Important Information on Adjustments to Campus Operations and Academic Calendar
November 17, 2020
Dear Campus Community,
Throughout our state and the nation, coronavirus cases are on the rise. As we prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we remain focused on the health and well-being of our campus community and urge everyone to take all necessary precautions and abide by our health protocols.
The resurgent pandemic requires us to make adjustments to campus operations and our academic calendar.
Post-Thanksgiving Plans for In-Person and Hybrid Classes
As previously announced, only those in-person activities or classes specifically approved through the Office of the Provost will be permitted to meet in-person after Thanksgiving and through the end of the fall term. Practica, clinicals and internships will continue under the guidance of the hosting site. Faculty currently teaching in-person will notify students about how classes will continue after Thanksgiving (synchronous through Zoom, asynchronous through Blackboard, etc.).
Final Exams Scheduled for December 16-22
Rhode Island College will
not be offering in-person final exams or testing options (even for in-person and hybrid classes) except where required by accreditation and with approved plans for the health and safety of students, faculty and staff. Plans to support students whose accommodations specify additional testing time or distraction elimination or other accommodations will be put in place as required. For questions regarding accommodations, please contact
Disability Services.
Changes to Spring Break
The Rhode Island Department of Health requested colleges and universities in the state to consider cancelling spring break in 2021 to mitigate against activities that could contribute to increased spread of the coronavirus.
Focused on the health and safety of our campus community and recommendations from the RIC COVID-19 Steering Committee, RIC Calendar Committee and the Executive Committee of the RIC Council, the college has decided to divide spring break up into smaller breaks that coincide with the public school calendar, believing this would be helpful to the students, faculty and staff who have responsibility for school-aged children during this pandemic, while also providing needed breaks during the spring term. Accordingly, the college has changed the dates of its scheduled spring break from March 8-12 to February 18-19, March 24, and April 19-20.
Giving Thanks
I want to take this time to thank you for abiding by our health and safety protocols. Thank you for wearing your masks, for social distancing and for limiting the size of your gatherings. Because we have rallied together as a campus community, we have been able to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on campus. But, with cases on the rise, we have to keep it up. I know that it is not easy. The pandemic has impacted every facet of our lives. For each other and our campus community, I am asking you to stay resilient and continue to take those steps that we know will minimize the spread.
In this season of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of the quote by novelist, playwright and poet James Baldwin, who said,
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
Let us continue to work together to boldly face our challenges and propel Rhode Island College forward.
Yours in education,
Frank D. Sánchez
President
