Important Announcements (also posted here), along with our Frequently Asked Questions page.

    Ed Wingenbach
    President

     

  • March 25, 2020

    Students, Staff, Faculty,

    Yesterday I met with students in a virtual Town Hall—the same day that the Governor’s two-week stay-at-home order took effect in the state of Massachusetts. As I acknowledged then, the Covid-19 pandemic has had an extraordinary effect on our world and our personal lives, creating a profound sense of loss for all of us, especially our Division III students. And while there is no game plan pre-written for such an unprecedented circumstance, I know that everyone at Hampshire is acting as efficiently and sympathetically as we can. I have tremendous faith in our resiliency and our ability to forge a path together.

    In facing this challenge, Hampshire has real advantages over other colleges. We are not burdened by rigid requirements. We are used to being creative, innovative, and experimenting—and now we are being challenged to practice these skills in a situation that offers no precedent.

    I am impressed with the way our community has responded together to this pandemic as we develop ways to complete the semester for our students without sacrificing quality or our values of close mentorship and co-learning. Students and faculty are encouraged to continue to work creatively to adapt projects so they can be completed remotely under new conditions and at a level that meets the expectations of the student and committee. Hampshire will support Div III students in completing their projects and graduating, and all of our students as they continue their learning remotely.

    Many students are asking about our May Commencement, as many U.S. colleges and universities are rescheduling graduation ceremonies. Commencement is Hampshire’s largest event of the year, attracting thousands of attendees in celebration of our graduates, and requiring months of planning. To ensure we can safely and properly honor our 2020 graduates in person, Hampshire will reschedule Commencement to take place on campus to coincide with our 50th anniversary festivities the weekend of October 16-18. 

    At the same time, the college is planning to recognize our 2020 graduates in May as much as we can through remote communications. We are also discussing the logistics of hosting one or more Div III showcases, either virtually this spring or on campus in the fall.

    We will consult with graduates as we develop alternative celebrations to design events that everyone can enjoy. I am as disappointed as our students and families in the need to reschedule, but I know we will gather in celebration when it is safe to do so.

    In response to the many questions we’ve received from students, we’ve posted revised FAQs today addressing a range of topics.

    In early March more than 250 early action applicants received acceptance letters from Hampshire inviting them to enroll in our 50th anniversary class of fall 2020. This Friday Hampshire will send acceptance letters to hundreds more students who applied regular decision, inviting them to enroll in the fall. Hampshire will welcome our accepted students this spring through virtual Accepted Student Day events and via direct personal communications featuring faculty, staff, students, and alums. We will respond to this pandemic in the most positive, creative ways, and we will continue to be a college that offers a student-designed education not available from any other school.

    It is particularly important that all of us strive to uphold the college’s mission to be ethical citizens of our campus, local, state, national, and global communities. We know that for too many in our communities, this virus is deadly. It is our obligation to do everything we can to reduce the burden on the health care system so people who get sick can receive treatment. I encourage us all to be sympathetic to and supportive of each other through this challenging time.

    Ed Wingenbach

     

  • March 23, 2020

    Dear Students, Staff, Faculty,

    Today Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker issued a two-week stay-at-home advisory and ordered all but essential businesses and services to operate remotely beginning tomorrow Tuesday, March 24, at noon, until Tuesday, April 7, at noon. Colleges like Hampshire are considered essential only for the purposes of facilitating distance learning and performing essential student support functions, and only as long as we are operating under rules for social distancing.

    Per the order Massachusetts state residents are advised to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel and other unnecessary activities during the two-week time period. Similar orders have been issued by the states of Connecticut and New York where some of our employees live.

    Students in Residence

    Please be assured that the order allows us to continue to support the students living on campus, but we must shut down most other offices across campus. Students will have access to food services, health and counseling services, and basic residence services.

    Hampshire students in residence may not leave campus except to travel for food or pharmacy, or to a job where they are considered an essential employee under the terms of the Governor’s order.

    The stay-at-home order means no students will have physical access to any academic spaces on campus. The College will not consider reopening these spaces until we can be absolutely certain it is safe to do so. At this point, Division III students should assume that they will not have access to campus academic resources for the remainder of the spring semester and should be working with their committees to develop alternative approaches to complete their projects.

    Hampshire Dining Commons will remain open daily 11:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. for take-out orders at 413.559.6967.

    This stay-at-home order highlights the seriousness of this illness for our community and our health care system. We urge students to follow strong social distancing practices including no social gatherings of any size, remaining largely in your mods or residence halls, and doing outdoor activity individually.

    College Employees

    Employees working remotely should continue to do so. Employees who are able to work remotely but have not been doing so should begin remote work now.

    Employees who are not able to work remotely should receive guidance from their supervisor about whether or not they are allowed to work on campus during the stay-at-home order.

    We will make sure employees are advised about any support the state or federal governments provide for employees who are unable to work during the stay-at-home order.

    For guidance on employee work policies, Hampshire employees are encouraged to review our latest Human Resources announcements and to contact Human Resources with any questions at hr@hampshire.edu.

    Remote Instruction Under the Order

    Faculty members are expected to work from home during the stay-at-home order unless they absolutely cannot teach remotely without coming to campus.

    Faculty who need supplies from their campus work spaces (office, lab, studio, etc.) should pick them up before Tuesday March 24 at noon, while practicing social distancing. After that point no faculty member should enter an academic building without permission for the duration of the stay-at-home order.

    Faculty who cannot engage in remote instruction without being present on campus should contact Yaniris Fernandez immediately to explore alternative ways to support your teaching or, in the case that such alternatives cannot be arranged, to be given permission to be present on campus.

    The Governor’s order does not make exceptions for allowing research, scholarship, or creative activity as these are not identified as essential functions justifying physical access to campus facilities during the stay-at-home order.

    All Community Members

    While this is an abrupt and quite serious decision, we were already largely in compliance with the expectations of the stay-at-home order. We will be able to follow the order’s guidelines while maintaining core functions and services. We will continue to provide information and guidance as it becomes available. Thank you all for your perseverance, and everything we are doing to protect the health and safety of all members of our community.
     

  • March 20, 2020

    Dear Students,

    Thank you for your patience and perseverance as we do our best as a community to respond to the challenge of the Covid-19 virus. The staff and faculty of Hampshire College are applying their creativity and critical thinking to design innovative ways to support your academic work as we adopt new and unexpected approaches. I know our students will match that ingenuity.

    Many of you have questions, and will continue to have them. On Tuesday, March 24, I will host an online town hall meeting for students at 3 p.m., and will plan to schedule these meetings regularly. Details to log into the town hall will be coming in another message. I am holding separate town halls for parents/families, and faculty/staff.

    Our faculty and staff have been collaborating to put in place plans for ad hoc remote instruction, and will continue to work on this intensively during our extended spring break (and beyond). The College has expanded our technical capacities to support remote learning and will continue to invest where needed.

    Faculty members are working with Division III students to assess how best to complete quality projects remotely and still meet the (revised) May 8 Div III pass deadline. While projects may need to change, some even substantially, I am confident that the partnerships between Div III students and their committees, combined with the creativity all of us bring to our work, will generate excellent outcomes.

    I also have some updates specifically for the small population of Hampshire students who are remaining in residence after March 22:

    • Please be prepared for possible significant changes in housing policies as the situation evolves. Yesterday the Governor of California issued a “safe at home” emergency order.  New York issued similar restrictions today.
    • If Hampshire College needs to restrict students in residence to campus, or if a “safe at home” order is issued by the state, I want to reassure you that we will be able to provide access to food.
    • We have developed policies to isolate any student who may develop respiratory symptoms that resemble Covid-19, and to continue that isolation for students who test positive or for whom a test is unavailable.
    • If one person in a mod needs to be isolated because they have respiratory symptoms that resemble Covid-19, the other residents of that mod will be required to self-quarantine, and remain in the mod for 14 days, or until the student in isolation is approved by Health Services to return to the mod.
    • The Dean of Faculty and School Deans have been consulting with the faculty to understand what access to academic spaces may be needed by Div III students. Based on those conversations, access to most academic spaces will be for limited times or by appointment, and only for Div III students with needs that faculty advisors judge cannot be otherwise met.
    • Appointments to work in academic spaces will depend upon the availability of key faculty and staff; as conditions change, we cannot guarantee that the appropriate people will be available to arrange appointments.
    • In extensive conversations with the Deans and consultation with staff and faculty who use and oversee facilities, the Dean of Faculty has determined that the following academic spaces are not absolutely necessary for students to complete their Division III work and will therefore remain closed:
      • The Gallery
      • Jerome Liebling Center
      • Music/Dance Building

    When instruction resumes March 30, we anticipate Div III students with needs that cannot be otherwise met will have access to the following academic spaces at limited times or by appointment only:

    • Greenhouse
    • Theatre Shops
    • Media Services
    • Media Labs Library Basement
    • Arts Barn
    • Center for Design
    • Harold Johnson Library
    • Cole Science Labs
    • ASH Computer Labs

    There have been a lot of emails and adjustments to policies, and this will continue. I encourage everyone to monitor your email for Covid-19 Important Announcements (also posted here) along with our Frequently Asked Questions page, which is also updated regularly.

    Please remember to practice preventive health and social distancing as recommended by the CDC.

    When we resume instruction on March 30, I am confident that our students will be able to continue to pursue the distinctive questions, projects, and creative work that make Hampshire so unique and our self-directed students so impressive. Flexibility, openness, creativity, and commitment to experimenting are the traits all colleges need to navigate this unprecedented disruption — fortunately, those constitute the essence of Hampshire’s identity.

    Ed Wingenbach

  • March 17, 2020

    Dear students, faculty, and staff,

    Hampshire College will extend the academic spring break by one week, to provide more time to transition successfully to remote instruction. Beginning March 30, 2020, classes will be delivered remotely. Division III pass for Spring 2020 completion, final Division I and II project and portfolio submission, and other academic requirements tied to the academic calendar will also move back a week. Given the changes to the academic calendars of our Five Colleges partners and uncertainty about how their schedules will work, details about the end of the semester will need to be developed as the situation becomes more clear.

    When we decided to move to remote teaching and learning last week, we planned to resume instruction on our normal schedule following spring break. Our goal was to maximize our ability to resume normal operations in April without falling too far behind. Now that it is clear that we will not be inviting students to return to campus in April, it is in the interests of everyone to take some extra time to prepare for a successful transition to remote teaching and learning. It is also the case that extending the break provides some flexibility to the many of our faculty and staff who are affected by the closing of school systems in the community and are having to arrange for care of children and family members.

    Effective tomorrow the College is temporarily closing all academic spaces to students approved to remain on campus while we develop a plan for staffing and ensuring health and safety in those spaces. This closure includes the Arts Barn, Harold F. Johnson Library (including media services, the advanced media labs and the gallery), Cole Science labs, Center for Design, Liebling Center, Adele Simmons Hall, Music & Dance Building, Emily Dickinson Hall theatre spaces, and all academic work spaces. We ask for your patience while we assess the level of need for access to these spaces and create a plan for safe use. We will restore access to these spaces as soon as possible, and hopefully no later than Tuesday, March 24. While we intend to ensure access to academic spaces important to student work, the health and safety of our entire community will govern decisions about space usage. Staff and student workers who are employed in any of these locations should consult their supervisor to determine how this action impacts them.

  • March 16, 2020

    Dear Students,

    I write with an urgent update. We have worked hard over the last week to preserve the possibility of resuming the spring semester as normal. Hampshire’s community and curriculum deserves every opportunity to thrive in its best form. Unfortunately, conditions continue to evolve rapidly, and every change makes it harder to sustain the hope that we can resume in-person teaching and learning.

    In his emergency order on March 15, Massachusetts Governor Baker banned all gatherings of more than 25 people and encouraged all institutions of higher education to “pursue strategies to reduce the need for faculty and staff to be on campus.” The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education and Department of Public Health “strongly recommend that colleges and universities, both public and private, continue to pursue strategies to reduce the need for students to be on campus.” The Governor issued an emergency order forbidding on-premises consumption of food at restaurants, which means our dining services will be limited to take-out options. The federal government is considering domestic travel restrictions. Travel and movement restrictions are increasing across the United States, and many jurisdictions are adopting increasingly stringent social distancing measures.

    Given these circumstances and the Governor’s directives, Hampshire College will not be able to resume in-person instruction on April 6. We will continue with remote instruction, including for students who remain on campus, indefinitely. Only operations critical to the functioning of the campus and necessary to support the safety and well-being of students in residence will continue on campus. Any staff work that can plausibly be done remotely will not take place on campus. 

    In light of these new circumstances, the following policies now apply:

    Students who have not received College approval to stay in residence after March 22, 2020 are now REQUIRED to leave campus housing as soon as possible, and no later than noon on March 18.

    • If you have transportation of your own on campus, we expect you to leave today. 
    • If you are being transported by relatives or friends, you must be picked up before noon on March 18. 
    • If you have purchased transportation (bus, train, flight, etc.), you should adjust your ticket to travel as soon as possible; you should leave campus no later than noon on March 18. Every major domestic airline has waived fees for one-time changes to already purchased tickets, so you should be able to rearrange your flights without extra expense. Amtrak has waived change fees and the Peter Pan Bus Line has waived rescheduling restrictions. 
    • If you have not arranged travel and need to do so, please act immediately.
    • If you need help changing a flight, train ticket, or bus fare, or arranging travel, please visit the Airport Lounge between 11:00-4:30 today and tomorrow; bring all documents you need to arrange travel including identification and form of payment.

    As previously communicated on March 13, any student not in residence on campus by noon on March 16, 2020 will not be permitted to return to campus, unless given specific exemption based on unavoidable hardship or significant extenuating circumstances. Students in this situation must contact the Dean of Students Office at 413.559.5412.

    Given the rapidity with which the situation is changing, we encourage  domestic students who have been approved to remain on campus after March 22 to leave if they have a safe and secure home environment to which to return. We will expect faculty to work creatively with Div III students to complete their work, even if their projects require campus resources. At this point we cannot be certain about the resources and facilities that will be available on campus, given staffing limitations and the encouragement of the state to adopt remote work. 

    Students who leave campus and travel more than 10 miles away will not be permitted to return to campus; please be aware that as conditions change we may further restrict travel, up to and including requiring all students who remain in residence to stay within the boundaries of campus.

    Effective immediately, no college-sponsored domestic or international travel is permitted, unless explicitly authorized by the President. 

    As previously announced, non-Hampshire College guests are only permitted in campus housing while they are assisting a Hampshire College student in moving out of the residence. 

    I am as disappointed as all of you that we will not be able to return to campus and resume in-person learning. I am saddened by the dispersal of a community that has endured so much and yet built such momentum for the future. We are doing everything we can to mitigate the disruption of your academic and creative work, so much of which depends upon the support we all provide one another. I promise to do everything I can to both support the students who will be remaining on campus and those who will be participating from a distance. And I will work relentlessly to secure a stable future for Hampshire College.

    Ed Wingenbach, President

  • March 14, 2020

    Dear Students,

    In response to changing circumstances, including the declaration of a state of emergency by both the federal government and State of Massachusetts, the shutting of local K-12 schools, a presumptive positive case of Covid-19 connected to an Amherst Regional High School parent/guardian, and the importance of establishing rigorous social distancing practices as soon as possible, we are issuing new guidance about students in campus residences. We apologize for issuing changing recommendations; this is a rapidly evolving situation and our priority is the health and safety of our students and community. We ask for your patience as we all do our best to keep one another safe.

    Students who have not received College approval to stay in residence after March 22, 2020 are now STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to leave campus housing as soon as possible.

    • If you have transportation of your own on campus, we expect you to leave as quickly as possible.
    • If you have purchased transportation (bus, train, flight, etc.), please try to adjust your ticket to travel sooner, especially given the uncertainty around travel restrictions.
    • If you are being picked up by relatives or friends, please try to arrange for them to get you as early as they can.

    Please be aware that the College may need to continue to restrict our student life and housing policies as necessary in the coming days to ensure campus health and safety.

    As previously announced, non-Hampshire College guests are only permitted in campus housing while they are assisting a Hampshire College student in moving out of the residence.

    Students in campus housing should practice social distancing. This includes avoiding gatherings of students for informal events or parties.

    It remains the case that beginning March 16 at noon, any student who travels more than 10 miles must leave campus housing and may only return to campus in order to move out belongings. This restriction applies to all students, including those approved to stay on campus after March 22.

    Finally, our capacity to allow any students to remain on campus, even those with no other places to live, depends upon every member of our community observing these policies. If students regularly disregard travel and guest restrictions, or remain in residence without permission, we may be forced to close campus housing altogether. We are asking everyone at Hampshire College to take responsibility for the well being of all of us.

    Ed Wingenbach
    President
  • March 13, 2020

    Effective Monday, March 16, 2020 at 12:00pm (noon) all Hampshire students currently living in residence at the College will be required to follow these terms to remain in housing.

    • Students agree not to travel more than a 10 mile radius from campus.
    • Students understand that they are not permitted to return to live on campus if they travel outside of the 10 mile radius, including any pre-registered Spring Break plans which are now VOID. 
    • Students will be permitted back to campus to pack up their belongings if they travel outside of the radius.
    • Students who have already left the campus and were intending to return after March 16 at noon must contact the Dean of Students Office at 413.559.5412.

    Effective immediately:

    • No non-Hampshire College guests will be permitted in the mods or residence halls. The exception is guests assisting students with moving out of their rooms.
    • Dining Services and other campus offices will be open but will have limited hours and services. Academic facilities, including the library, will be open but may also have limited hours.
    • Students understand that all College policies, including those stated in the Student Handbook and the Norms of Community Living will apply and they will be held accountable to them.
  • March 11, 2020

    Dear Hampshire College Community,

    Our community has been working responsibly and creatively to respond to the continuing spread of the Covid-19 virus. We are taking a number of important steps effective today, detailed below. Most important, Hampshire College will temporarily adopt remote instruction after spring break in order to help mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and allow time to assess whether students can return to campus in April. We will allow students with extenuating circumstances to apply to remain on campus after spring break.

    In our planning we are prioritizing the health and safety of Hampshire College, our students, and the broader community. We are also committed to supporting the academic welfare of our students. Hampshire’s unique educational model is complex, demanding, and cooperative. Our Division III students are often working on projects dependent upon campus resources and spaces that cannot be transported or replicated at a distance.

    After extensive consideration of many strategies and reviewing the policies adopted by other higher education institutions, Hampshire College will implement the following steps:

    • Classes will continue to meet in person through Friday, March 13.
    • Students must leave campus housing by Sunday, March 22, and should plan to remain away from campus until further notice.
    • Beginning March 23, Hampshire College classes will be delivered remotely.
    • Remote instruction will continue through April 3.
    • We will evaluate the situation and determine by April 1 whether remote instruction needs to be extended, and whether students may return to campus.
    • All international students may remain on campus.
    • Students with extenuating circumstances, as defined below, may apply to remain on campus using this campus housing application form.
      Students with extenuating circumstances include:
      • Students unable to make travel or alternate housing arrangements and would thereby experience extraordinary hardship
      • Students who are unable to relocate to a secure living environment
      • Division III students whose projects cannot be completed without access to resources only available on campus
    • Students approved to stay on campus beyond March 22 are expected to stay in campus housing during spring break and avoid significant travel.
    • Students approved to stay on campus beyond March 22 who have left or plan to leave campus will be required to provide to the College all details of their travel; depending on their itinerary, these students may be required to self-quarantine for 14 days.
    • The policies on travel and events established on March 10, 2020, remain in place.

    This disruption of campus life is difficult for all of us and presents unprecedented challenges. This year we have come together as a campus community, and we are a stronger community for it. I hope we can work through this challenge together in that spirit. Our ability to enact this plan relies on everyone’s willingness to participate in good faith.

    We will continue to communicate details as they develop, and to post updates here.

    Please see our FAQs for more details. If you have other questions, please contact the President’s Office at president@hampshire.edu.

    Ed Wingenbach
    President

  • March 10, 2020

    Dear Hampshire Community,

    Hampshire College’s Covid-19 Response Team is meeting daily to address a dynamic and rapidly evolving global situation and the implications for our campus community and the community at large. The risk of exposure to the public remains low according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and there are currently no confirmed cases at Hampshire College. Nevertheless, it is important that we adopt efforts to slow the spread of the virus now, before cases emerge in our community. Ethical citizenship is central to our mission, which in this case includes an obligation to mitigate the risk to the most vulnerable people in our community and region. Hampshire is monitoring new advisories and concerns hourly and taking the important steps detailed below to account for the needs of our students, faculty, staff, and broader community. We encourage everyone to educate themselves in the steps to prevent exposure and to consider the well-being of loved ones and community members broadly.

    Continuing Courses and Academic Programs

    To prepare for the possibility of a disruption to courses and academic programs on campus, Hampshire is developing alternatives to enable students to complete course requirements and finish the semester, including using our existing Moodle system or Zoom group meetings. We have asked faculty to plan to adjust syllabi and expectations for course completion if we have to suspend face-to-face teaching and learning, and the College is providing support for that planning. We are committed to supporting our students as they complete their academic work this semester.

    Campus Events

    Effective immediately, and until May 1, the College will limit public campus gatherings to no more than 50 participants, with the exception of Red Barn private rentals. This policy does not include Hampshire academic classes or events that are limited to current Hampshire faculty, staff, and students.This limit applies to events sponsored by the College, schools, divisions, and offices, as well as student-sponsored events. Regrettably, this decision includes events scheduled for April including the annual CLPP Conference. At this point Spring Jam participation will be restricted to current Hampshire students, and it may be cancelled as conditions change. Decisions about events scheduled after May 1 will be made at a later date.

    International and Domestic Travel Policies:

    International Travel
    Effective immediately, and until further notice, Hampshire College will not sponsor or fund any international travel. Students already on study abroad may remain unless their country is designated a CDC Warning Level 3 or State Department Level 4 Warning, in which case they must return home. Hampshire’s Travel Policy announced March 2, 2020 (see below), regarding students, faculty, staff in CDC Warning Level 3 Countries remains in effect.

    • Any Hampshire community member returning or visitors visiting from a Warning Level 3 or Level 2 country may not visit campus for any reason until they have been in the U.S. for at least 14 days and have not shown any symptoms of Covid-19.
    • Any Hampshire community member who may have been exposed to a person with a presumed case of Covid-19 may not visit campus for any reason for a period of at least 14 days, having not shown any symptoms of Covid-19.
    • If a student returns home from any study abroad program, they must remain at home and may not return to campus, but may continue in Exchange and Field Study status while completing their work remotely from home.

    At this time, Hampshire will continue to assist students with planning for fall 2020 study abroad programs.

    Domestic Travel
    Until further notice, the College will not sponsor or fund group travel of five people or more outside of a 100-mile radius of campus, unless the group receives express written permission for an exemption from the president's office.

    Spring Break at Hampshire

    We encourage students to remain on campus for spring break to help mitigate transmission of the virus. On Monday, March 9, the College sent our residential students a message (see below) welcoming them to remain on campus next week, with updates on the week's campus resources including housing, dining, and health services.

    Travel Registration

    The College now requires all faculty, students and staff to report all international travel, both College-sponsored and personal, and all College-sponsored domestic travel, through this HampGOES travel registry form (follow the "User Login" instructions to login, then access the "travel registry" tab and "add a plan" to submit your travel details). This mandatory registration is necessary to create a record of where members of our community have traveled should there be a public health need.

    Workplace policies and paid sick leave

    The College is developing contingency plans for supporting colleagues who may need to self-isolate at home, which will include minimizing worry about using or depleting one’s sick days. If feeling ill or experiencing cold symptoms, staff and faculty are asked to stay home.

    Facilities

    Hampshire’s facilities office is focusing its resources and is committed to a healthy, safe campus. The College has ordered additional hand sanitizer and will be installing updated dispensers across campus. Campus signs for proper hygiene and hand washing have been posted broadly. Facilities has deployed its custodial staff to sanitize high-touch surfaces in areas where there are large gatherings of people, and prioritizing spaces such as the health center.

    Individuals at High Risk

    We recognize that some members of our community may be at higher risk for serious illness from Covid-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance for individuals in this situation. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your primary health care provider for guidance on how the College can help protect your wellbeing.

    Five Colleges Impacts

    Our community members should be aware of announcements and access restrictions by our partners in the Five Colleges:

    Amherst College
    Smith College
    Mount Holyoke College
    UMass Amherst

    We will continue to update this page.

    I've provided additional resources below including information on our campus Covid-19 Response Team. Questions on Hampshire’s preparedness and response may be directed to the President’s Office at president@hampshire.edu.

    Ed Wingenbach, President
     
    COVID-19 RESOURCES

    State of Massachusetts Dept of Public Health
    CDC Travel Advisories
    Centers for Disease Control
    U.S. State Department Level 4 Travel Warning locations

    HAMPSHIRE’S COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM

    • Sara Aierstuck
    • Aaron Berman
    • Jenny Chandler
    • Zena Cliff
    • John Courtmanche
    • Elizabeth Craun
    • Yaniris Fernandez
    • Chuck Furgal
    • Reeve Gutsell
    • Katie Irwin
    • Stacie Kroll
    • Susie Mitton Shannon
    • Sarah Steely
    • Pam Tinto

    HAMPSHIRE COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM subcommittees to address and oversee key areas and concerns:

    • Academic Continuity Planning
    • International Students, Programs, and Travel
    • Business Continuity Planning
    • Campus Preparedness and Contingency Planning
    • Communications and FAQs prep
       
  • March 9, 2020

    Students,

    Hampshire is continuing our efforts to keep the community healthy and to monitor Coronavirus Covid-19, which remains a low risk to the public in Massachusetts according to the state Department of Public Health. Given the unfolding concerns over international travel and some domestic travel, Hampshire welcomes our students to stay in your campus residences over Spring Break.

    The College will now have Dining Services and Health Services open for spring week on the special schedules below. Note that because classes are not being held for the week and some faculty and staff will not be on campus, the College can’t guarantee access to academic buildings or academic services.

    We urge anyone planning international travel for personal reasons to understand that restrictions may be issued in locations that could impact your ability to return to campus; we advise that you closely monitor travel guidance from the U.S. Department of State and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Any Hampshire community member returning from a CDC Warning Level 3 country may not return to campus for any reason until they have been in the U.S. for at least 14 days and have not shown any symptoms of Covid-19.

    As we look to prepare for food service and resources not typically available over the break, we ask students to complete this quick Spring Break Plans Survey Your responses will help us plan services and programs for students remaining on campus.

    As a reminder, Hampshire is also requiring students, faculty, or staff traveling on college-sponsored travel—work or study funded or arranged by the college or for academic credit—and on international personal travel to register your travel itinerary in the HampGOES travel registry, provided by our Global Education Office.

    Spring Break Hours and Resources:

    • The Dining Commons will be open Saturday, March 14 through Sunday, March 22 for brunch from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
    • The Bridge and the Kern Café will be closed over the break.  
    • Health Services will be open for acute medical care and triage Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20 from 1– 5 p.m. Students with health questions may contact either their primary care provider, or Hampshire Health Services during business hours at 413-559-5458. Hampshire students may also contact a UMass Triage Advice Nurse at 413-577-5229.
    • Residential Life and Housing will be offering increased community programs.
    • Campus Safety and Security is always open, 24/7!
    • PVTA runs on a holiday schedule during Spring Break. Please refer to their website for up to date information.
    • Hampshire will offer shopping vans. The final schedule will be posted soon. 
    • The RCC will close for Spring Break on Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m. and will resume operations on Monday, March 23 at noon. The Multi-Sport Track and Weight Room facility will remain open throughout the break with normal hours.
  • March 2, 2020

    Hampshire College Community,

    We are writing with an update on the novel strain of coronavirus COVID-19 and the important steps Hampshire is taking to respond. There have been no cases of COVID-19 among our students, faculty, or staff either on campus or among those studying or working abroad, and currently the risk is low of getting COVID-19 in the U.S. or Massachusetts according to federal and state public health agencies. Many of our community members are concerned for loved ones around the world impacted or threatened by the outbreak and we share those concerns.

    Hampshire is coordinating closely with the Five Colleges health centers and public health officials from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). College leaders are actively monitoring developments and preparing for contingencies.

    The CDC has currently assigned its highest Warning Level 3 to China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy, and an Alert Level 2 to Japan. The outbreak has prompted many schools and institutions to cancel their study abroad programs in countries with high risk.

    Hampshire’s Global Education Office is coordinating with our global study abroad partners and communicating directly with our 34 students on exchange and field study and their families to ensure their health and safety and minimize the impact to their academic work as much as possible.

    Hampshire Travel Policy Re: CDC Warning Level 3 Countries

    This weekend Hampshire communicated to our study abroad students that those studying in a country designated with a CDC Warning Level 3 should make plans to return home as soon as possible. The Center for Academic Support and Advising and the Global Education Office will notify the student's faculty committee at Hampshire and urge them to make accommodations wherever possible to support the student in completing their work. A student who wishes to stay in a location with a Warning Level 3 will be required to sign an assumption of risk agreement along with their parent/guardian, taking responsibility for the risks of remaining there.

    Likewise, the College is now asking faculty and staff working in Warning Level 3 countries to return home as soon as possible. In addition, our regular global policy does not permit college-sponsored travel to US State Department Level 4 Travel Warning locations, which include China and, as of March 1, Lombardy and Veneto regions of Italy; any student, faculty or staff traveling in these regions of Italy must arrange to leave immediately.

    Any Hampshire community member returning from a Warning Level 3 country may not return to campus for any reason until they have been in the U.S. for at least 14 days and have not shown any symptoms of COVID-19.

    Travel Registration Policy

    Hampshire is also requiring students, faculty, or staff traveling on college-sponsored travel—work or study funded or arranged by the college or for academic credit—to register your travel itinerary in the HampGOES travel registry, provided by our Global Education Office. This applies to all college-sponsored travel but not to personal travel. Follow the "User Login" instructions to login, then access the "travel registry" tab and "add a plan" to submit your travel details.

    Prevention

    We suggest students, staff, and faculty planning to travel internationally, whether for academics or personal, first monitor official government travel advisories from the CDC and the U.S. State Department.  We encourage you to weigh the necessity of any international travel against the potential risks, such as of being exposed to the disease, quarantined or prevented from traveling, or incurring unexpected expenses.  

    While the risk of COVID-19 is currently low in the Northeast, we are still in flu and respiratory disease season. The CDC recommends getting a flu vaccine and taking the following preventive actions to stop the spread of all illness.

    • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
    • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
    • Stay home when you are sick and don’t go to class or work.
    • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
    • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
    • It’s not too late to get a flu vaccination. Call Health Services for an appointment at 413-559-5458. 

    Resources for COVID-19

    Hampshire Health Services updates

    State of Massachusetts Dept of Public Health

    Centers for Disease Control

    Students with health questions may contact either their primary care provider, or Hampshire Health Services during business hours Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. at 413.559.5458. At night and on weekends, Hampshire students may contact a UMass Triage Advice Nurse at 413.577.5229.

    We are committed to the health and safety of our community members and we’ll continue to provide you timely updates as necessary.

    Sincerely,

    Djola Branner, Vice President for Student Affairs
    Eva Rueschmann, Vice President for Academic Affairs
    Sara Aierstuck, Director of Health & Counseling Services
    Katie Irwin, Director of Global Education

  • February 14, 2020

    Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has a new official name this week and continues to cause significant illness among people in central China, but the risk to the public remains low in Massachusetts. There continue to be no identified cases of Covid-19 in the Five College community. 

    See the CDC website for up-to-date news and more information about Covid-19, related travel advisories, and frequently asked questions. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health also has an updated resource page here. 

    Symptoms of Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) are very much like the flu or common cold at first:

    • Fever, cough, congestion, runny nose, stuffy nose, difficulty breathing, and severe weakness.
    • Symptoms may develop rapidly and be much more dramatic than a “typical cold.”

    If you have concerns about symptoms of respiratory illness AND have traveled through China or been in close contact with another person with Covid-19 in the past 14 days: CALL first. You will be directed to the appropriate health facility for your needs. Do not come to the Health Center, attend class, or go into any public spaces in order to limit risk of exposure to others. If you have severe symptoms, including any difficulty breathing, call 911 for emergency response and an ambulance. 

    Students: call Hampshire Health Services M-F 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. 413 559-5458 or UMass University Health Services whenever Hampshire Health is closed at 413 577-5000. 

    Faculty/Staff: Please contact your primary care provider for medical instructions.

    Tips for prevention of illness including flu, colds, and coronavirus disease (Covid-19) include:

    • Careful and frequent hand washing or cleaning with hand sanitizer, especially after touching any commonly touched or shared items such as doorknobs, phones, keyboards, faucets, staircase railings, elevator buttons, countertops, etc.
    • Get an updated annual seasonal flu vaccine. We've had cases of both influenza A and B among students at Hampshire in the past few weeks, and flu activity in Massachusetts in high. Vaccination for flu can help prevent illness and severity of illness. Health Services has a good supply of seasonal flu vaccine available for students. Call for an appointment today 413 559-5458. 
    • If you are sick, don't go to class, work, ride buses, or spend time in pubic spaces. Stay out of public spaces until your fever is gone for at least 24 hours. 
    • Avoid close contact with others if they appear ill, or if you are ill. Keeping a six-foot distance between you and others can help prevent the spread of most illnesses.
    • Careful disinfecting and cleaning of frequently touched items such as doorknobs, phones, keyboards, faucets, countertops, etc.
    • Drink plenty of water or other clear liquids such as soups with broth. 
    • Eat balanced, colorful meals with protein, fruit, and vegetables. 
    • Get extra rest.
    • Don’t smoke or vape.
    • Wearing a surgical mask to help prevent illness is a very common practice and is considered routine in many countries outside the U.S. It’s very important to not assume that someone wearing a mask is sick and/or contagious. Sometimes we wear masks because we want to stay healthy, and because we want to protect our families and friends. People with compromised immune systems may also need to be extra careful to avoid illness. Health centers and hospitals ask patients with respiratory symptoms to wear masks to help prevent spread of illness in waiting areas and exam rooms. 

    See the CDC website for up-to-date news and more information about Covid-19 and related travel advisories.

 

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