New AS&E Undergraduate Students
June 23, 2020
Subject: A follow up to President Monaco’s Fall 2020 Announcement
Dear students,
Earlier today you received a message from President Monaco about Tufts University’s plans for the Fall 2020 semester. We are following up with some important information regarding our undergraduate programs.
As deans, we look forward to welcoming you to our campuses this Fall as you begin your college career. While our commitment to academic excellence and creating transformative experiences for students remains steadfast, your introduction to campus life will be, by necessity, significantly different than the classes that preceded you.
Your health, safety, and well-being, as well as that of the Tufts community, are paramount. Nothing has been more important in our decision making about the Fall. In consultation with numerous health experts and our local boards of health, we are confident that we can safely reopen our campuses and resume teaching and learning. The measures to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 will include requiring all students, faculty, and staff on our campuses to follow testing and safety protocols; to take required measures for personal health and safety (e.g. wearing face coverings, practicing hand hygiene, etc.); and to practice social distancing. We have detailed our extensive preparations in the Fall 2020 Campus Guide for Students which we strongly encourage you to review. The guide includes important information about campus health and safety protocols, housing and dining, academic life, and more.
Academics for the Fall Semester
The campuses will re-open for the Fall semester as scheduled, with classes starting on September 8. We will follow the scheduled academic calendar, while being fully prepared to implement changes should circumstances require us to do so.
Our faculty have fine-tuned our rigorous curriculum to give you the flexibility to begin your studies at Tufts this Fall. Liberal arts and sciences and engineering courses will be offered in various formats: some will focus on in-person lectures and discussions, others will be offered fully virtually (and will be recorded and available online), and many will have a hybrid or multiple modality model, combining a mix of remote and in-person instruction. Virtual learning may be available either synchronously – live, with students all participating at the same time – or asynchronously, enabling students to participate at a time that works best for them. The studio arts curriculum offered by SMFA at Tufts has been completely redesigned by the faculty to mix in-depth virtual instruction with options for students to receive supplies and equipment at home or to access studios and facilities in person to complete coursework.
Academic departments are outlining their Fall course offerings on their websites, including each course’s delivery method (in-person, hybrid/dual modality, virtual). Regardless of delivery method, all courses will provide the instructional integrity and personal attention that students expect from Tufts.
Beyond the Classroom
Establishing lifelong friendships and learning leadership and other skills through participation in co-curricular activities are important aspects of the Tufts experience. Community volunteering. Our Identity-based Centers. Student organizations. Theater and the arts. You will be able to continue to participate in these and other activities and organizations in meaningful and enriching ways this Fall.
Athletics are also a central part of the Tufts experience for many of our students. During this semester, our Athletics Department and Office for Campus Life will provide low-risk, non-contact recreation activities and expanded e-sports opportunities for students in the Fall. Outdoor athletics facilities will be available for use subject to applicable safety guidelines.
However, competitive club sports and intramurals have been suspended for the Fall semester. The Athletics Department and Tufts medical staff are working together with the NESCAC, public health officials, and the NCAA to determine how and when it will be safe for varsity sport student-athletes, coaches, and staff to return to practice and competition. Coaches will communicate directly with varsity student-athletes as soon as final decisions are made.
Housing and Dining
Our residence halls will re-open for residential students. If you decide to come to campus, you will be placed into a residential cohort based on living compatibility, as determined by your responses to the housing questionnaire. Your move-in dates will be assigned and staggered to allow for social distancing. Dining facilities on both campuses will be open and students will receive guidance on maintaining social distancing in our dining areas. Learn more about the university’s plans for housing, dining, and other campus services.
Pre-Orientation and Orientation
Pre-Orientation 2020 has been moved to a virtual experience that is free for all students. Orientation programming will be primarily virtual but enhanced through opportunities for in-person experiences through residential halls and other small group activities.
Coming to Campus
We understand that some students may be unable to come to campus this Fall, and that international students in particular find themselves facing many challenges. International students can contact our International Center for assistance with questions regarding visas and travel.
We ask you to let us know whether you intend to come to campus this Fall. Alternatively, you could elect to take all of your courses remotely and not come to campus. As yet another option, you could decide to request a gap year. We encourage you to discuss your options with trusted voices, such as family members or your physician, before reaching your decision.
To tell us your decision, you must inform the university through your New Student Checklist by June 30, 2020. If you wish to submit a request to take a gap year, you can do so by visiting your admissions status page. Our defer guidelines can be found here. Please note that we do not allow a gap semester. The deadline for making the gap year request is June 30, 2020.
For more information, visit go.tufts.edu/coronavirus to read answers to frequently asked questions and read the Fall 2020 Campus Guide for Students. If you have questions about a gap year, please contact the admissions office at undergraduate.admissions@tufts.edu; if you have questions about coming to campus, please email studentservices@tufts.edu.
We very much hope that you will decide to come to campus this Fall. We are available to answer any questions you have about the coming semester and to assist you in your decision making.
Toward that goal, we invite you and your family to join us for a virtual Town Hall for undergraduate first-year and transfer students on Friday, June 26, at 6 PM EDT. President Anthony Monaco will join the two of us and other members of our staff to share our plans and answer your questions. Please submit questions in advance via this survey link.
Although this is a deeply challenging moment in global history, we have faith in the collective strength of the Jumbo community.
Sincerely,
James M. Glaser, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Jianmin Qu, Dean of the School of Engineering