In order to provide adequate time for people who are returning to campus to travel, quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, and undergo testing, Dartmouth’s undergraduate winter term will begin Jan. 7 and end March 10, Provost Joseph Helble said today in a message to the community.
Jan. 7 will also be the first day of the term for students at the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies and at Thayer School of Engineering. Students in winter programs at the Geisel School of Medicine students and the Tuck School of Business will not be affected by these changes and will begin on their own scheduled dates.
“Student arrival dates will be staggered, as they were for fall term,” Helble wrote in his message. “As Dean of the College Kathryn Lively has noted, winter-term arrival and testing dates and schedules have not yet been finalized, so we ask that students not make travel plans until they have received further information on housing and arrival schedules, expected to be released next month.”
Starting the term a bit later than usual will enable students who are going to be on campus to travel after the holidays are over. It will also “avoid having large numbers of students in residence halls in quarantine over the New Year’s holiday, and would enable us to have the necessary staffing on campus to manage comprehensive arrival week testing,” Helble explained Oct. 14 during his Community Conversations webcast.
“The COVID-19 Task Force is well into its planning for the coming season and I have received many inquiries regarding Dartmouth’s winter term,” he wrote in today’s email.
“As we know, there is currently a surge in COVID-19 transmission taking place across the country, and the number of cases in New Hampshire, while remaining low compared to much of the country, has also been rising. Thanks to your careful adherence to community guidelines and sound hygiene practices, the incidence of the virus has remained low in our community, enabling those on campus to enjoy many aspects of the fall term,” Helble wrote.
“Together, we have demonstrated that Dartmouth students, faculty, and staff have what it takes to continue taking precautions against the virus, even in the face of ‘COVID fatigue.’ We are all longing for normalcy and concerned about the months ahead, but I have no doubt that we are committed enough and smart enough to maintain our momentum. Let’s all continue to be there for one another.”
For the latest information on Dartmouth’s response to the pandemic visit the COVID-19 website.