COVID-19 Messages to Faculty (2020)

by staff | December 18, 2020

An archive of messages sent to William & Mary faculty responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Note that phased planning has updated some messages since their original issuance. These are marked with editor's notes. - Ed.

Clarification: Faculty & Staff Quarantine

December 18, 2020

Good afternoon,

I’d like to clarify that faculty and staff members who have been consistently working in person, on campus, do not need to quarantine over the holiday break. They can and should return to work according to their unit and department schedule, as normal.

The eight-day quarantine requirement is intended for those faculty and staff members who have been working remotely. They are to quarantine for eight days before they and students return in person to campus for the spring semester. W&M anticipates most of these employees will return in mid- to late-January and February.

As always, we hope all faculty and staff will continue to exercise good judgment and caution in assessing your health. If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, or have been in close contact with a known positive, please visit Path Forward and do not come to campus until you have been evaluated by your healthcare provider.

Have a warm and safe holiday season,

Amy Sebring
COVID-19 Response Director
W&M Chief Operating Officer

Spring COVID-19 Prevention Measures

December 17, 2020

Dear W&M Community,

As many of you know, Sam Jones retired at the beginning of December after an exemplary career at William & Mary, capped by his able leadership of the COVID-19 Response Team. I am honored to succeed Sam in that role while also chairing W&M’s Public Health Advisory Team and serving as the university’s chief operating officer. In that capacity, I write with an update on the spring semester. Many of W&M’s protocols in the spring will mirror what proved successful in the fall, though W&M continues to refine processes and evaluate response to the ever-changing public health landscape.

Pre-Arrival Quarantine and Testing

For Employees:

As in the fall semester, students, faculty and staff who work closely with others will need to self-quarantine for eight days before returning to in-person activities on campus.
In addition, employees who work in positions identified by Human Resources as being in high-contact roles in which they may not be able to use mitigation strategies – such as masks, physical barriers and social distancing at all times – may be tested for COVID-19 before students return to campus.

For Students:

As with the fall semester, students are expected to quarantine eight days prior to returning to campus to minimize potential exposure to COVID-19.
All students living in campus housing, who plan to attend in-person instruction or use university facilities, will be required to have a negative COVID-19 test before returning to campus. Students within a 30-mile radius of campus will also need to test negative.
W&M will provide each student a free COVID-19 saliva test, mailed in advance of returning. The COVID-19 testing group will soon begin contacting students by email to coordinate test registration and shipments, based on students’ anticipated arrival dates.
The self-collected saliva test is administered through Clinical Reference Laboratory as part of the network of labs that includes VCU Health, our health care partner.
These are the tests required for move-in and in-person instruction; W&M does not plan to accept outside test results due to the variability and efficacy of COVID-19 tests nationally and difficulties in streamlining testing results and reporting requirements from multiple sources.
Students will not be permitted to be on campus until their negative test results have been received and verified.
You will be notified by the William & Mary testing program when it is time to confirm the shipping address where you’d like to receive your test kit. Tests will be sent based on your anticipated return date, according to a predetermined schedule arranged with W&M’s health care partners. Completing the address confirmation and questionnaire is necessary, but your test may not ship immediately. Please note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires COVID-19 laboratories to provide certain medical information on individuals taking tests. Neither Kallaco nor William & Mary access or retain this data.
International students will be notified by email about specific testing requirements.
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the 90 days prior to your return, please fill out the form at ReportCOVID to alert the university.

Vaccine Information and Public Health

As COVID-19 vaccine testing and deployment accelerates, the Virginia Department of Health is developing a protocol to administer inoculation across the Commonwealth. Currently, the state is prioritizing health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities for the first doses of the vaccine allocated to Virginia. William & Mary will continue to track the state’s plans regarding vaccinations and higher education.
On Thursday, Dec. 10, Gov. Ralph Northam announced enhanced COVID-19 precautions through the end of January, which we are evaluating. They seem to affect W&M little in the immediate term, as we are between semesters, avoiding gatherings and largely working remotely.
William & Mary’s Public Health Advisory Team and the COVID-19 Response Team continue to closely follow local, regional, state and national developments during the pandemic. These trends, along with additional data and considerations, will inform William & Mary’s spring operations.

As William & Mary finalizes plans for the spring, I will be in touch with additional updates and details. I wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

Amy Sebring
COVID-19 Response Director
W&M Chief Operating Officer

End of semester gratitude

November 24, 2020

Dear William & Mary Community,

As the semester winds down, I write to share my gratitude for your steadfast and creative efforts over the past nine months of pandemic. In March, we set out goals that were simple to describe yet incredibly difficult to achieve in such an uncertain and constantly changing environment. Our goals have been, and continue to be: to safeguard this community’s health and wellbeing, to the best of our ability – so that students can continue to learn and live together and faculty and staff can continue in the work they are passionate about.

In our spring and summer planning, we outlined the most difficult curricular path – in-person, hybrid, and remote learning – so that our graduate students and undergraduates might choose the living and learning options that best suited their needs. This fall, faculty and staff adapted to telework, new research requirements, blended learning, and a transformed campus environment; more than 500 staff and administrators took on entirely new jobs, working flat out to create a robust testing, quarantine & isolation, and case management program, mentoring for students studying off-campus, and more. William & Mary students brought the resourcefulness our university is known for, in navigating the pace of a compressed semester. Our fall calendar anticipated a winter surge and the urgent need we face now, nationally, to minimize every path of transmission for COVID-19.

Every member of the William & Mary community should take pride in the way that students, faculty, and staff embraced the responsibility to protect one another’s health and support one another’s learning and work under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. This accomplishment is hard-earned. Yet at a time of loss and sacrifice, we have also made gains. The lessons we are learning in flexibility, humility, and generosity in the face of uncertainty will sustain William & Mary this spring and beyond.

May the coming weeks keep you and your loved ones well. May the holidays bring respite, companionship, and joy that we have reached this season together.

Happy Thanksgiving,

– Katherine

Katherine A. Rowe
President

Spring 2021 Information

November 17, 2020

Dear William & Mary Faculty and Staff,

Fall 2020 has uniquely tested our ability to adapt and work together; it has also taught us valuable lessons for Spring 2021 and beyond. Before we break for the winter, I write to provide as many answers and resources as possible about what to expect next semester. They come with this important caveat: William & Mary leadership will continue to refine plans through January. Since the start of the pandemic, our overarching goals have been to safeguard our community and sustain our teaching and research mission. With public health conditions rapidly changing, and much uncertainty ahead, we know that spring will be different. We will continue to use the best current data and best science available to achieve those goals.

As a reminder, last week Sam Jones issued guidelines for the winter break. This email focuses on spring planning.

Our current plans for Spring 2021 build on lessons learned from fall in terms of campus activity and work. We plan to stay the course and sustain what worked well, including our Healthy Together Community Commitment. With that in mind, here is how we will continue to work in the spring:

Spring 2021

Remote Work. Cabinet members will review existing work plans for providing essential services on campus, continuing to promote remote work wherever possible. Our working assumption is that plans put in place for the fall will continue through the spring. Remote work agreements will be automatically extended unless modified by a Cabinet member.
For the sake of their health as well as that of the community, volunteers and guest speakers will continue to provide their valuable support remotely.
Programming in campus facilities will be limited to only the university community of students, faculty and staff. Campus facilities will remain unavailable for use by the general public.
We will continue to restrict in-person campus events and scheduling to university-related activities, recognizing our commitment to limiting virus transmission. We also continue to evaluate how any public health directives from the Virginia Department of Health or governor’s office affect William & Mary.
To function under pandemic conditions, William & Mary has resumed essential academic and business travel that cannot be accomplished remotely, with restrictions. Non-essential university travel remains suspended. Please visit Path Forward for details, choosing the “Travel” dropdown.
Phased Return. To phase the return to campus, undergraduate classes will again begin remotely, from Jan. 27 through Feb. 9. In-person and blended undergraduate courses will begin on Feb. 10. Right now, the graduate and professional schools do not expect to delay in-person instruction; deans will directly contact faculty, staff and students. The Registrar’s Office maintains the Academic Calendar.
Prevalence Testing in the Spring. We will continue prevalence testing in the spring for students, faculty and staff, in order to identify asymptomatic positives in the community as quickly as possible. Testing options continue to evolve, so specifics and frequency will also evolve. We will continue to provide updates as we have more information.

As we have discovered throughout this pandemic, conditions change: sometimes quickly and with scant warning. William & Mary will continue to assess our decisions in light of new public health information throughout the spring semester. I thank you for your proven dedication to the mission of this university and to the health of our community.

Sincerely,
Amy Sebring
Chief Operating Officer,
Chair, Public Health Advisory Team

Spring 2021 Calendar Announcement

October 22, 2020

Dear W&M Community,

First, I send my sincere thanks to students, faculty and staff who have worked tirelessly and honored our Healthy Together Community Commitment in order to make the fall semester a success in the face of considerable challenges.

As we plan for our spring semester, our overarching goals remain steadfast: to prioritize the health and well-being of the community; to keep teaching, learning and pursuing research; and to continue adapting our living, learning and working environments so as to mitigate the spread of the virus. I am enormously grateful for the W&M community’s commitment to these three goals over the past eight months – and we must remain vigilant.

Knowing how rapidly public health conditions can change, William & Mary will continue to move forward in a phased way, using the best information we have and consistent with public health guidelines. We will continue to communicate regularly, to provide as much clarity as feasible, as soon as possible.

With the above in mind, I am writing today with updates about the Spring 2021 academic calendar. The spring course schedule will include in-person, blended and fully-remote sections, as the fall semester did. We have heard the concerns expressed by many students and faculty about this fall’s compressed semester. In response, W&M will not shorten the spring academic calendar. Start and end dates will remain as published on the University Registrar’s website.

Undergraduate, graduate Arts & Sciences, and Marine Science classes will begin January 27 and end May 7.
Start and end dates for the Mason School of Business, the School of Education and the Law School vary by program and can be found on the University Registrar's website.

It is clear, given the continuing trajectory of the pandemic, that spring break will have to be different this academic year. We continue to place first priority on the health of our community. That includes mental health and wellness, and we acknowledge the need for the entire university to have downtime. In order to provide restorative breaks while remaining vigilant about the spread of COVID-19, we will offer individual spring break days in 2021, rather than a consecutive, five-day break. For undergraduates, there will be six spring break days:

Friday, February 12
Thursday, March 4
Wednesday, March 17
Tuesday, April 6
Wednesday, April 7
Monday, April 26

On these spring break days, classes will not meet and no due dates for assignments or exams will be scheduled. Some students and faculty may elect simply to unplug and rest on these days; others will want to participate in a variety of recreational, social, wellness and service opportunities that will be announced later.

Graduate schools will be in direct contact with students by the end of October regarding spring break days and other academic calendar considerations. Student Affairs will provide details about the winter break transition and spring semester arrival by the week of November 2. Specifics on operations for all employees will be announced by the week of November 16. And pre-arrival testing requirements will be announced by the week of November 16.

I would like to thank you again for your incredible commitment to our healthy community and wish you the best as we continue through the second half of the fall semester together.

Peggy Agouris
Provost

Celebrating Small Wins and Taking Time Off

October 14, 2020

Dear William & Mary Colleagues,

October is typically a month during which we take time to celebrate our employees. This year, we will not be able to gather as we normally would for a staff appreciation lunch. So this is a good time to reflect on the faculty and staff who have made the semester such a success, and the importance of wellness and taking personal time off.

Although we often celebrate big wins, over the last several weeks, I’ve been reflecting on the small wins – the “little things” happening every day across the university that contribute to our success. This semester has already been one for the books for more reasons than COVID-19. When President Rowe announced my appointment to the COO position, I can say with certainty that neither of us envisioned what my first few months would bring.

Fall 2020 wins

Over the past months, so many of you have proven repeatedly that you are capable of taking on all manner of challenges. I’ve marveled with pride as I’ve watched colleagues step into new roles, provide an extra set of hands, or simply double down on the work before them because of their commitment to seeing this institution flourish even in the midst of significant challenges. Many of you have taken on new responsibilities because you were asked. Others have created new opportunities, because you knew that our students, our staff or faculty needed someone to step in – often recognizing the need before they did. Some of you have had opportunities to demonstrate hidden talents, while others have learned new skills.

Let me give some examples:

Prior to the pandemic, William & Mary Conference and Event Services provided support to groups looking to use our campus for events and conferences. Since March, that group has morphed into the quarantine and isolation service team, utilizing their skills and expertise in hospitality management. Their efforts have been critical to our success in keeping the campus open. You can visit W&M News to learn more about their work and related case management.
William & Mary Dining has shifted the focus of their catering staff expertise from fine dining and events to fulfilling and delivering daily meal orders for quarantined students in Richmond Hall. The W&M Dining Services team of three hundred staff is on campus seven days a week to serve our students.
Recognizing the increased workload on Procurement Services at a time when the group was short-staffed, the Business School reached out and offered to use its new robotic technology to automate portions of monthly purchasing card reconciliations – saving staff four hours per month that can be used for more strategic priorities. Since its inception, the business school has used robotic process automation (RPA) to save more than 1,200 hours of staff time.
Custodial staff have moved to a seven-day work week in order to support the aggressive cleaning regimen that is keeping our community safe and healthy. Many have also stepped in for colleagues who, like many of us, are struggling to balance the new demands that COVID-19 has imposed not only at work, but also at home.
Staff at the Reves Center moved swiftly to identify ways they could continue serving our students who live and study abroad during a period of diminished travel opportunities and heightened uncertainties. In a few short months, they have created online advising, orientation and training options for students who live overseas and have not been able to join us this semester.
Similarly, the Cohen Career Center has developed virtual career workshops and career fairs to keep our students – whether here or at home – on track as they look to secure internships and jobs.
University Advancement staff previously focused on fundraising and events management have taken the lead on testing logistics. Testing has become one of the cornerstones to navigating this public health challenge. I’ve heard from a number of students and employees that scheduling and taking their tests was easy and pleasant. For the community as a whole, the peace of mind that has come with a robust testing program has been a source of comfort.
Our Health and Wellness Services have seen a record amount of interest and use this semester. As one of the first institutions in the country to pivot to a Virtual Wellness Center, they have been able to provide new programs and services on a daily basis to our more than 12,000 program participants.
As someone who understands what it’s like to have taken on a new official role during the pandemic, I want to call out the three new deans and their offices who started this year in Arts & Sciences, the School of Education and the Law School. You have done a fantastic job of showing leadership during a time in which it is needed more than ever.

And there are many, many examples and countless hours of seen and unseen work that have gone into making us successful thus far this semester.

And yet, we need to be thinking holistically about wellness. The William & Mary community is eight months into this pandemic. I see the strain on many of your faces. I see the tired eyes and I hear the struggles for many of you who are trying to work, teach kids from home, and care for loved ones. I also know that for many it has been hard to take time off and even when we take time off, to unplug from the frenetic pace of work.

Time Off

As we look ahead, we should expect that we have several more months of operating during a pandemic ahead of us. And in order to keep the campus flourishing, each of us must be able to flourish. Part of flourishing is celebrating the wins – no matter how small. Part of flourishing is taking time to rest and rejuvenate.

Over the next two months, I encourage you to take time off if you’re able. Find a few hours, better yet a few days. Add a day or two at Thanksgiving to take an extended break. Take the Monday before election day to create a long weekend. Give yourself permission to step away from work, so that you can return with energy and renewed focus.

Recognizing that some of you will not be able to take needed time off before the end of the calendar year, I have approved allowing employees with annual leave to carry over up to 80 hours more than the annual maximum carryover limits – hours that can be used at any point in calendar year 2021.

Finally, although we will not be able to gather for our annual employee appreciation lunch, know that you are appreciated. Continue to look for the small wins and to celebrate them with your colleagues. If you have a few minutes, please share the “wins” you’re hearing about too. I would love a quick email at [[coo]].

Thank you for all that you are doing to keep William & Mary on our path forward. Every single person in the William & Mary community has gotten us to where we are today. I know that some people were hesitant to believe that we would make it to this point in our semester, but together we have – and that’s a win!

Warmly,
Amy Sebring
Chief Operating Officer

W&M&You Climate App - Now available for all Faculty & Staff!

October 8, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

As you have heard, over the summer the Provost and Student Affairs collaborated with IT to create and launch W&M&You, a text polling initiative that provides a channel for students to make their voices heard and inform university planning efforts in the current COVID-19 pandemic environment. We are pleased to announce that W&M&You is now available for faculty and staff! All employees are invited to provide real-time feedback to the university on important topics of the day.

Registration is available on the W&M&You website and through the W&M Mobile app under the W&M&You icon.

To sign up, simply click the “Register to Participate” button on the website or mobile app and add your mobile number via the short form. Once registered, you will begin to receive periodic text messages asking for your feedback on a variety of questions. Responses are tallied and reviewed in aggregate but are not reported by individual.

Since July, W&M students have provided valuable input regarding their biggest concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on the fall semester, their opinions on what actions will best safeguard community health, and their perspective on current course workloads. On the website you can see the detailed results of these questions: www.wm.edu/wmandyou.

We are thrilled that W&M faculty and staff will now have access to this direct channel for input. The more employees who participate, the more representative and informative their input will be for the university’s planning efforts, as we seek to gather real, rather than anecdotal, data in a timely manner.

Please sign up and help us hear your voices.

Peggy Agouris, Provost
Virginia Ambler, Vice President for Student Affairs

Voluntary COVID-19 Testing Now Available

Ed. note: As of October, W&M is offering voluntary, at-will COVID-19 testing to faculty and staff for free.

September 15, 2020

Dear William & Mary Faculty and Staff,

A reminder that, voluntary COVID-19 testing is available for all W&M faculty and staff members, without a physician’s referral again next week. This at-will testing is intended to provide asymptomatic employees an additional tool for risk mitigation as you move between the campus community and other populations. For example, if you are attending an event or visiting a family member and want to ensure you are COVID-19 negative beforehand, you may schedule a test without consulting a healthcare provider.

Please note that these will be COVID-19 PCR nasal swab tests. The upcoming tests will also be processed by William & Mary’s new partner lab, Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories, facilitated by VCU Health System.

However, if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please consult your healthcare provider and do not schedule an at-will testing appointment.

The at-will tests, held at the VCU Health Clinic at 332 N. Henry Street in Williamsburg, will take approximately 15 minutes and limited appointments are available M-F.

Appointments are offered on a first-come, first-served basis with a $15 copay, paid by credit or debit card in advance. Visit the clinic’s appointment portal to make an appointment. Your confirmation email will include a link to make your copayment, which is nonrefundable. You must make your copay before coming to the appointment. No payments will be accepted on site. Please bring a photo ID with you to the appointment.

To see results, you will need a free account registered with Kallaco Health & Technology before your appointment. If you have not already, please visit their website at https://kallaco.wm.edu to get started. Click “Forgot Password” to create a new account, and DO NOT use your W&M password. Test results will be available to view within Kallaco in three business days.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to email COVIDResponse@wm.edu. We wish you good health.

W&M Healthy Together

Gratitude and Employee Recognition Day on Nov. 30

September 15, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

I have only one purpose in writing today: to extend thanks, personally and on behalf of the Board of Visitors, for the extraordinary effort that every person on this campus has put forth over six months. At their last meeting, I asked the Board members to make November 30, 2020 “Healthy Together Employee Recognition Day” and observe it with a paid day off for hourly and all other employees. The Board agreed unanimously and included it as part of a resolution of thanks.

The resolution, available in its entirety online, reads:

“WHEREAS it does not do justice to the service provided by our staff and faculty to simply say, “thank you,” although we do, indeed thank them. The commitments that each has made, the remarkable gifts of time and talent they have each given and will continue to give in the face of the exceptional ambiguity they face, must be recognized with our sincerest appreciation...

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED That the Board of Visitors of William & Mary hereby lauds the staff and faculty of the university with our gratitude and praise…”

You have risen to the challenge and uncertainty this pandemic has created without hesitation:

500+ faculty took an intensive course in remote learning this summer through the Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation.
During the first round of move-in, volunteers from 18 university units answered 676 phone calls at the call center, responded to 581 questions online, and served at the check-in area.
Finally, I received this note from the parent of a new student: “It was extremely anxiety relieving to know that I am leaving my child in such thoughtful and exemplary caring good hands. Kudos and a thank you to all!”

As we navigate a semester unlike any other, with so much unprecedented work and uncertainty still ahead, I feel very fortunate to have such talented and caring colleagues. Thank you for all that you do to support William & Mary and our students.

With gratitude,

– Katherine

Katherine A. Rowe
President

Maintaining COVID-19 protections at W&M under VA Phase 3

September 11, 2020

Dear William & Mary community,

The COVID-19 Response Team is pleased that health metrics in Hampton Roads have improved over the past few weeks. As a result, Gov. Ralph Northam announced yesterday he was lifting enhanced restrictions on the region.

While the governor loosened some restrictions, William & Mary’s requirements remain in place, to minimize spread of the COVID-19 virus:

On- and off-campus gatherings continue to be limited to no more than 10 people with required masks and physical distancing.
Programs or events sponsored by the university or student groups will continue to be limited to 50 people, with required masks and physical distancing.
Masks must be worn indoors and outdoors on campus and off-campus, in all instructional and social situations.
At least six feet of physical distance must be maintained – 10 feet for those exercising, singing or cheering – consistent with state guidelines.

So far, your compliance with these basic requirements has resulted in a limited number of positive cases in the community. Our comprehensive testing and case management programs actively seek positive cases on campus so we can prevent them from further circulating in the community, provide individuals needed care and limit the opportunity for spread.

Remember, if you do test positive for COVID-19, through William & Mary’s testing regimen or an outside provider, you must respond immediately to any outreach from the university and visit ReportCOVID.wm.edu to be assigned a case manager to assist in transitioning work and study while isolating. If you test positive via W&M’s program, a case manager may reach out to you first. By reaching out after a positive test or by answering our call, you gain immediate help and protect other members of the campus community.

The health and safety protocols we’re currently maintaining are helping to limit the spread of COVID-19 in W&M’s close-knit community. We must continue these measures with increased vigilance. Thank you all for working so hard to protect your own health and that of the community this semester.

All the best,

Sam Jones
Chair, COVID-19 Response Team

Guidance for faculty & staff on mandatory health protocols

September 10, 2020

Dear W&M faculty and staff members,

We are writing to clarify and reinforce some of the mandatory COVID-19 health protocols in place for this fall. We are heartened to see so many students, faculty and staff members acting responsibly this semester, increasing William & Mary’s chances of completing a successful in-person school year. We are all watching closely the successes and challenges at other universities, and adopting those lessons into our phased re-opening of campus. At this moment, we are specifically and actively searching for positive cases of COVID-19 among our in-person student population, so that we reduce potential outbreaks, protect the health of the greater community and prevent spread.

Prevalence Testing: To support that effort, we’d like to remind you that participation in prevalence testing at W&M is mandatory. All in-person students received a negative test result for COVID-19 before coming to our campuses, and they are all undergoing another round of testing starting this week. From that point, ongoing prevalence testing of the student population and of faculty and staff is essential to reducing any spread of the virus.
If you, as a staff or faculty member, are selected for prevalence testing, you will be notified by email, as will your supervisor, dean or department chair. You must then schedule a time for your test. It is imperative that you respond to these emails, get tested and show our students and the greater community our commitment to William & Mary’s health. Given the importance of testing in reducing potential outbreaks, ignoring this requirement is not an option. You can expect follow-up if you fail to schedule an appointment.
Masks: Please continue your vigilant, and required, use of masks on campus – indoors, outdoors, in shared spaces, when teaching, exercising, etc. While on campus, masks are required indoors and outdoors in all social situations. Again, we must all lead by example.
Consequences: To ensure that we all do our absolute best to protect the health of our community, faculty and staff members not abiding by the Healthy Together guidelines will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. The disciplinary procedures will follow the policies for the employee's classification (hourly, classified, operational, professional, faculty, etc.). The circumstances will determine the discipline administered. In all circumstances, William & Mary is committed to holding all faculty and staff members accountable for their actions (and inaction) related to keeping our community as safe as possible.
Additional Guidelines: Please follow other Healthy Together guidelines: Complete the required online training, respect physical barriers installed on campus, stay home when sick, quarantine if you’ve been so advised by the Virginia Department of Health and complete W&M’s form at ReportCOVID.wm.edu if you test positive for COVID-19.
Daily Health Check: Beyond these requirements, complete the daily health check through the W&M Mobile app or at m.wm.edu by selecting Healthy Together. To help us all adopt the daily habit, we will send reminders to anyone who has not completed it in 48 hours. The Healthy Together module has many additional useful features, including a link to reporting positive test results and concerns, checking test results, arranging pick-up dining and downloading COVIDWISE, Virginia’s anonymous exposure app.

Each of us plays a role in modeling the behavior we’d like to see adopted widely. We are examples to students of the value we collectively place on health. William & Mary is shifting the culture toward being more considerate and health-conscious. To that end, please hold each other and visitors to our campus accountable; there was terrific guidance in the required Healthy Together training videos which can be viewed on W&M’s YouTube channel whenever you need a refresher.

Finally, a number of you have said you admire the new “Masks UP” banners around campus and along Richmond and Jamestown roads, and that you’d like similar graphics for your own use. Attached you’ll find an 8.5x11 version (pdf) and an 11x17 version (pdf) to print for your spaces. They’re a quick way to signal your respect for students and colleagues as we establish a health-oriented culture at William & Mary.

Wishing you good health,

Peggy Agouris, Provost
Christopher D. Lee, Chief Human Resources Officer

Voluntary COVID-19 Testing Now Available

Ed. note: As of October, W&M is offering voluntary, at-will COVID-19 testing to faculty and staff for free.

September 7, 2020

Dear William & Mary Faculty and Staff,

Voluntary COVID-19 testing is now available for all W&M faculty and staff members, without a physician’s referral. This at-will testing is intended to provide asymptomatic employees an additional tool for risk mitigation as you move between the campus community and other populations. For example, if you are attending an event or visiting a family member and want to ensure you are COVID-19 negative beforehand, you may schedule a test without consulting a healthcare provider.

However, if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please consult your healthcare provider and do not schedule an at-will testing appointment.

The at-will tests, held at the VCU Health Clinic at 332 N. Henry Street in Williamsburg, will take approximately 15 minutes and be available Wednesday and Thursday this week.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to email COVIDResponse@wm.edu. We wish you good health.

What to Do If You Test Positive Through Prevalence or Third-Party Testing

September 6, 2020

Dear W&M Community,

As William & Mary expands student and employee testing for COVID-19, we wanted to offer guidance to the community about what to do in the case of a positive result and introduce you to the new case management system.

If you are a student and receive a positive test result from William & Mary’s ongoing testing or from another health service provider:

Immediately isolate yourself in your residence hall, or if off-campus, in your residence. It is critical that you avoid interactions with others, maintaining at least 6 feet of physical distance and wearing your face covering.
Please visit ReportCOVID.wm.edu to fill out the Positive COVID-19 form to generate a case. A case manager representing the COVID-19 Response Team should respond within an hour. During regular business hours, if you do not hear from a case manager or the Student Health Center, call (757) 221-2998. If it is after-hours and you have not heard from a case manager, please call W&M Police Dispatch at (757) 221-4596, which will refer your call to the on-call physician. Please also visit If You’re Feeling Ill for instructions, especially if you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, emergency or mild.The Student Health Center will assist you in deciding where to isolate. On-campus students may move to Richmond Hall or return home. Off-campus students can either return home or isolate at your local residence.
Students moving to Richmond Hall should prepare personal items, books, laptop, phone, chargers, prescriptions and clothing to last approximately 14 days.
Staff at Richmond Hall will assist with your move-in, providing transportation as appropriate. Your case manager will help make the arrangements.
A Student Health Center physician will clear you to return to normal campus activity after 10 days, as long as you have gone at least 24 hours without symptoms, including no fever (without the use of fever-suppressing medications).

If you are a faculty or staff member and receive a positive test result from W&M’s ongoing testing or from another health service provider:

Immediately isolate yourself in your residence and contact your health services provider. Avoid interactions with others, maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance and wear your face covering.
Please visit ReportCOVID.wm.edu to fill out an intake form and advise your supervisor, dean or department chair. During regular business hours, a case manager will contact you. Please also visit If You’re Feeling Ill for instructions, especially if you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, whether emergency or mild.
To return to normal campus activity after 10 days of isolation, you will need to be cleared to return to work by a physician and have gone at least 24 hours without symptoms, including no fever (without the use of fever-suppressing medications).

COVID-19 Case Management at William & Mary

William & Mary has established a network of case managers (all W&M employees) to help members of the community navigate living, study and work after a positive test result. Case managers will be assigned after you have completed the intake form at ReportCOVID.wm.edu. For students, case managers will serve as a point of contact throughout the isolation period, helping with the transition to isolation or quarantine housing as needed, and arranging for cleaning and disinfecting of campus spaces, among other assistance. For employees, they will help transition to remote work or leave, coordinate notification to departments and arrange cleaning and disinfecting. William & Mary will not identify the names of people who have contracted COVID-19 to the public or greater campus community.

We understand that a positive test result is by its nature distressing. By establishing a care network, we hope to lessen the complications of navigating the university system as you work to remain well or recover.

We hope this information proves helpful and comforting,

Sam Jones
Chair, COVID-19 Response Team

Start of in-person classes

August 28, 2020

Dear colleagues,

As we head into what I hope will be a safe and enjoyable weekend for everyone, I write to share an important announcement about our plan for the start of in-person classes: William & Mary's in-person instruction for undergraduates will begin on Tuesday, September 8. This affects only those sections designated as meeting in-person; our fully-remote classes will remain remote through the semester.

If you have any questions, please contact your Dean’s Office.

Thank you,

Peggy Agouris
Provost

Testing services at W&M

August 26, 2020

Dear William & Mary Community,

We’ve been hearing your questions regarding COVID-19 testing and the partners that William & Mary – along with several other Virginia universities – have been working with to conduct screening and prevalence testing. COVID-19 testing is relatively new and questions are understandable. So I write to provide some answers and let you know how to find additional information.

Testing is an important part of the multiple strategies W&M uses to safeguard the health of students and employees by reducing transmission on campus. At-home testing for students before arrival ensures that those testing positive can self-isolate at home and not unknowingly bring the virus to campus. Prevalence testing on campus allows us to track spread. At-will testing empowers employees to be aware of their own health status.

Because safeguarding the health of our community is a central concern, we (in consultation with our VCU Health System partners) considered several options to meet these different requirements. We determined that the logistics company Kallaco and its CLIA-Certified lab partners, including Opteo, provided the best balance of things we needed: high-quality clinical testing laboratories (CLIA is the gold standard); volume of tests available for those laboratories, and turnaround times. We and our VCU Health partners actively pursued due diligence from the beginning and continue to do so.

Based on these discussions, I write to share the following answers to the most frequently asked questions. More answers about W&M’s approach to testing may be found on our website; questions about Kallaco and Opteo may be found here.

Approvals: As a CLIA-Certified lab, Opteo Laboratory is allowed to develop Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs) and is authorized under the Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) provisions to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID-19.
Modes of collection: Like many certified clinical testing laboratories in the United States that conduct COVID-19 tests, Opteo is allowed to use both self-collected and clinically-collected samples for diagnosis under the same EUA.
Validation: Opteo confirms it has conducted validations for their COVID-19 diagnostic tests consistent with CLIA certification. More information on the test kit, protocols and reliability may be found at Kallaco’s website.

As a reminder for those on campus, W&M conducts in-person symptomatic testing at our Student Health Center and prevalence testing at our new VCU Health clinic at North Henry St.

We are committed to your health and safety. We will continue to work to ensure that we follow the science as we enhance our testing capacity. Please don’t hesitate to send more questions to covidresponse@wm.edu

Sincerely,

Amy Sebring
Chief Operating Officer

COVID-19 Prevalence Testing Coming Soon

Editor's Note: Phased planning has amended some information in this message. At-will COVID-19 testing is scheduled to be offered for faculty and staff beginning the week of Sept. 8. As of October, W&M is offering voluntary, at-will COVID-19 testing to faculty and staff for free.

August 21, 2020

Dear W&M Employees,

As you know, William & Mary this semester is adopting a vast array of safety measures to promote a healthy campus this fall. One key aspect of this program is COVID-19 prevalence testing, by which random samples of students, faculty, staff and contractors are chosen periodically to take COVID-19 tests so the university can rapidly assess potential community spread. W&M will begin its prevalence testing next week, with 5% of the student population and 2% of employees testing every two weeks, pulled from the local and on-campus population. These tests are administered at no cost to you.

As a result, you may be chosen to conduct a test at the clinic at 332 N. Henry Street. If so, you will be notified by email and will be given instructions for making a testing appointment. Appointments will be considered hours worked for which you will be paid.

To prepare, William & Mary faculty and staff must immediately register with Kallaco Health & Technology at https://kallaco.wm.edu, which William & Mary is using to coordinate student and employee COVID-19 testing. To register, click “forgot password,” and do not use your W&M password for the account. Your Kallaco account is where you will see results of your prevalence testing.

If you are selected to participate in prevalence testing, your testing appointment will be considered hours worked, and you will be paid for that time. Your supervisor will also be notified that you have been randomly selected. If you are unable to schedule an appointment within the timeframe you have been instructed to, please work with your supervisor to coordinate when you will be tested. If you receive a notification of prevalence testing in error, because you will not be attending or visiting any William & Mary properties within the next six weeks, please contact [[COVIDResponse]].

If you are sick or symptomatic when you are randomly selected, please stay home, contact your healthcare provider, advise your supervisor, and do not make a prevalence testing appointment. You will automatically be included in the next round of prevalence testing, approximately two weeks later.

To faculty members: Students are encouraged to make their appointments outside of class hours, but may be unable to do so. The provost has agreed that missing class or a portion of it for prevalence testing should be considered an excused absence.

Participating in prevalence testing is a condition to which we have agreed in order to work and study in person at William & Mary under the Healthy Together Community Commitment. The information it provides allows us to better support your health, and for you to better support the health of students, colleagues and others in our community. It is mandatory. We hope you will participate willingly, but need to advise you that not participating will result in disciplinary action.

Finally, many of you have asked about William & Mary’s plans to offer voluntary COVID-19 tests for $15 to employees who are not displaying symptoms. We will begin offering some at-will testing beginning next week and will be ramping up as the national testing supply chain and testing options allow. We will provide additional information next week. If you are displaying symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your healthcare provider; tests for symptomatic personnel are covered under all of W&M’s insurance plans.

Please continue to direct your questions to [[COVIDResponse]].

Thank you for your attention and I wish you a healthy and safe semester,

Peggy Agouris, Provost
Christopher D. Lee, Chief Human Resources Officer

Staying Healthy Together: Dashboard & Accountability

August 18, 2020

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

As we welcome new students into the William & Mary community and formally start classes, the excitement of a new academic year is palpable. Seeing people wearing their masks on campus and in the surrounding community – hearing faculty and staff talk about connecting to students in Williamsburg and around the world – I feel pride and hope as the semester comes alive. To the new rhythms of a very different year, our community is coming together, near and far.

Knowing how much this semester matters, to so many, this email updates you on issues at the front of many of our minds:

Testing and W&M positivity rates to date
Our new COVID-19 dashboard
Accountability for W&M’s Healthy Together Community Commitment and behavioral guidelines, and consequences for not complying

You are likely aware of the news about positive COVID-19 cases at some colleges and universities. Many of these institutions took different approaches to testing, campus density and/or required conduct. Many of the outbreaks to date have resulted from large gatherings of young adults, without masks and physical distancing.

We are closely watching these developing situations. It is imperative that we learn from them. The sobering lesson is that the William & Mary community needs to be all in on our strict health and safety protocols, on and off campus. The university has made systematic adjustments to reduce risk of transmission: instituting a phased return of undergraduate students; requiring a negative test before returning students can be on campus; implementing a comprehensive plan to reconfigure and de-densify campus; making maximum use of our beautiful campus outdoors and more.

It would be unrealistic and misleading to predict there will be no cases in our community this fall. Yet it is within our control to limit the spread of this virus. So we share our expectations for accountability below. Mask up. Wash your hands. Maintain physical distance. Fully-embraced, these habits of care and respect will have a direct impact on the trajectory of W&M’s fall semester.

Sincerely,

Katherine A. Rowe
President

Testing and positivity rates

I have cautious good news to share about our return-to-campus testing positivity rates so far, which are very low. So low in fact (under 10 in the respective categories for students and employees), that providing them would compromise the privacy of those individuals who tested positive and who are not currently on campus.

Starting next week, we will begin a program of prevalence testing, beginning with an initial sampling of 5% of the student body and 2% of the employee/contractor population. The frequency and population percentage will evolve based on campus trends, evolving science and available testing methods.

Dashboard

Our new COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily. It offers regional data and information from W&M’s testing program. We’ll be adding specific information about W&M positive rates if/when they rise to the reporting threshold required.

Accountability

No one should take these early results as license to relax our vigilance. We need to turn these rules of behavior into habits of behavior. It is imperative that we all hold ourselves accountable for keeping our campus and neighbors safe:

W&M requires all employees and all students registered for courses to sign the Healthy Together Community Commitment and complete public health training.
All have agreed explicitly to our guidelines as a condition of learning or employment: masking and physical distancing, hygiene, participation in testing and contact-tracing, self-quarantine and isolation and staying home when sick.
We are very grateful that the City of Williamsburg has joined us in these commitments.

For those unwilling to follow the necessary health and safety protocols, it is important to be clear that there will be consequences for violations.

Earlier today, Dean of Students Marjorie Thomas shared with all students W&M’s Fall 2020 COVID-19 Accountability We ask students and families to review these closely.

CHRO Dr. Christopher Lee is developing a parallel framework for employees based on our current HR protocols. He will communicate separately with employees next week.

Update on W&M Financials for Staff and Faculty

August 11, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff,

This has undoubtedly been a challenging summer both physically and emotionally – for many of us, the challenge of a career. We thank you for your incredible dedication and commitment. As the fall unfolds, we will continue to make decisions in a phased manner, so as to align campus operations with the latest public health data and conditions.

As a result of this uncertainty, we recognize how different the coming year will be for us all. Faculty and staff have put in enormous effort to ensure we can continue to adapt as conditions require. That careful preparation will be critical to prioritizing the health of our community while enabling our students to stay on their paths to their degrees, whatever comes.

Our decisions are driven first and foremost by the health and wellness of our community. The actions we pursue together allow that to be the case. With that in mind, and as we begin the academic year, we must prepare for significant financial challenges as well. This email updates you on our thinking and our phased approach to those challenges. We are taking some initial actions to ensure William & Mary’s continued financial health and sustainability. We do so because the present and future livelihoods of so many depend on that, as does our educational mission. This email describes below:

Leadership salary reductions
A new voluntary furlough program
Retirement options
Temporary strategic reassignments

Here is the big picture. In coming months, we anticipate added expenditures related to COVID-19: physical modifications, testing and PPE, remote learning, and more. We increased student financial aid significantly this year and we rolled back tuition and fee increases. Should W&M be unable to open campus or unable to stay open, shortfalls would be very significant in all areas – beyond the scale of prior downturns.

We will develop a better understanding of our financial picture as we see how enrollments shape up for the fall and understand the outcome of the special session of the General Assembly scheduled later this month. At the August 25th Board of Visitors meeting, we will share updated financial projections for the 2021 academic year, based on the best available information.

With the above in mind, we are continuing diligently to reduce non-personnel costs and minimize new personnel costs. This includes delaying all hiring not deemed critical to our mission and strategic direction, restricting discretionary spending and operating budgets, and more. Requests from Cabinet leaders are being reviewed by NPERT (non-personnel exception review team) to advise the Provost and COO on what should be deemed mission-essential. All Cabinet leaders have been charged with sustaining these efforts through FY21.

Likewise, we are continuing to monitor our major sources of revenue, seek ways to support students, families, and employees, collaborate with our peer institutions (as we have with VCU Health), and advocate for higher education with the General Assembly. We do not yet know the full impact this fiscal year will bring. Yet we anticipate that under every scenario we will be in a very challenging financial environment.

With all of the above in mind, we are taking the actions outlined below to increase flexibility during this time of uncertainty. We are grateful for and humbled by what this community has demonstrated in a year that has been anything but normal. We will do everything we can to ensure that further financial impact is minimized.

We will continue to work very closely with faculty and staff leadership to plan for a wide range of possibilities. Please know that we do this work with William & Mary’s values firmly in mind. We hope you will join us for the employee town hall today at 3 p.m. Eastern, when we will be discussing these issues and more. And please stay tuned for additional information on financial issues as details are finalized over the next several weeks.

Sincerely,

Katherine, Peggy and Amy

Katherine Rowe, President

Peggy Agouris, Provost

Amy Sebring, Chief Operating Officer

Leadership salary reductions. As an initial step, the President will request that the Board of Visitors decrease her compensation by 15% through the end of this calendar year. The Provost and COO have voluntarily reduced their compensation by 12%. While these reductions represent a small percentage of the projected budget gap, we feel it’s important to lead from the front when it comes to W&M’s most difficult decisions. The President will take her request to the Board at its August 25 meeting.

Voluntary furloughs. We will be implementing a new voluntary furlough program through the end of this calendar year. We recognize and empathize with the pressure that many working parents and others may be facing, especially as many K-12 schools in the area have announced their decisions to move at least the first nine weeks of the school year online. Under this program, employees may request approval from their supervisor for a voluntary furlough. Those approved for voluntary furloughs remain W&M employees for the duration of the agreement. More details, including how benefits are affected by a furlough, are available on the HR website.

Retirement options. We note that some of our employees have been weighing retirement decisions and the uncertain environment may be accelerating that thinking. Human Resources can provide you with resources to understand your retirement options, if you are interested contact AskHR@wm.edu for a confidential conversation.

Temporary strategic reassignments. To optimize our workforce and add capacity in key mission areas, we have begun assigning employees to areas where needs have increased significantly due to the impacts of COVID-19. Over the next several weeks, we anticipate that as many as 50 or more employees will make a temporary shift this fall from their previous positions to meet increased efforts in business operations, communications, emergency management, procurement, and student affairs. Cabinet members are working to specify critical areas of need and identify employees who can meet those needs. Employees who are candidates for reassignment will receive formal documentation in the next several weeks with further information.

Mandatory COVID-19 Health Video Series

Editor’s note: Phased planning has amended some information included in the Aug. 10 message. The deadline for student training has been extended to Friday, Aug. 28.

August 10, 2020

Dear W&M Community,

One aspect of our being able to reconvene this fall with health and safety foremost in mind is agreeing on best practices, and then committing to them, through the Healthy Together Community Commitment. To that end, the university has developed a series of training videos to teach the community about COVID-19 and how to protect ourselves and others in a campus environment.

This baseline training, designed for students, faculty, staff, contractors and vendors, introduces skills to promote the health of yourself and others. It outlines hygiene practices and how to best navigate situations in which the people around you don’t uphold our community’s standards. They are based in our shared values of “respect” and “flourishing,” by which we empower those who live, learn and work here to make choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life.

The series consists of five modules:

An introduction to the Healthy Together commitment, COVID-19 and its prevention
A tutorial on mask use and requirements at William & Mary
A review of proper preventative hygiene, including hand washing, the use of sanitizer and the difference between cleaning and disinfecting spaces
Tips on how to handle situations in which people’s behavior diverges from our shared commitment to health
A conclusion that reinforces the main points and offers additional resources

The modules are mandatory viewing for both students and employees on all of our campuses and properties as you return over the next several weeks.

Students may access the video series through Blackboard, and must view the training by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 14 to ensure that no holds are put on their accounts.

Employees will access the series through Cornerstone Learning. Human Resources will send you an email detailing how to launch the training. For employees who do not have computer access, we will work with supervisors to make the training available to you. Completion of the training program must occur by Monday, Aug. 24. You will receive a reminder four days before the deadline, and you and your supervisor will be notified if you have not completed the training by Aug. 24.

While the series is mandatory, the COVID-19 Response Team hopes you will find the videos informative and reinforcing of the promises we’ve made to one another as community members through the Healthy Together Community Commitment.

We continue to invite your questions and comments at COVIDResponse@wm.edu as we implement the Path Forward: Fall 2020 plans.

I wish you a safe and productive semester,

Sam Jones
Chair, COVID-19 Response Team

Required COVID-19 Testing for Employees

August 7, 2020

Dear W&M Faculty and Staff,

Recently, I shared details about the university’s COVID-19 testing program, which goes beyond state health and CDC guidelines and is designed to be responsive to the most vulnerable populations within our community as we return to work on campus. Central to that effort is the initial testing of certain employees if their work may require them to be in close contact with others where barriers, distancing or changes in ways of working may not be able to be consistently maintained.

Once the semester begins, we will be engaging in ongoing (prevalence) testing that allows W&M to see trends of COVID-19 within the community. These tests consider cross-samples of both students and employees to understand the extent to which we are seeing positive cases, or trends, of COVID-19.

To facilitate our testing program, William & Mary through its agreement with VCU Health System has partnered with Kallaco, a national lab network, for integrated testing. The Kallaco platform provides a quick, centralized way to check test results.

To prepare for the faculty and staff testing process, all faculty and staff members should visit the Kallaco portal and activate an account. Those who have already been tested will receive their test results through the portal. To activate your account, enter your William & Mary employee email address, click forgot password and follow the on-screen instructions to reset your password. Please note, Kallaco does not offer single sign-on at this time, so you must create a password unique to the Kallaco platform. Do not use your William & Mary password.

If you are identified as an employee who must complete a COVID-19 test either in conjunction with the return to campus or as part of the prevalence testing, you will be notified by your supervisor and advised to contact the VCU Health Center in Williamsburg. You will not be expected to quarantine based on your participation in the required testing, although you will be expected to isolate if you develop symptoms or test positive. Required tests will be conducted at the VCU Health System clinic at 332 N. Henry Street in Williamsburg and shared with the university. This allows the university to respond quickly to any positive test result. As a reminder, you must report to your supervisor if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through your health care provider or other testing programs.

In the coming weeks, we will update employees on the availability of optional testing that they can request for a low co-pay if they are concerned that they’ve contracted or been exposed to COVID-19.

Until then, wishing you continued health and a successful start to the fall,

Sam Jones
Chair, COVID-19 Response Team

About Kallaco and W&M

Kallaco is an information distribution portal facilitating COVID-19 testing at William & Mary and a number of other universities in Virginia. Kallaco’s founders have a long history in software development and the healthcare space. One of the many reasons William & Mary selected Kallaco as a partner is their relationship with a robust network of national labs. William & Mary conducts a formal security review process within Information Technology, against which all enterprise applications are evaluated. The university’s chief information security officer completed that privacy review of Kallaco and is in frequent communication with the vendor to ensure that student and employee data is securely stored and privacy is protected. W&M’s university counsel and procurement offices also ensured our contract reflected William & Mary's commitment to privacy and appropriate data use.

Adjusting phased return to campus

Editor’s note: Phased planning has amended some information included in the July 31 message. Exceptions have been made for a small number of A&S COLL freshman classes to begin and continue in person, and the individual graduate and professional schools are communicating directly the start date of their in-person classes. Room and board costs were communicated with students in mid-August. -- Ed.

July 31, 2020

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

On Tuesday, July 28, Gov. Ralph Northam announced new restrictions on private and public gatherings in the Hampton Roads region and Peninsula, which includes Williamsburg. These appropriate measures aim to slow spread and reduce incidence of COVID-19, which had risen at the end of this month. In light of this evolving public health context, we are adjusting our phased return to campus correspondingly, so as to mitigate risk to the health of students, staff, faculty and neighbors.

You can read additional information for students and employees below and on our Path Forward website.

Here are key points:

Undergraduate courses will begin on August 19 as planned. Graduate courses will also begin as planned by the respective schools;
We will slow the pace of student return to campus through August, to Labor Day Weekend, so as to minimize density and reduce circulation on/off campus;
We will delay the start of in-person undergraduate instruction until after Labor Day, so as to ensure consistent experiences for all students (on and off campus) during a more extended return to campus;
Deans will communicate details in each school, appropriate to the instruction plans already in place, which had anticipated the need to adjust throughout the semester.

William & Mary’s campus will be officially open on August 5. This delay from August 1 reflects potential impacts from Hurricane Isaias, and allows us to adjust operations in the early part of next week in a way that minimizes disruption. Please stand by for updates and alerts from W&M’s Emergency Management Team (EMT) as they track the storm.

From a learning perspective, we know that the best-case scenario is to have students on campus in person. These prudent measures ultimately increase our ability to be together as a community by decreasing the density on campus at a critical time. Extending the time between phases of return allows us to welcome new students in our community safely, helping them form connections.

This slower pace is also a good opportunity to establish and systematically reinforce compliance with our Healthy Together Community Commitment and our new health rules – mask wearing, social distancing and more. So over the coming weeks, W&M will be repeatedly stressing the new rules via regular guidance, online training, signage and more.

At the end of the day, our students’ ability to sustain these commitments will determine our capacity to be together safely. The health and welfare of our employees, not just our students, depends on robust compliance. As I said in last week’s Town Hall, W&M students bring a special and very powerful commitment to building community. Yet, understandably those at greater risk worry about how consistently young adults will be able to adhere to these guidelines, on and off campus. So it’s important to be clear that W&M will be holding student groups and individual students accountable, as appropriate, when they do not comply. Those who breach these rules repeatedly will be sanctioned, and may be sent home for the semester.

Please join me for more discussion on this and other topics at our next Town Hall meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5.

I know how disappointing the shift in arrival on campus will be for many students – who are so looking forward to returning – also how disruptive to families as they plan travel. It is equally disruptive for faculty and staff. An enormous amount of work has taken place to prepare our campus community for a successful fall and that work continues in earnest.

Yet to fulfill our commitment to safeguarding the health of this community, it is imperative that we respond appropriately to changing pandemic conditions. In this as in other respects, Fall 2020 will be very different at W&M. As we continue making decisions with the best information available, adjustments like the ones announced today will be part of the semester. We are working with real-time information, assessing current conditions and predictions for future trends with expert advice – guidance from authorities in infectious disease, epidemiology and our regional public health partners.

Against the unpredictable environment of COVID-19, we will do everything we can to continue to provide as much certainty as we can. Thank you for your continued patience and flexibility as we determine the best path forward.

Best regards,

Katherine A. Rowe
President

Specifics for students:

The August on-campus move-in dates for the following groups of students are not affected by this adjustment. All testing and distancing protocols will remain in effect. These students should closely track EMT messages regarding Hurricane Isaias.
- New students (freshmen and transfers)
- Graduate students residing in university housing
- International students
- RAs and Head Residents
- Orientation Aides and Assistants

All other students should delay their return. We anticipate bringing sophomores, juniors and seniors back to campus in early September. We are aiming for Labor Day weekend.
- Room and board costs will be adjusted accordingly. Additional details will be shared early next week.
- Self-quarantine and testing schedules will be updated to reflect new return dates.
Student Affairs is finalizing a process to consider exceptions for students who have compelling personal circumstances for returning to campus as part of the initial group in August.
- Please contact care@wm.edu for assistance with any extenuating or special circumstances.
Deans and faculty will ensure personal engagement for all students, including those who live on and off campus, through the start of in-person classes.

Specifics for employees:

While many employees will return to work on campus on Wednesday, Aug. 5 (pending further EMT guidance on Hurricane Isaias), the university will remain closed to the general public as we phase in operations. Third-party use of university-owned or leased facilities is prohibited, regardless of there being a university sponsor for an outside group or activity.
COVID-19 testing for those employees required to show negative tests before return to campus will continue as scheduled. (Again, pending EMT hurricane guidance.)
Offices that have face-to-face interaction should arrange meetings by appointment and observe W&M’s requirements for the use of face coverings, physical distancing, etc.
Full or partial remote work at William & Mary will require a telework agreement. Employees were advised of their unit’s in-person or remote requirements the week of July 20. The pace at which employees return to work on campus is outlined in those plans.
No university-sponsored travel (domestic or international) will take place, unless required to meet obligations of externally sponsored research or state scientific advisory services. The CRT also recommends that community members limit personal travel. [Ed. Note: A new travel policy for essential academic and business travel was adopted in November 2020. Visit Path Forward for more information.]
All invited speakers must present in a virtual format, whether invited for university-wide presentations or at invitation of professional and graduate schools, departments, professors or student groups.
Volunteers at William & Mary must provide this critical support remotely. Volunteer boards must hold their meetings remotely, including their executive and committee meetings.

Healthy Together: A Community Commitment

Editor’s note: Phased planning has amended some information included in the July 22 message. While W&M is allowing student to upload rapid test results to satisfy requirements for move-in and on-campus activities, the university asks that students still complete the test process with Kallaco, which provides a different type of COVID-19 test.

July 27, 2020

Dear W&M Community,

As we face the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic and plan carefully for a 2020-21 academic year in-person and on campus, a commitment to community-wide actions is essential. Our ability to advance W&M’s mission during this pandemic will require each of us, without exception — faculty, staff and students — to comply with all COVID-related health and safety rules as articulated by university leadership generally, and the COVID-19 Planning Team in particular. All our constituencies agree: the health of W&M’s people must be prioritized as we prepare to welcome students and employees back to campus.

To this end, all members of the W&M campus community will be asked to affirm their commitment to shared actions to mitigate risk of spreading COVID-19, to show care and concern for others, and, thereby, to support the university’s ability to succeed during these most challenging of times. Affirmation of the Healthy Together Community Commitment is required for anyone who will be living, learning, and working on campus this fall.

Students will have an opportunity to review and affirm the Healthy Together Community Commitment through the Personal Information Questionnaire that is being deployed today. Employees will receive a copy of the Healthy Together Community Commitment along with their PPE kits, and they will be asked to affirm the commitment as part of the required on-line COVID-19 training that will be made available by Human Resources via Cornerstone.

May we each commit to doing our part to mitigate risk, to actively demonstrate our care for the physical and emotional well-being of others, and to complete a successful year — together.

Sincerely,

Peggy Agouris, Provost
Ginger Ambler, Vice President for Student Affairs
Amy Sebring, Chief Operating Officer

COVID-19 Testing

July 22, 2020

Dear William & Mary Students, Faculty & Staff,

As William & Mary moves into the Fall 2020 semester, the COVID-19 Response Team provides the following summary of the university’s testing protocol for students and employees. We are establishing a testing program that goes above and beyond state health and CDC guidelines and is designed to be responsive to the most at-risk populations within our community.

Recognizing that the health landscape continues to evolve, a robust testing effort allows us to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 on campus among students and employees, and to track campus trends relative to those locally, within Virginia and nationally. Testing frequency and population percentage will evolve based on campus trends and available testing methods.

Who will do the testing?

William & Mary is partnering with the VCU Health System (VCUHS) for expanded physical and mental health services, including COVID-19 testing for students and employees.

If you are a student, how and when will testing occur?

All students are required to be tested before the fall semester. The timing of initial testing depends on when a student arrives on campus:

Students will receive a self-administered, mail-in test kit prior to coming to campus. Test kits will arrive in time for students to self-administer the test, mail it back along with the required consent form, and get test results before they are due to arrive on campus.
International Students will receive specific testing instructions in the next week to 10 days.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you must self-isolate at home or off campus until you have a confirmed negative test. Students who test positive will be mailed a retest approximately 10-14 days following the initial positive result.
Prevalence testing (initial sampling of 5% of the student body) will occur at least every two weeks. Testing frequency and population percentage will evolve based on campus trends and available testing methods.
Students who experience symptoms over the course of the semester should make an appointment with the Student Health Center for a clinical assessment and testing if necessary. The Student Health Center will provide instructions on necessary next steps.

If you are an employee, how and when will testing occur?

William & Mary employees are preparing for students to return to campus in early August. Supervisors on the main campus and VIMS’ campus will be communicating with employees this week, confirming that they will be working on campus, remotely or in a blended fashion as students begin returning to campus, as well as schedules for those modes of work.
All employees will have access to voluntary at-will testing through the VCUHS for a $15 out-of-pocket copayment, with the university covering the balance. The schedule and location for voluntary testing will be provided shortly.
Prevalence testing (initial sample of 2% of the employee/contractor population) will occur at least every two weeks. Testing frequency and population percentage may vary based on campus trends and available testing methods.
Employees or contract workers with positions that cannot maintain physical distancing, or where other work modifications to reduce virus spread are infeasible and impractical, will be tested prior to working with students. These employees will be contacted over the next two weeks with instructions for testing before students return to campus. Employees who test positive for COVID-19 will be expected to isolate and retest with a negative result before returning to work.

Will there be testing at the end of the Fall 2020 semester?

William & Mary will cover the cost of a voluntary test for students and employees who wish to be tested prior to returning home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Testing schedules will be released later.

Thank you for your support of our testing effort.

Sam Jones
Chair, COVID-19 Response Team

Face Covering Requirements July 15-Dec. 31, 2020

Editor’s note: Phased planning and increased understanding of COVID-19 has amended some information included in the July 14 message. Faculty are required to wear masks at all times in the classroom. Faculty members may not opt for face shields or plexiglass in lieu of masks. Face shields and plexiglass are additional and valuable aids, but do not replace the need to wear masks. Exceptions to this requirement are only approved by the W&M COVID-19 Response Team at [[COVIDResponse]].

July 14, 2020

Dear William & Mary Faculty, Staff & Students,

As we move through this summer and into the fall semester, the COVID-19 Response Team is providing guidance regarding the required use of face coverings on campus from now through the end of the calendar year (July 15-Dec. 31, 2020).

Compliance with these requirements is mandatory for this period.

General Requirements

University requirements for face coverings apply to all faculty, staff, students, contract workers, vendors and others who are on William & Mary’s various campuses or enter university owned or leased buildings.
Indoor public spaces: when in a facility, everyone should wear a face covering over the nose and mouth including building entry areas, classrooms and labs, libraries, conference rooms, hallways, elevators, restrooms, lounges and other shared spaces that allow for public interaction or gathering. The ability to physically distance within a space does not eliminate the above requirements.
Outdoor spaces: face coverings may be removed only when an uninterrupted 6’ distance can be maintained between you and other individuals for the continuous duration of an activity.
Face coverings include cloth or disposable masks or face shields. [Note: W&M policy has changed since this message was released: Faculty are required to wear masks at all times in the classroom. Faculty members may not opt for face shields or plexiglass in lieu of masks. Face shields and plexiglass are additional and valuable aids, but do not replace the need to wear masks. Exceptions to this requirement are only approved by the W&M COVID-19 Response Team at [[COVIDResponse]]. -- Ed.]

If you are a student:

All general requirements stated above apply.
You are required to wear a face covering when in a classroom, lab or other instructional space. The exact type of face covering may vary depending on the instructional environment (e.g., a university-provided face shield may be required in a lab).
All requirements apply to both indoor and outdoor co-curricular activities and spaces.
You are not required to wear a face covering when in your room or suite in your residence hall.
You are required to wear a face covering when in university housing hallways, other shared spaces and hall baths (except when actively washing, brushing teeth, etc.).

If you are faculty, staff, contract worker, vendor or other:

All general requirements stated above apply.
Faculty and instructional support staff are required to wear a face covering in indoor or outdoor classrooms, labs and other instructional spaces.
Teachers have the option to wear a face shield during instruction as an alternative to a cloth face covering, to enable learners to better understand their speech. A cloth face covering will be used immediately before and after instruction and when interacting with others and unable to maintain 6’ physical distancing. Other options shall be submitted to the COVID Response Team for approval. [Note: W&M policy has changed since this message was released: Faculty are required to wear masks at all times in the classroom. Faculty members may not opt for face shields or plexiglass in lieu of masks. Face shields and plexiglass are additional and valuable aids, but do not replace the need to wear masks. Exceptions to this requirement are only approved by the W&M COVID-19 Response Team at [[COVIDResponse]]. -- Ed.]
Faculty and staff are not required to wear a face covering while in their private offices or work spaces where a physical distance of at least 6’ can be maintained. Open-floor plans can be enhanced through the reconfiguration of space, installation of plexiglass barriers, etc.
Face coverings must be used when interaction with others precludes physical distancing, such as conferring with colleagues, advising students, etc.
Employees who move throughout buildings, including private office spaces, to perform their work (e.g. IT, maintenance, dining, library staff, etc.) must wear face coverings at all times.
Employees working in outdoor spaces are not required to wear face coverings as long as a 6’ physical distance from others can be maintained continuously during their activity.

Exceptions

As noted above, these requirements apply to all faculty, staff, students, contract workers, vendors and other visitors to campus. Students who require an exception to these requirements due to health concerns should request an exception from the Office of Student Accessibility Services. Employees should request an exception for health reasons through Human Resources.

Other measures being taken to mitigate risks as students and employees return to campus this fall will be discussed at a community Town Hall scheduled for July 20.

Compliance with these requirements keeps our campuses safer through the summer and into the fall. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sam Jones
Chair, COVID-19 Response Team

Guiding Principles & Resources for Course Delivery

June 30, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

The current state of COVID-19 across the U.S. is causing increasing uncertainty in how academic institutions across the country will return in the fall. At William & Mary, we are committed to offering an educational experience of the highest quality that is worthy of the W&M reputation, and that is flexible in its delivery and reduces risk for our students, faculty and staff members.

To this end, William & Mary has started solidifying fall course delivery plans. So much work is underway in both the academic units as well as the Plan Ahead Team to ensure that our university is prepared for Fall 2020. I am grateful to you all for your ongoing commitment to our students, their families and our educational mission. Your continued flexibility, creativity and patience as we navigate amid unprecedented uncertainties will be invaluable to our collective success.

This email summarizes work to date, covering guiding principles for course delivery and instruction as well as room assignments. Last week, I sent this guidance to the university deans who are now working intensively within their respective units to develop a robust fall curriculum. Rest assured that faculty teaching needs and preferences are taken into the utmost consideration in the development of the curriculum and that every effort is being made by the academic units to accommodate them.

The W&M deans continue to play a crucial role in planning, implementing and managing our Fall 2020 semester as well as in communicating with you all relevant information. I urge you to interact with your dean and your respective Dean’s Office as you work to ensure that students have the most robust learning experience possible and that your programs flourish.

On Friday you received an outline of risk mitigation measures W&M is taking to prepare for the fall from Sam Jones, director of W&M's COVID-19 Response Team. Earlier today, Chief Operating Officer Amy Sebring and Chief Human Resources Officer Chris Lee sent additional information on workplace guidelines for faculty and staff. Please review closely as I am confident these communications address many of your questions. Please also continue to check www.wm.edu/pathforward for additional information and to submit questions, concerns and feedback.

I am grateful for your input and support. I would also like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to the deans, Faculty Assembly, faculty leadership bodies of the various academic units, and t he members of the Plan Ahead Team for their extraordinary efforts. So many excellent ideas have been proposed and developed by the members in these groups.

In closing, I would like to thank you again for all that you are doing and state once more how grateful I remain to each of you for partnering to navigate these uncharted waters as we strive to advance the learning of our students under such difficult circumstances.

Sincerely,

Peggy

Guiding Principles and Resources for Course Delivery

All courses will be delivered in a format that maximizes meaningful interaction between faculty and students and that reflects William & Mary’s high quality of teaching and learning. As such, almost all courses will be “blended” to some degree, with students learning in real time and instruction delivered both directly and via technology throughout the semester.

The university’s goal is to have as much in-person instruction as possible. Resources to support in-person instruction include:
- An inventory of extremely large non-academic spaces available for instruction in the fall, so that physical distancing of eight feet on center can be maintained for up to 80 students in one room.
- Instructional design support for technology-enhanced instruction.
- PPE for faculty and staff and cleaning protocols for instructional spaces.
- Testing and contact tracing protocols developed in partnership with VCU, VT, UVA and other universities in our public higher education system.
- Virginia’s Phase 3 of reopening begins July 1. If maintained, this will allow meetings of more than 50 people to occur, so if your large lecture classes can and should meet in person (either the entire group at once or half or a third at a time), please advise your dean.
Maximum flexibility will be crucial throughout the fall.
- Working closely with our local and state health officials, as well as our Virginia university partners, W&M is closely monitoring all guidance related to health and safety practices and protocols. We are making decisions in a phased, evidence-based way and understand maximum flexibility is essential to our plan.
- Faculty are advised to prepare classes in a way that makes it possible to switch to full remote learning on short notice, in the event Virginia public health requires this.
- Modes of delivery will change as circumstances change but an instructional category will be noted in Banner as a good-faith attempt to inform students of faculty intent and plans going into the fall semester.
- More details on delivery and additional instructional time and content must appear in the syllabus.

Simultaneous “dual-mode” instruction (in-person and remote/synchronous delivery at the same time) will notbe an expectation and will not be available for most courses.

Additional Instruction Requirement

Because the semester has been shortened by a week of instruction, an additional 50 minutes worth of instruction per contact hour must be added. This can be scheduled as one or more additional in-person meetings or as technology-delivered content. Whatever mechanism is used, the additional meeting dates and content must be listed on the course syllabus. Deans’ offices will advise of syllabi deadlines.

Some examples for a 3-credit course:

Add a single 3-hour (150 minutes) session on a Saturday morning or a Tuesday evening.
Hold three 50-minute sessions, perhaps one each month.
Make 3 hours’ worth of recorded lectures or other content available through an approved learning management system.

Categories of Course Delivery

It is now time to assign course delivery information to our fall classes in Banner. These categories will be added in Banner as class attributes by July 15. Click here for descriptions of high-level categories for course delivery:

FS: Predominantly face-to-face and predominantly synchronous
MIX: Even blend of in-person instruction with expanded remote delivery of instructional material, content and activity
RA: Predominantly remote and predominantly asynchronous
RS: Predominantly remote and predominantly synchronous

Please plan instructional delivery for each of your courses in a way that maximizes both high quality of teaching and learning and the well-being of you and your students.

Room Assignments

Most classes with in-person components will need to be moved in order to accomplish physical distancing protocols. The Deans’ offices will be working with you on classroom accommodations.

W&M is currently using a standard of eight feet on center for student seating, with masks for students and vinyl shields available to faculty.
All W&M non-instructional space has been analyzed for instructional capacity, with emphasis on spaces upward of 1,000 square feet to accommodate very large classes.
Off-campus sites were not considered in the first round because of cost, transportation, risk management and technology.
Business, Education, Law and Marine Science will adjust room assignments within their facilities, while Arts & Sciences will provide the University Registrar information on classroom capacity needs for reassignment of space.

Enrollment

For FS courses, predominantly face-to-face and synchronous, classrooms will hold the projected enrollment.
For MIX courses, evenly blended in-person instruction with expanded remote delivery of instructional material, content and activity, we will need to know the maximum number of students who will be in the classroom at any one time. For example, if a course with a projected enrollment of 120 is going to use a “flipped” approach, and only a third of the students will be meeting with the professor on any given Monday, Wednesday or Friday, then the classroom capacity would need to hold 40 students, or one third of 120. Another option is for faculty teaching at the same day and time to share a classroom, which each would use while the other met with students remotely in a week-together, week-apart modality.
For RA courses, predominantly remote and asynchronous, the classroom assignment will be removed altogether.
For RS courses, predominantly remote and synchronous, W&M will work with departments to find classrooms (if needed) that can accommodate receiving synchronous video from remote These sections will need TAs or other staff to handle the technology. Some support will be available from the Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation. If no classroom is needed because students will receive the synchronous instruction remotely, faculty will inform their schools during the planning process.

Additional Faculty Support

The Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation (STLI) is developing an online course, launching July 20, that will guide faculty through an exploration of blended teaching and learning strategies useful in creating a flexible course design for the fall semester. Participants will be able to work in cohorts with others planning to teach in a similar modality and participate in discussion, peer feedback, and identifying creative solutions to instructional challenges. STLI is hoping to train a cadre of student partners to provide instructors with support for developing educational media, facilitating synchronous Zoom sessions, and troubleshooting issues with asynchronous teaching approaches.

Peggy Agouris
Provost

Essential Information for Faculty and Staff

June 30, 2020

Dear William & Mary employees:

As we gear up for the fall semester, we understand that the return to classes this fall will be different. Fall 2020 brings the challenge of planning while still in the midst of a public health crisis and the uncertainty this entails. William & Mary has an obligation to meet our mission – which emphasizes the value of close learning relationships and of convening in person – to ensure that our students maintain momentum and complete their education.

William & Mary’s first priority is to support our students, faculty and staff as we navigate this challenge together. In partnership with the major medical centers in the Virginia public university system, William & Mary is taking a systematic approach to limiting the risk of COVID-19 transmission in face-to-face situations – via education, prevention, testing, tracing and treatment (including quarantine and isolation) – and via changes to how we teach, learn, and work together.

Accordingly, William & Mary is making changes to many campus functions for the fall to enable employees – faculty and staff – to do their best work possible under the circumstances. We write to share essential information for faculty and staff. Please read through all information, which includes:

W&M’s July-August planning timeline
Updated guidance for on-campus, blended, and remote work, including definitions of core on-campus functions
Updated health and wellness guidance
Updated timelines for temporary policies on remote work

Under the supervision of Cabinet members and Human Resources, specific plans for each department or unit will be developed and shared by managers the week of July 20th. Our plans will continue to be adjusted going forward to reflect evolving CDC and VDH guidance, public health contexts, and coronavirus research.

Sincerely,

Christopher D. Lee, Ph.D.
Chief Human Resources Officer

Amy S. Sebring
Chief Operating Officer

The following guidelines and resources outline measures W&M is taking to advance the health and safety of our entire campus community. These measures are part of a coordinated public health planning effort with peers in the Virginia public university system, Williamsburg-area health care officials, VDH, and SCHEV.

Essential information for employees about returning to work
W&M's COVID-19 Response On March 12, 2020, Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic that is ongoing. William & Mary’s response to the pandemic and reopening follows Commonwealth guidelines. The COVID-19 pandemic creates a unique challenge for our students, their families, faculty and staff as we strive to meet our educational mission. Pandemic conditions require William & Mary to adapt how we teach, learn and work in order to mitigate health risks for our community. Therefore, William & Mary is taking the following measures to advance the health and safety of our entire campus community while we continue to provide high quality teaching, learning, and co-curricular experiences for our students and conduct essential research. These measures and temporary policies will continue through the duration of the pandemic or with specific end-dates as indicated below, whichever occurs first. For Fall 2020, the university is preparing for an early opening and a primarily in-person semester, adapting our curriculum and operations consistent with Virginia’s public health guidelines for higher education. The university’s Path Forward: Fall 2020 lays out our commitment to highly engaged and close connections between teachers and students; that commitment underpins the effort to return to in-person experiences as appropriate under pandemic conditions. The following guidelines and resources outline measures W&M is taking to advance the health and safety of our entire campus community. These measures are part of a coordinated public health planning effort with peers in the Virginia public university system, Williamsburg-area health care officials, VDH, and SCHEV.
Employee Guidelines for Returning to Campus Planning and Preparation: July - August 2020 As indicated in a message from Sam Jones, director of W&M’s COVID-19 Response Team, all departments that are currently working remotely should continue to do so through July 31. During the month of July, each member of the President’s Cabinet, in consultation with their direct reports, will determine the appropriate mode of work for each unit to meet the university’s mission most effectively, while making modifications as needed, given the current public health context. By Friday, July 17, plans will be finalized for core on-campus functions and for those functions that should continue to work remotely. Supervisors will seek input from their employees prior to finalizing plans with their Cabinet member. Supervisors will communicate approved plans to their employees the week of July 20 Town Hall – A return to campus town hall meeting will be held on July 20 to discuss employee workplace safety and related matters Campus physical adaptations will occur in July, to be completed before August 8, when students first arrive on campus Core On-Campus Functions Our primary goal is to continue providing W&M students an exceptional experience that is adapted to the realities of operating in the midst of a pandemic. Although not all experiences will be fully in person, our core functions will require direct interactions with students, and employees will return to campus to support those interactions. Cabinet members may identify other departments as core on-campus functions based on the type of work they perform and the constituents they serve. At minimum, core functions may include: Teaching Research Student services Facility service and maintenance Residence hall and dining support Public safety Technology support Mail services for critical business Student health and counseling centers All academic departments and administrative departments that interact directly with students will be expected to develop plans to ensure that employees are available on campus to support student needs in ways that limit risk to employees. Some functions may blend in-person and remote modes of work based on the university’s needs and public health conditions. Return to Campus Plans and Guidance Cabinet members, in consultation with their direct reports, will develop plans for a phased reopening in August. Plans should consider adjusting modes of work to include: Time: Adjust time, pace, and/or schedule of operating hours to de-densify workspaces (e.g. expand the work day, increase number of days in the work week, set different shifts, shorten service hours, four-day work week of 10-hour days, etc.) Space: Arrange the physical environment to reduce contact (e.g. move offices or desks, install shields, select alternate spaces for service, etc.) Movement: Restrict, limit, and/or control the movement of people (e.g. customers kept in certain areas, change break room use, limit interoffice visitation, etc.) Technology: Use technology when possible to reduce physical contact (e.g. videoconference meetings, scheduling software instead of drop-in appointments, remote work, etc.) Ways of Working: Change, adapt, evolve ways of working (e.g. seek process improvements such as electronic signatures, redesign of processes, adapt operations, etc.) The goals of the plans will consider: How best to modify work conditions to minimize risk to students and employees via identifying work that should be on-campus, remote, or blended. How work spaces will be reconfigured or modified to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Instances where work spaces cannot be configured to meet health guidelines and adaptations to office hours and work schedules that will reduce the number of employees in close proximity at any given time. Recognizing that some teaching activities and other services will be shifted to non-standard times (e.g., Saturdays or evenings), scheduling employees to ensure appropriate levels of support at key times. Ways to incorporate employee feedback. Employees are expected to work remotely or work on campus in accordance with the plans developed by their unit head. Unit heads will be guided by W&M Cabinet members’ approved categorization of types of work. With these university categorizations in mind, supervisors are asked to be as flexible as possible to enable remote work to help limit the number of people on campus. Blend of On-Campus and Remote Work In some instances, a Cabinet member may determine that a department can continue working remotely, or blend modes of work, while meeting the university’s mission. These adaptations will reduce the number of employees on campus and aid in limiting coronavirus spread. It will be important to recognize that even as some employees continue to work remotely, their work-related activities still may require them to return to campus periodically. Thus, each plan for these departments should identify: The extent to which employees will be expected to continue working remotely Specify activities or circumstances that require employees to return to campus when they are needed. Remote Work For functional areas that do not require on-campus activity, the university will continue to encourage employees to work from home through December 31, 2020. Approval for W&M remote work policies have been temporarily expedited to enable remote work as determined by Cabinet members through the end of the calendar year. General information about employment related matters connected to COVID-19 can be found on the COVID-19 Resources for W&M Employees website. Given the challenges of ongoing pandemic, there may be times when employees require additional support. If you confront a particularly difficult circumstance, contact your supervisor, contact the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at (855) 223-9277, or contact HR at [[askHR]] or (757) 221-3169. Visit W&M IT COVID-19 Response to be aware of our network and computer security updates.
Individual Responsibilities As members of the university community, each employee is expected to adhere to William & Mary’s safety guidelines and protocols, including: Mandatory participation in COVID-19 training Maintaining proper hygiene Self-monitoring of symptoms Reporting if experiencing symptoms or directed to quarantine Mandatory wearing of face coverings in public and other designated spaces Maintaining appropriate distance from students and colleagues Cleaning personal work spaces routinely to reduce transmission and allow housekeeping staff to focus on more intensive cleaning of public spaces Complying with additional guidelines as stipulated by the university, state or federal government The university will provide each employee with a wellness kit that includes face masks or shields as appropriate, hand sanitizer and wipes, plus additional cleaning supplies for individual work spaces.
Recognizing Individual Work Circumstances An employee’s individual circumstances (e.g. childcare/eldercare, medical condition, etc.) may require adjustments to their work schedules or modes of work during the fall. Faculty and staff should notify their department head if they have concerns about being able to work in the mode (on campus, remotely, or in a blended manner) designated in their department’s plan. The department head will alert HR and the appropriate Cabinet member, who will review the department plan and functional need in the employee’s domain of work. Cabinet members will assess whether adjustments can be made to provide flexibility, while ensuring the function is met and the department’s mission successfully delivered; If adjustments cannot be made, Human Resources can identify whether the employee is eligible for the Commonwealth’s Public Health Emergency Leave and options provided through the federal Families First CoronaVirus Response Act; An employee may be eligible for the university or state’s sickness and disability programs, earned sick leave, annual leave or other leave statuses; For faculty or staff requests for accommodations due to a medical condition or disability, please contact [[askHR]] or call (757) 221-3169 for a confidential individual consultation.
Health and Wellness W&M is here for you, providing support to help you do your best work during these challenging times. Will COVID-19 testing be provided? If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, your medical provider, in consultation with the Virginia health department, will determine if you should be tested for COVID-19. Symptomatic testing requires a doctor’s order. You can call a medical professional or your primary care physician for assistance. In addition, plans are underway for William & Mary to provide partially subsidized, “at-will” COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic employees who would like to be tested. All employees will be eligible to receive testing, subject to availability, at one or more designated healthcare locations in the Williamsburg area. More information will be available by July 31. Is there a way to track symptoms? William & Mary is leading a development effort for daily symptom tracking. More information will be available by July 31. Will W&M’s medical plan cover costs of testing and treatment? Yes. If a medical professional orders a COVID-19 test for you or your covered dependent, it will be covered at 100% under all W&M-sponsored medical plans. All out-of-pocket costs (including coinsurance, copays and deductibles) related to testing and office visits are waived. Medical treatments or hospital stays are handled under existing coverage guidelines for employees and their dependents enrolled in W&M-sponsored plans: COVA Care (pdf) COVA HDHP (pdf) COVA HealthAware Optima Health Vantage HMO Kaiser Permanente How is W&M preventing the spread of illness at work? Departments and offices are developing COVID work plans (pdf) that should address how they will operate to minimize risk to employees and students. How is W&M incorporating the latest science about COVID-19 into our decision-making and response? W&M’s decision-making and public health protocols are based on epidemiological modeling and analysis pursued in partnership with the major medical centers in the Virginia public university system (VCU, UVA, VT) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). W&M guidelines will continue to be adjusted based on research and analysis arising from that partnership and with our medical providers and testing suppliers. And we will respond as required to changing guidance from Richmond. The president, provost, medical director and COVID-19 director meet weekly with public higher education peers in the Commonwealth. Those meetings enable concerted advocacy with Richmond for resources (CARES Act funds, testing, etc.), efficient collaboration (testing, campus reopening, curricular adaptation, etc.) and more. This close communication and partnership also allows William & Mary to advance our resources and protocols as scientific knowledge about COVID-19 improves and guidance from CDC and VDH evolves. The Plan Ahead team includes two W&M epidemiologists as well as VDH and national data and modeling. William & Mary leadership welcomes ongoing input from experts in our community. Please contact Sam Jones, director of W&M’s COVID-19 Response Team with further questions. Where can I seek further help and guidance? EAP – Clearinghouse at (855) 223-9277 for personal, family, or workplace concerns to include free counseling, referrals to community-based resources, and training resources available to all full-time employees. Human Resources – Safe Haven for all employee concerns, whether large or small, contact [[askHR]] for a confidential conversation. Mandatory COVID-19 Training – Online training will be required of all employees before returning to campus full-time. This information will be available in Cornerstone and employees will be notified of its availability. Resources for Leaders: Supervisors and department heads will receive additional training and support via monthly Supervisors’ Forum and Managers’ Forum videoconference meetings. Process Consulting Team. Managers who need assistance developing a return to work plan for their unit can receive assistance from an ad hoc cross-functional team from EH&S, Facilities, HR, and IT. For assistance, managers can contact [[HRguy]].

W&M work guidelines through July 31 and fall public health protocols

June 26, 2020

Dear William & Mary Community:

On June 12, 2020 William & Mary released its planning process for the coming semester – the Path Forward: Fall 2020. That plan reflected the work of five Plan Ahead squads composed of campus experts – faculty, staff, students, administrators. It is based on collaborations with Commonwealth public higher education (including peer university public health and medical centers), CDC and VDH guidelines, and the Governor’s guidelines.

I write to share updates on telework (below) as well as additional details now on our website about fall planning, including:

Fall schedule/key dates
Protocols for mitigating risk to health: PPE, physical distancing in classrooms and workspaces, cleaning/hygiene, testing, symptom monitoring, case management, contact tracing, quarantine and isolation.

W&M is part of an active effort to partner with the Commonwealth on a testing network anchored in our three VA university medical centers: VCU, UVA, and VT. Our testing and other public health protocols are based on ongoing epidemiological modeling with those centers.

We continue to move forward in a phased way: focusing on adaptations and flexibility, to mitigate risk to health, while ensuring we can sustain W&M’s mission of teaching, learning, and research. We ask the community to be aware that the public health context and VA directives will continue to change in the coming weeks. W&M leadership will continually evaluate our path forward in light of those changes.

Telework through July 31: current restrictions and/or guidelines for telework, campus events and on-campus building access continue. Virginia’s Phase 3 reopening does not change W&M’s campus-specific guidelines.

After July 31: information will be provided next week by the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Human Resources Officer on the specifics of how we will assess return to work timelines based on the university's mission and areas of work.

Going forward, we will continue to update the community on a weekly basis, to add clarity as frequently as we may. Coordinated through the COVID-19 Response Team, updates to the Path Forward: Fall 2020 have been added to the university’s COVID-19 website. Further messages will be coming early next week from the provost, vice president for students affairs, the chief operating officer and the chief human resources officer.

Thank you for your patience as we work through the details that will allow us to navigate the extraordinary challenges wrought by pandemic.

Sam Jones
Chair, COVID-19 Response Team

Joint Assembly Leadership Message

June 16, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

We write to you today as the leadership of the Faculty, Staff, and Professional Assemblies to ensure clear communication and transparency to each employee at William & Mary during this time of uncertainty.

Earlier today, the Board of Visitors (BOV) passed a resolution authorizing, if necessary, temporary personnel actions in the coming year. Prior to this resolution, the university had no existing policy on temporary actions like furloughs or salary reductions; the available personnel options were essentially limited to permanent actions such as layoffs. The BOV action provides additional, more flexible tools should they be required in FY21.

A furlough is a temporary leave from work without pay. It can be granted intermittently (e.g., one day per week or month) or for a period of time over consecutive weeks or months. During a furlough, employees retain some benefits, most notably health and life insurance.
A temporary salary reduction is a reduction in pay for a specified time period.

President Rowe called Assembly leadership into these conversations in advance of this action and has committed to continue engaging with us throughout the year. We support the university having the tools to sustain our workforce to the extent possible and affirm the following principles that would guide action:

William & Mary’s core learning mission will be preserved.
If necessary, the university will look first to temporary actions (e.g., furloughs and salary reductions), not permanent ones (e.g., layoffs).
- Senior university leaders will be the first impacted.
- In university-wide actions, we will seek to protect our lowest-paid employees (e.g., those making less than $50,000 annually) to the extent possible.
- Temporary actions will not exceed 20% of a person's salary.

As states open back up, it is important to remember that the full economic impact to higher education will not be fully realized until months from now. President Rowe and her Executive Leadership Team have committed to transparency as difficult decisions are made.

We commit, as your elected representatives, to hear your voices and advocate for you, particularly in the coming year. We recognize you have received this message multiple times today, but we believe it’s important in these uncertain times that you know your Assembly is working hard for you.

Signed,

Thomas Ward, Faculty Assembly President
David Armstrong, Faculty Assembly President-Elect
Arielle Newby, Staff Assembly President
Robin Hollenbeck, Staff Assembly Vice President
Joe Wheeless, Professionals & Professional Faculty Assembly President
Mariellynn Maurer, Professionals & Professional Faculty Assembly President-Elect

Campus operations through June 30, 2020

May 28, 2020

Dear faculty and staff,

First, thank you from the Emergency Management Team for your ongoing support in managing campus activities and programs as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. As we move into the summer months, a few reminders follow.

At this time, campus buildings remain locked and closed to the public. As President Rowe mentioned in her May 19 message, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s Phase I reopening of state businesses does not change this. Teleworking is, and should continue to be, the norm on campus through at least June 30. Supervisors should continue to be flexible in this matter. Only personnel who must be on campus to conduct university business should be in university facilities.

Employees who must be on campus should continue to follow the CDC’s COVID-19 safe health guidelines. Consistent with those guidelines and the governor’s May 26 Executive Order, all individuals on campus will be required to wear a cloth face covering in areas where social distancing cannot be maintained and in all shared areas of buildings. In the coming days and weeks, additional signage will be going up in campus buildings as a reminder of these guidelines.

For any employees who must be on campus, please remember to:

Lock doors behind you as you enter and leave any building;
Maintain a small, dedicated footprint (enter by the same door, visit the same office, use the same restroom);
Depart campus as soon as business is complete. Limiting your time on campus helps make the work environment safer for those who must be here. Note that recreation areas remain closed.

We anticipate more specific guidance from the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry and the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 Education Work Group to be forthcoming and will update these guidelines, including those related to face coverings, accordingly.

The university’s Plan Ahead effort as well as the work of the Emergency Management Team continues as we prepare for students to return this fall. We continue to monitor CDC and Virginia Department of Health guidelines as well as guidance from the governor as Virginia stages a phased re-opening. On campus, we are focused on being ready to safely re-open in the fall. The results of these efforts will be phased in throughout the summer.

Please continue to access the university’s COVID-19 website as the central source of information.

Stay well and safe.

Sam Jones, Emergency Management Team Chair
Ginger Ambler, Vice President for Student Affairs

W&M from May 16 to June 30, 2020

May 19, 2020

Dear W&M Faculty and Staff,

On March 11, as we were beginning to understand the impact of COVID-19, I laid out four goals that would guide the university through the spring – through the rapidly changing conditions of an evolving pandemic. With extraordinary effort, over two months of quarantine, we held to that course: safeguarding the health of our community; continuing to teach and learn so that our students could complete the semester; adjusting our research and university operations so that W&M employees could keep working as long as possible; helping to slow the spread of the virus.

This past Saturday, May 16, we conferred degrees in the class of 2020 in W&M’s first virtual degree-granting ceremony. As I listened to students and colleagues last week, I heard hearts full of mixed emotions – joy and loss. I also heard a community fully present to each other. For this beautiful weekend, joy held sway: from a surprise alma mater serenade (waking the president early Saturday morning) to Instagram posts from thousands of graduates, justly proud of their ability to adapt.

As we turn to the summer session (online still), the university is rapidly planning for the 2020-2021 academic year. In my message on May 6, I shared our emerging thinking and the principles that will guide us in that process. This email outlines how the university will operate in the near term and shares a very preliminary picture of our financial position going into FY21. Fuller updates on academic planning and financial forecasts will come in June.

In Virginia, the Governor has issued parameters for a phased reopening, beginning last Friday. William & Mary will align with those guidelines. We are operating prudently, working in close collaboration with our City leadership, Commonwealth peers, the Secretary of Education, and Department of Health.

Conditions continue to change weekly and uncertainty remains. So we will approach our decisions in a phased way going forward, as we have done all spring. Working in a phased mode, we benefit from the most knowledge possible, to make the best decisions we can under the circumstances. I will continue to update the community frequently, with deep gratitude for your patience and your attention.

Some things we understand much better today than we did two months ago – bringing clarity that is both sobering and hopeful. We now know that the coronavirus will be with us for months to come. There will be no swift “snap back” to life as we knew it in 2019.

There is clear evidence that the actions we took this spring helped flatten the curve of this pandemic and saved lives. Moreover, months of quarantine have gained our health care and scientific communities time to respond. Every day, our physicians and scientists increase our understanding of COVID-19. Testing capacity and PPE supply are expanding, treatments are improving. We have time to prepare now, using our growing knowledge, that we didn’t have this spring.

Much important work lies ahead. As the semester wraps up – and as we pause for a four-day Memorial Day weekend – I hope you will take time to rest and recharge. W&M has accomplished much during these difficult two months of quarantine, due to the dedication of our students, their families, our faculty, and our staff.

As I shared with the Board last week, navigating a pandemic well takes extraordinary effort, creativity, and compassion. No one could sustain such effort as successfully, alone, as we have done together. William & Mary is blessed with a campus community that pulls for each other.

Stay well,

Katherine A. Rowe
President

University operations through June 30, 2020

With Phase I of the Governor’s reopening begun and his “Stay At Home” order set to expire June 10, W&M will continue to exercise prudence in university operations. More university-specific details may be found on our COVID-19 website but here are the headlines:

The Governor's Executive Order # 61 (2020) provides the following guidance, effective through June 10, 2020: “Institutions of higher education shall continue to cease all in-person classes and instruction and cancel all gatherings of more than ten individuals. For purposes of facilitating remote learning, performing of critical research, or performing essential functions, institutions of higher education may continue to operate, provided that social distancing requirements are maintained.” Theaters, museums, arts centers and other indoor entertainment centers remain closed.
The City of Williamsburg will also be moving through parallel reopening phases.
For the present, W&M employees should expect to continue to telework under current practice at least through June 30, 2020 – an extension from the previously announced June 15 deadline. Signage reminding employees of the current practice guidelines will be posted in buildings across campus.
University buildings will remain in a “locked, but not closed” status at least through June 30. Only employees with authorized key/card access are allowed to enter buildings. Employees who need to access a building should lock the door behind them.
As local guidance changes, we will update faculty and staff.
Systematic cost avoidance efforts will continue through the end of the fiscal year. Deans and managers will also continue to provide guidance specific to your schools and units.

Outlook for FY21

The financial outlook for FY21 remains uncertain so we are planning with that in mind. We will know more in June, as we finalize our plans for the Fall Semester and once the Commonwealth closes its books for FY20. At that point, we will share additional approaches to flatten the curve of financial impact. For now, here is our preliminary view of the challenges ahead.

The revenue picture. Because student tuition and fees remain W&M’s largest source of revenue, our ability to ensure that W&M continues to teach and learn will have a direct impact on our financial position next year. Beyond the question of whether the pandemic allows us to conduct classes in person, a number of other factors will also come into play. Our research programs will be affected by funding from the federal government and other external sponsors. Philanthropy will be influenced by market performance and the impact on personal wealth. And the impact of COVID-19 on Virginia’s economy undoubtedly will impact the level of state support we receive next year.

Commonwealth context. In prior recessions (2001, 2008) VA higher education saw state funding reductions of 20% or more. The initial projections from the Commonwealth are sobering. Last week, the Secretary of Finance reported that state revenues for the month of April fell $700 million compared to April revenues in the prior year. Although difficult to predict, the Commonwealth appears to be on track for a $1 billion revenue shortfall this fiscal year.

National context. Some higher education industry analysts project COVID-19 related enrollment declines as high as 20%. The potential for ongoing travel bans may limit options for international students or domestic students seeking study abroad. High unemployment levels may constrain some families’ options. Modifying our operations to provide for the safety of our students, staff, and faculty during a pandemic also increases costs.

In the face of the above uncertainty, we must plan for declines in revenue between 5% and 20%. To give you a sense of what those percentages mean: reductions at the lower end of this range mirror many of the budget conditions W&M has navigated in prior economic downturns. At the higher end, we recognize the potential for dramatic shifts across multiple revenue streams at the same time, paired with the increased expense of operating under pandemic conditions.

We are planning for the worst case scenarios while driving towards the best case. The thoughtful and focused effort of so many on campus this spring – to eliminate discretionary spending, freeze hiring, adapt operations, and remain focused on our educational mission – has made a difference.

Closing out FY20. I am pleased to report that our effort to reduce spending in this fiscal year is bearing fruit. We forecasted a $13M-$32M deficit by August; we are trending towards the low end of this range. Impacts to date have largely been in auxiliary services and were covered by auxiliary reserves. We will update the campus on our financial position once we close the fiscal year and will continue to update you as we learn more about the impact for FY21.

Positive signs in fall enrollments. Our initial look at fall enrollments is optimistic. Our deposits for the incoming class are strong and our returning students overwhelmingly have indicated that if they are able, they want to be with us in the fall. We want that too!

Our mission-critical review of budgets across all units will help us establish a shared understanding of how we currently use our resources. That understanding will help us prioritize expenditures if we are faced with limited resources in the coming year.

Tenure Clock Extension Policy

May 14, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

Please review carefully the following new policy, which was developed jointly with the Faculty Assembly and University Counsel, as well as with input from the Deans. If you have any questions, please consult with your dean or email provost@wm.edu.

William & Mary
Tenure Clock Extension Policy

Background
Section III.C of the Faculty Handbook allows untenured instructional faculty members to petition the Provost for an extension of the tenure probationary period if they experience circumstances which could have resulted in significant periods of most types of non-academic leave. In March 2020, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Public Health Leave Program was expanded to enable all state employees to access additional leave to address needs caused by both the CoVID-19 pandemic and the related public health response. Public health leave is akin to the types of non-academic leave the need for which may qualify faculty to submit a petition to extend their probationary period.

Policy
The Provost has determined that the pandemic conditions caused by CoVID-19 and the related public health response constitute circumstances that could result in significant periods of non-academic leave, including Public Health Leave. Accordingly, all current untenured instructional faculty are being granted the ability to petition for an extension of the tenure probationary period on the basis of this determination. Faculty members may submit one such extension petition up until March 15 of the contract year before the year in which their tenure review is scheduled to occur. Faculty members whose tenure review is scheduled for the 2020-21 academic year will have until June 30, 2020 to submit a petition. Any faculty member who has not previously received an extension of their probationary period and who submits an extension petition on the basis of the CoVID-19 pandemic shall receive a one-year extension of their probationary period. CoVID-19 extension petitions submitted by faculty members who have previously received an extension of their probationary period will be reviewed by the Provost to assure that the candidate is making adequate progress toward tenure while taking into account the impact of circumstances requiring leave, including the pandemic and the related public health response.

Appreciation and Updates for Faculty

May 7, 2020

Dear colleagues,

As you embark on final exams this week, signifying the end of this highly unusual semester, I want to thank you for the resilience and positive spirit you have displayed in adapting so well to remote teaching under pandemic conditions. I recognize that it has been a herculean effort by so many, and I greatly appreciate all of your hard work and dedication to ensure the continuity of instruction for our students. Thank you.

Secondly, I would like to update you on a few matters impacting W&M faculty. Over the past two months, we have focused our planning attention on two critical areas:

1. Making temporary policy adjustments to give faculty greater flexibility due to potential disruption from COVID-19; and

2. Strategically analyzing “Mission Critical” expenditures and revenue sources to define a financial path forward in light of the economic challenges ahead.

This “we” includes members of the Faculty Assembly and other faculty governing bodies, Deans and members of the Provost’s Executive Team, and faculty who have provided input in a variety of ways. Our approach has been to collaborate within the organizational structure of the Schools while simultaneously drawing upon the value-added expertise of our faculty governing bodies in order to develop a prudent way forward.

These collective efforts are yielding two temporary policy adjustments due to COVID-19:

Tenure Clock Extension – There is agreement to extend the tenure probationary period for interested pre-tenure faculty based on disruption caused by COVID-19. I am hopeful we can announce the details of implementation very soon.

Student Course Evaluations – Modifications for the handling of Spring 2020 student course evaluations have been finalized. The changes observe individual School needs and permit faculty to choose whether their course evaluations collected during the pandemic will count towards merit/retention/tenure/promotion.

Both of these measures are intended to alleviate stress for faculty from disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Resource Planning: The second critical area we have been actively working on is that of flattening the curve of the pandemic’s financial impact. As you are aware, higher education is already feeling the effects of COVID-19, and projected budget shortfalls may be considerable. W&M is no exception. Our goal is to continue delivering essential elements of the curriculum and meeting the obligations of externally funded research, while also retaining our workforce to the greatest extent possible.

To manage the financial pressures ahead, the university has slowed the immediate outflow of funds by instituting a pause in hiring and a freeze on many areas of spending. We are, however, aware that exceptions need to be considered for some personnel actions that are currently in the pipeline. To help examine these exception requests, I created the Mission-Critical Exceptions Review Team (M-CERT) and tasked this group with reviewing and making recommendations to me on personnel-related requests for exceptions that are submitted by Deans in conversation with their faculty for the Summer and Fall semester.

During the past two weeks, M-CERT has worked with the Schools to understand the requests based on the Mission-Critical criteria and to gather additional information when necessary. The information coming to M-CERT from the Schools has been scrutinized by the Deans, with the assistance of Chairs and Directors, to help determine what is considered Mission-Critical and tied to the successful delivery of our curriculum for next year. I appreciate the hard work that has occurred within the Schools with the faculty.

Of 130 requests received by M-CERT thus far, they have worked through some 90 of them. A majority of these requests deal with the critical teaching needs for AY20-21 by NTE and adjunct faculty as well as planned SSRLs. I will be receiving M-CERT’s recommendations very shortly, and anticipate that many of the requests deemed Mission-Critical by both the Schools and M-CERT will likely go forward. My decisions will be communicated to the Deans as soon as possible. I am very grateful to the Deans in all of the Schools, as well as the M-CERT members for assisting with this important work.

The next planning process we are embarking on as an institution is the FY21 Mission Critical Budget process. This process will take a deeper look at our programs and resources across the institution to determine what is mission-critical and what resources can be conserved during the economic downturn ahead. This process is intended to have significant faculty and staff input to ensure engagement and transparency as we collectively plan for our future.

I recognize that we are experiencing a high degree of uncertainty in multiple areas. My intention as we work through these complex areas is to involve the faculty, the School leadership, the faculty governing boards, the Faculty Assembly, and other members of my leadership team in an effective way so that we can make sound decisions together in a timely manner.

I am eager to discuss these and other recent initiatives in greater detail. Please join me at the Town Hall scheduled for today at 5 pm. It will be wonderful to connect with you then.

Sincerely

Peggy Agouris
Provost

Operating under pandemic and planning for the coming academic year

May 6, 2020

Dear William & Mary Community,

Even as we move through the exam period for the spring semester, William & Mary is actively planning for the year ahead. Our goal is to be able to resume learning in-person in the fall, so long as it is safe to do so. We recognize the uncertainty so many are feeling. So this email aims to add clarity where we are able. Below my signature, you will find a high-level view of our current operations under the pandemic and an introduction to our planning process for next year.

In June we will have more details to share about ways we can prepare for the upcoming academic year. Next week we will update the campus on financial projections for FY21. Next week we will also share our expectations about work conditions after June 10, based on the Governor’s evolving guidance. We are continuing to make decisions in a measured, phased way, taking the steps required to flatten the curve of financial impact due to COVID-19.

This spring has clarified much about why we value face-to-face learning at William & Mary – and why we seek to return to it with such a strong sense of purpose. Cognitively: studying together speeds and deepens learning in myriad ways. Research has shown this; the challenges of learning under quarantine prove it by direct experience. Socially: collaboration accelerates the creation of new knowledge much faster than solo effort. Above all, working and learning in company strengthens the deep human connections we prize at William & Mary.

With these values in mind, we have much work to do to assess the adaptations to campus and curriculum that will be needed next year. In this effort, we have good partners. The May planning process described below aligns with similar planning at Virginia’s public higher education institutions and with the Dept. of Education. We track the Virginia Department of Health guidelines daily.

Bringing our campus back together safely is an enormous task and also a hopeful one because it is a key step in the path forward to a post-COVID-19 William & Mary. We will continue to share updates as new information becomes available, create opportunities for feedback and find ways to connect virtually. While planning within such an uncertain environment is stressful, the strength and creativity we can bring to that task – working together – is rewarding and sustaining.

Stay well,

Katherine A. Rowe
President

Operating under pandemic

In the weeks since the beginning of the pandemic, campus leadership has been engaged in two main efforts – emergency management and adaptation – adjusting academic, administrative and staff operations to safeguard the health of the community in an ongoing way. This month we are adding a third effort: planning ahead for next year. For more transparency, we’ve created a graphic that sketches these three strands of work and their relationship to each other.

May 2020 planning for fall 2020 and beyond

It’s important to remember that W&M does not control the surrounding public health context; decisions by the federal government and by Virginia’s leadership will frame the university’s options in the months ahead. Yet much is in our control that promotes resilience: creative adaptations to the structure and rhythms of our curriculum and adaptations to our physical plant, operations and modes of work that safeguard health.

With these adaptations in mind, I have charged a small, multidisciplinary planning group to assess potential solutions for the coming fall and present them to me by the end of the month. Working in five small squads, this planning group will identify strategies to advance curricular flexibility and operational resiliency, help de-densify campus, create career pathways for our graduates and engage the wider W&M community in broad calls to service to support the most vulnerable in our communities.

Key principles for adaptation

Safeguarding the health of our students, staff, faculty and surrounding community. We will follow guidance from the CDC and the Virginia Department of Health to ensure that we can continue learning and working safely.
Creativity and flexibility. An entrepreneurial mindset that begins by asking “how might we?” and acknowledges the different needs in our community.
Collaboration. Any path forward we pursue must involve consultation with W&M student leadership, faculty and staff leadership, colleagues in Virginia higher education, state leadership in Richmond and in the broader Williamsburg area. All generative questions and ideas are welcome.

Campus Community message

April 28, 2020

Dear Campus community:

Last Thursday, the Executive Committee of the Board of Visitors (BOV) met to hear updates about the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with all members of the BOV participating. This is the second time in its history that a BOV committee met virtually under rules established by the Attorney General in response to the State of Emergency in Virginia. At last week’s Reconvened Session, the General Assembly approved the Governor’s recommendation to give state governing boards the authority to conduct business electronically beyond pandemic- related issues. The full Board will meet electronically on Tuesday, May 12th.

President Katherine Rowe and the senior leadership team briefed us on the various efforts across campus to respond to the crisis and prepare for the future. You can find details of our meeting here. As we begin to plan for next year and ways in which we can “flatten the curve of financial impact for our community,” the Board and administration concurred that freezing tuition and mandatory fees for all students at the current year’s level was critical, as were other prudent decisions to freeze new hiring and limit other costs.

What has been especially evident to us is the very thoughtful and capable manner in which the university community has responded to this emergency. The administration and the Emergency Management Team have responded effectively from the very beginning of this pandemic and will continue to work to protect the safety of our community. The entire faculty — Provost, deans, department chairs and faculty members — quickly moved more than 2,000 classes to distance learning, ensuring that teaching remains vibrant despite a mid-semester interruption and that our students remain the focus. Staff throughout the university are offering many services virtually and also ensuring that our campus remains safe and ready for our return. And our students have stepped up as well, engaging in the transition to online classes, cheerfully offering their professors Zoom tips, and working to fill emergency needs of students and neighbors.

I also want to recognize and thank President Rowe, Provost Agouris and the entire leadership team for their thoughtful, empathetic and strategic stewardship. Throughout this crisis, they have been steady, driven and focused on the things that mattered. Looking forward, the “Plan Ahead” initiative will allow us to pivot to a post-pandemic future in a way that both capitalizes on lessons learned and makes W&M more nimble.

Normally, during this part of the academic year, we have the opportunity to acknowledge those who are graduating, being promoted or awarded tenure, and those who are retiring. We will indeed have the chance in the future to celebrate those milestones appropriately. For now, on behalf of my colleagues on the Board, I want to recognize the incredible leadership and efforts by each of you.

We have faced many challenges throughout our 327-year history. I have no doubt that we will emerge from this a stronger community and institution.

With best wishes,

John E. Littel
Rector

Flattening the curve on the financial impact of COVID-19

April 24, 2020

Dear William & Mary Community,

In the past two months, we have all witnessed the staggering impact of COVID-19 on our nation’s public health and economy. We have begun to see the positive effects of self-quarantine measures in flattening the curve of COVID-19 infection. I feel great pride in our community’s shared commitment to this effort, despite the sacrifices that it has entailed. William & Mary will continue to do our part to protect our healthcare workers and safeguard the health of our community.

Over the past weeks and through next year, we strive to flatten the curve of the financial impact on W&M, our faculty, students and families, staff and region. The global pandemic has created immense financial vulnerability. We must be attentive to the changed circumstances of families and organizations in Virginia and around the world.

William & Mary’s responsibility to steward our resources prudently is understandably at front of mind for all in this community. So I ask you to read what follows with care. I write to sketch broadly the projected financial outlook for William & Mary as we understand it at present – and outline the steps we are taking to support the extraordinary students, faculty, staff, alumni and parents who sustain the university’s mission. By providing as much transparency as possible, I hope to sharpen our focus on what matters most and to ease some of the uncertainty we all feel.

A challenging financial outlook

William & Mary faces considerable financial impact now as a result of the pandemic. Currently, we project losses ranging from $13 million to $32 million through August 2020. These figures stem from lost revenue (study abroad, summer programs, athletics, housing, dining and parking) and new, unanticipated expenses (for software and technology needed to move learning to remote delivery, facilitate faculty and staff working at a distance, increased costs related to facilities cleaning and supplies, as well as emergency support for students in need).

Looking ahead, we must prepare for possible reductions in state support in FY21, as the Governor and General Assembly have predicted significant revenue shortfalls. This week, the General Assembly reconvened to finalize legislation passed this year, including the state budget. At present, all new expenditures have been unallocated. We will have a clearer picture of this impact when the state closes the books for this fiscal year and revises its revenue forecast later this summer.

Prudent stewardship of resources

William & Mary’s funding model centers on people. Student tuition and fees make up our biggest source of revenue. Our largest expenditures are on salaries for the faculty and staff who support teaching, learning, research and our varied university operations, from student financial aid specialists, to career services, to facilities.

As we navigate cost-saving measures, our mission remains our north star. We bring together exceptional people to learn and pursue knowledge at the highest levels. An outstanding university workforce is built slowly, over time, to achieve the quality of expertise and human understanding – and the commitment to community – that distinguishes W&M faculty and staff.

For William & Mary, flattening the curve of financial impact for our community will mean balancing awareness of the economic vulnerability of students and families with preserving our dedicated workforce for the long term. We will take a phased approach, beginning with the following prudent steps. As the economic picture becomes clearer, in the coming weeks and months, we will keep the community apprised of further steps that may be needed to safeguard W&M’s financial health and the financial health of those in our community.

We ask everyone in our university community to aid in this effort by embracing the actions below.

Freeze hiring. William & Mary has paused all hiring, except for mission-critical positions, at least through the summer.
Extend restrictions on William & Mary travel. The policy on university-sponsored travel implemented in March will continue through August.
Limit and defer spending. Reducing non-essential expenses is one of the most effective and immediate ways we can ensure William & Mary and its people flourish. The Governor and General Assembly have frozen all discretionary spending for the remainder of this fiscal year.
Review all current budgets to assess and prioritize mission-critical functions, regardless of fund source. This week Provost Agouris and Vice President Sebring launched an in-depth review of all budget areas across the university. Through this process, we will engage collectively in establishing a shared understanding of our financial position and ensure that we align available resources – including curricular resources – to support the programs and people that are at the heart of William & Mary.
Identify creative approaches. Innovation is in William & Mary’s DNA. Our faculty and staff will find creative ways in this time to reduce cost and generate new revenue.

Supporting our students and families

We are deeply cognizant of the financial vulnerability felt by our students and families and we will continue to provide support, beginning with the following actions.

Zero increase in tuition and mandatory fees. At yesterday’s Board of Visitors’ Executive Session, the Board and the administration concurred that tuition and fees should remain flat for the upcoming year. This will include tuition and fees for all students, in-state, out-of-state, undergraduate, graduate and professional. Rector Littel and members of the Board supported this freeze and will officially vote to approve the recommendation when the full board meets in May.
Deployment of federal stimulus dollars. William & Mary will deploy $1.97 million in federal stimulus funding earmarked for student relief via the CARES Act.
Emergency fund support. William & Mary’s Student Affairs division continues to support students with urgent needs for housing and food using money from the HEART Fund and other emergency funds – including near-term support for students in need not covered by CARES Act funding.

Planning for the next 18 months

Next week I will launch a swift, cross-university planning process to build scenarios for in-person learning on campus in Fall 2020 and beyond. Five coordinated teams will focus on short-term solutions for mission-critical areas of the university: curricular flexibility, operational resilience, how we might de-densify campus spaces, how we might expand career pathways for graduating seniors and recent alumni. And finally, how W&M might take the lead in issuing broad calls to service at this critical time, in order to strengthen our communities near and far.

The work ahead will continue to be challenging in unprecedented ways and uncertainty will remain high. Yet I look forward to the coming months with optimism. The creativity and resilience of our people have proved our most valuable resources.

We’ve learned in the past six weeks that together, we’ve got this.

Katherine A. Rowe
President

A weekend for Commencement and May celebrations

April 17, 2020

Dear W&M Community,

So much feels different about this spring semester. We are living, learning, and connecting with one another in new ways. And, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, we are missing being physically together on our beautiful Williamsburg campus.

For members of the Class of 2020, this reality is especially keenly felt as we approach the time of degree completion in May. So the Commencement Committee has been hard at work to bring clarity. Our conclusion is that the Class of 2020 deserves to be celebrated fully. In the spirit of “both/and,” we will honor them in both May and October, both virtually and in person, in ways that are traditional, new, and joyful.

We write to share W&M’s plans for both in-person and virtual celebrations. Please mark your calendars. More details about each event will follow. We will also post updates and FAQs regularly on W&M’s Commencement website.

A Weekend for Commencement Celebration: October 9-11, 2020
Please hold the long weekend of October 9-11, 2020 as this year’s Commencement Weekend in Williamsburg. Graduates and their families will enjoy all the pomp and circumstance this ancient university has to offer. They will take part in our most cherished traditions: ringing the Wren Bell, Candlelight, the Walk Across Campus, formal exercises in full regalia, and the personalized school/departmental ceremonies with faculty. It will be glorious.

More details about October to follow from the Commencement Committee. As always in these uncertain times, we will adhere to Virginia’s public health advisories to ensure the safety of all participating in and supporting events in the coming year.

Special Celebrations and New Traditions Planned for this May
We must also find meaningful ways to celebrate the Class of 2020 this spring. As the Commencement Committee affirmed, such celebrations should be joyful and different – they should not simply replicate the in-person events to come in October.

Here are our creative solutions:

Personal Bell-Ringing on the Last Day of Classes (Friday, May 1) – In October, graduates will have the opportunity to ring the Wren Bell in person. Yet W&M tradition holds that students celebrate with bell-ringing on their last day of classes at the university. So to all 2020 graduates: we invite you to submit a video of yourself ringing a bell on May 1st. Wherever you are and with whatever kind of bell you choose – a bicycle bell, a dinner bell, a hand bell, a jingle bell – we hope you will unite in joy by ringing in this milestone moment. We will share those videos online for all to see.
Virtual Ceremony Recognizing Degree Candidates (Saturday, May 16) – The Chancellor, President, Provost, and Deans will preside over a virtual ceremony for all graduates of the Class of 2020 – undergraduate, graduate, and professional. Virtual activities on May 16 will feature photos submitted by members of the Class of 2020. Recognizing that celebrating with their faculty is important to students, schools and departments are being invited to host gatherings online after the virtual ceremony. We are working with departments on those arrangements now.
Graduation Gratitude: a New Tradition – This spring semester has been challenging for members of our campus community and for our Class of 2020 in particular. Through it all, our sense of community is strong and we have persevered – even found ways to flourish – because others have lifted us up. As May 16 nears, all degree candidates are invited to send a note of thanks or appreciation to another member of the W&M community who has helped them in these months leading up to graduation – a beautiful new tradition for the Class of 2020 to inaugurate.
Regalia – The W&M Bookstore will assist all degree candidates who needto order regalia (cap/mortar board, robes, hoods). Though graduates will not be expected to wear regalia until the October 9-11 Commencement Weekend, we recognize that many may want to take graduation photos between now and then. Some may even choose to don regalia on May 16 as they enjoy the virtual ceremony with family and friends.

The Commencement Committee will send additional, detailed communications in the coming weeks to degree candidates and families. Updates will include information about prizes & award nominations, diploma mailing, the timeline for ordering regalia, and registering for October’s ceremony tickets.

Here’s to you, William & Mary’s remarkable Class of 2020!

Katherine Rowe
President

Ginger Ambler
Chair, Commencement Committee and Vice President for Student Affairs

Information on Exam Proctoring

April 16, 2020

Dear faculty and students,

Spring is upon us, and we are looking ahead to the end of classes and the beginning of final exams. As you know, whether courses are delivered on campus or online, there are a range of ways to assess student learning. These include final papers, individual or collaborative projects, and cumulative exams. In some cases, due to student and/or course requirements, exams are proctored.

Resources for faculty

There are many ways to help ensure the integrity of the learning and assessment processes. Specific resources and considerations for instructors can be found in this matrix and on the W&M Keep Teaching site.

Remote proctoring

Exam proctoring is something W&M regularly offers and uses to meet needs of specific students and/or courses. Proctoring protects the integrity of the testing process, thereby maintaining a level playing field for all students.

The university does not require all online exams to be remote proctored, but does provide instructors with the option when useful for high-stakes testing in classes needed for graduate programs or summative assessments in large classes.

For the limited number of courses that require proctored exams, W&M will use Honorlock. Honorlock is an online remote proctoring service that allows students to take exams from home. It operates within Blackboard and Google Chrome to validate identity and monitor student exam sessions via screen and webcam recordings.

Access:
- Students do not need to create an account or schedule an appointment in advance. All that is needed is a computer with the Chrome browser, a working webcam & microphone, and a stable Internet connection.
Security:
- Honorlock is active only during a proctored exam and does not access your camera or microphone outside of a proctored session. Students can easily remove the Honorlock browser extension from Chrome after completing an exam.
- Honorlock is FERPA compliant and uses securely encrypted protocols to save and view all test \-taker assets. Honorlock's certified proctors and W&M's faculty are able to review test session videos until deleted based on the university's retention policy. More information on privacy can be found on Honorlock’s student site.
Integrity:
- Remote proctoring provides a reliable process for identity verification and secure testing environments. The use of remote proctoring does not diminish, in any way, the Honor Code or students’ pledge to uphold it.

We wish you all the best in the remaining weeks of the semester and during the exam period.

Sincerely,

Marjorie Thomas, Dean of Students
Mark Hofer, Director of the Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation

Connection and Wellness – Reinstituting Open Office Hours Virtually with the Provost

April 13, 2020

Editor's note: The provost's office sent an update to this announcement on April 29, saying that open office hours sessions will take place on Friday, May 1. There will be two 30-minute sessions, one beginning at 3 p.m. and another at 3:30 p.m. To join the conversation, email Christy Fielder, who will send a Zoom link to access the call.

Dear Campus Community,

As we close in on nearly a month of COVID-19 remote work characterized by physical distancing, I can’t help but reflect on the unique ability of all of you – the individuals of our William & Mary community – to stay true to our value of deep human connection. Across our schools and programs you are finding creative and resourceful ways to reach out and connect with one another. I hear this happening in so many ways such as:

Arts & Sciences having weekly virtual breakroom conversations across the extended Dean’s Office staff to support one another’s adjustment to remote working;
Mason School of Business using its UiPath software robot to cruise Blackboard in order to identify and then reach out to students who seem to be at risk for disengaging; and
The Law School offering the option to join a virtual coffee every Wednesday morning for all staff and administrators to share fun things individuals are doing outside of work, share jokes and support one another.

Connection is a point of pride at William & Mary and now it is more essential than ever. During the current crisis we may be forced to be physically distant, but we do not need to be socially isolated. Please continue to find enjoyable ways to stay connected with your colleagues to boost their spirits as well as your own!

Many of my prior communications have focused with urgency on policies and work modifications related to ramping up for remote teaching. These are all important matters, and I am deeply grateful for your responsiveness to nimbly transition to an improvised remote learning platform in such a short period of time. The Studio for Teaching and Learning Innovation continues to offer a wealth of support for you through its Keep Teaching web site. I also deeply appreciate all you are doing to keep our students engaged. Please continue to keep an eye out for those students who might be struggling and in need of additional support so that we can intervene to keep them engaged.

In this particular communication I’d like to focus on you taking good care of yourself during this pandemic. Your individual health and wellness are of paramount importance. In addition to taking the recommended steps to protect yourself from coronavirus, I hope you are also practicing your own self-care. Health and wellness as an intentional practice will help us all stay strong, nourished, exercised, and emotionally resilient.

If you are looking for excellent resources in this area, please check out William & Mary’s Virtual Health & Wellness site. This site and the Virtual Fitwell series offer you an impressive range of options to support your health and wellness.
The School of Education also offers a remote gentle yoga and mindfulness session via Zoom every Monday at 8 am and Wednesday at 2 pm.

During this pandemic our minds are focused not only on ourselves, but also on our families. As a mother, daughter and spouse myself, I know it is a trying time to take care of children, aging parents, as well as ourselves. For all of us who have children at home the remote K-12 schooling requirement is an added challenge. Keep an eye out in the W&M News for At-Home learning resources occurring through our School of Education. For example, webinars on learning at home for parents and teachers (in both English and Spanish), mindfulness in the virtual classroom, support for students with IEPs and special needs, virtual tutoring, and more.

We are an institution of learning. We have all been drawn to higher education because we believe in the power of the mind – its potential for creativity and discovery. Do try to make time for a little respite; you can feed your creative and intellectual appetite with some of the amazing offerings through the Muscarelle Museum, Swem Library, and Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS):

Drawing: Lessons offered weekly on YouTube by Steve Prince, the Outreach Director of the Muscarelle Museum: https://virtual.muscarelle.wm.edu/projects/muscarelle-in-the-house/
Listening to music:Medici TV, a subscription that brings live and recorded classical music to your desktop: https://edu-medici-tv.proxy.wm.edu/en/
Reading:The Williamsburg Regional Library is available to all employees at William & Mary. There’s no time like the present to sign up for a library card so you can download great fiction, nonfiction and audiobooks.
Staying informed:Reliable information is important, and William & Mary Libraries pays for your subscription to the NY Times, the Chronicle of Higher Education, The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. For a complete list of current news sources available to our community: https://guides.libraries.wm.edu/remote/newspapers
Discovering research on coastal and estuarine ecosystems through VIMS Multimedia Resource Center: https://www.vims.edu/public/online/index.php

In closing I would personally like to stay connected with you in order to hear your thoughts not only about work and what we can do to help, but also just to hear how you are doing. Therefore, I am reinstituting the Open Office Hours that I had started in the Fall. My plan is to hold open office hours for faculty and staff twice a month to drop-in via Zoom. I will also hold a monthly open office hour with students. I would like these sessions to be informal and interactive (children and pets are welcome). We will modify as we go based on the interests of the group. My main objective is to hear what’s on your mind and to get to know you better as I continue to become more acquainted with the amazing community of William & Mary. Please come visit with me! Christy Fiedler will be reaching out with more information.

In the meantime, stay connected with one another and take good care of yourselves and your family.

Peggy Agouris
Provost

Serving our communities during COVID-19

April 10, 2020

Dear William & Mary community –

Service is one of the university’s core values, and we have seen that in action throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. From students donating their rebates to others in need to our makerspaces creating personal protective equipment for first responders and healthcare workers, the people of W&M are finding ways to support one another, their families and their communities during this challenging time.

Today, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced another option for those looking to serve the greater good: an opportunity to join the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps. While students majoring in health sciences and/or people with medical experience are preferred, opportunities are available for anyone willing to serve.

For more information, email vamrc@vdh.virginia.gov. You can sign up to volunteer on the Virginia Volunteer Health System website.

We are so proud of this community and the way it has shown its heart — from small acts of kindness to larger efforts — in response to COVID-19. Please continue to stay safe and look out for one another.

Sam Jones and Ginger Ambler
Co-chairs, W&M Emergency Management Team

Standing with William & Mary

April 8, 2020

Dear William & Mary Community,

In recent weeks, I have witnessed the Alma Mater of the Nation standing together in the face of a global pandemic. With great strength of purpose, William & Mary students and their families, faculty and staff embraced the work of safeguarding our community while ensuring that our learning and research mission remains strong.

COVID-19 poses an unprecedented threat to public health; so too this pandemic threatens the financial health of millions of households and institutions around the globe. As this world faces our greatest shared challenge in living memory, it’s humbling that so many of you are asking how to help William & Mary. Your support for our students, faculty and staff is more important now than ever, as we navigate uncharted territory.

This centuries-old institution is discovering again what it means to be resilient as a university and to cultivate resilience in those who come here. So I hope you will consider renewing your annual support for the areas of the university where you traditionally give. Even if you are unable to give in the same way as before, every gift, no matter the size, helps.

If you would like to help with immediate needs, please consider a gift to the Fund for William & Mary or one of our emergency funds. I am so grateful for our community’s outpouring of support, yet many students continue to have an urgent need for longer-term housing and food.

Wherever you decide to give, your contribution, especially right now, will make a tremendous difference.

Thank you for standing with William & Mary.

Stay well,

Katherine A. Rowe
President

UPDATE on Summer Instruction

April 7, 2020

Dear William & Mary Community,

I am getting in touch with you to share important updates for summer instruction.

We anticipate many new and exciting offerings this summer. W&M will launch the new Jump-Start Data Science summer program that will engage students in intensive interdisciplinary inquiry with various faculty from a range of fields. W&M will also be among the first in the nation to provide students with remote internships offered through our Washington Center. And we are developing new courses and increasing the number of spaces available in courses that satisfy core requirements.

As you may know, the Governor’s most recent “Stay-at-Home” order restricts on-campus, in-person experiences until June 10. So we will be moving all in-person classes to remote delivery for both sessions of summer. If public health guidelines change to the extent of allowing an on-campus presence in the second session, we will reexamine our options at that time.

Regarding summer instruction:

Existing online summer courses will continue as scheduled;
Existing on-campus and hybrid courses will be converted to remote instruction whenever possible or cancelled if necessary;
New offerings are being added to the summer schedule as faculty propose additional courses;
Access to courses that fulfill core requirements, including COLL 300, will be expanded during summer and fall; and,
Student research and internship experiences will be modified to continue online and/or remotely, where feasible. Where this is not possible, contingency plans will be developed and communicated.

I greatly appreciate all the work taking place across the university to enables these modifications. That effort underscores the deep commitment of our faculty and staff to our students. Our team of specialists in the Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation, W&M University Libraries and Instructional Technology will continue to support our community in this process. Despite the challenging circumstances, we are committed to continuing to offer our summer program in the most smooth and seamless manner; as we innovate, we are focused on ensuring a highly successful experience for all involved.

Thank you for your dedication, patience and creativity during this unprecedented time. This community’s resilience continues to inspire me. We will provide additional updates as summer plans are finalized.

Sincerely,

Peggy Agouris
Provost

An update on Commencement 2020

April 2, 2020

Dear William & Mary Community,

As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, Commencement 2020 has been front-of-mind for our graduating students and their families. For a close-knit community that treasures our ceremonies, Commencement stands out as among our most cherished. Alumni talk about ringing the Wren bell, saying goodbye to beloved places on campus, and walking together with classmates out through the door they entered when they first arrived at William & Mary.

Celebrating together, in person, continues to be our goal. Doing so matters greatly to our graduate students, undergraduates, parents, faculty, and staff – and to me. And it matters to our surrounding community, as a time when many Williamsburg neighbors celebrate living in a university town.

This week, Governor Northam issued a “stay-at-home” order, running through June 10, 2020. That order responds to national public health projections that COVID-19 cases in VA may peak in late May. It is clear that we must defer the planned ceremony on May 16.

With a better understanding of the virus’s progress nationally, we will identify a time when we can convene such a sizable group without great risk to health. We will continue to assess possible timelines in consultation with local public health officials, closely tracking the Commonwealth’s and our nation’s response. As we gain clarity, we will keep our community informed on our Commencement website.

I am sorry to be sharing news that I know saddens us all. W&M’s leadership will bring our best thinking to when and how we can come together in this important ceremony of passage – perhaps in summer, or fall. For now, we can share these details:

Commencement will include as many of our cherished traditions as possible, including ringing the Wren bell, Candlelight, departmental and affinity group ceremonies, and the walk across campus.
We will do everything within our means to make sure all who want to attend this ceremony in person are able to. Even as we plan a new date, we know that it will not be the weekend we had planned. For some, there will be barriers – financial and scheduling – to return. We are working with student leaders to plan accordingly.
We will confer degrees virtually on May 16 and mail diplomas to each graduate. All students who have completed their graduation requirements will receive their degrees as scheduled, so you can pursue future opportunities with your degree in hand. More details to come.

Already, our graduating students are experiencing a deep sense of loss, as a spring semester they joyfully anticipated has changed in profound ways outside of our control. Each loss, shared and personal, compounds anxiety and hardship. Please reach out to the graduating students around you and support them.

Last Friday, a William & Mary faculty member shared her experience of being in the final year of her Ph.D. program in New Orleans in 2005, during Hurricane Katrina. She said, “What I know is: a resiliency develops from this. And I see this same resilience in my students this week.”

You are navigating this challenging spring with grace and compassion. William & Mary is proud of you, and we look forward to coming together to celebrate you. Until then, may this community and those we love be healthy and safe.

Stay well,

Katherine A. Rowe
President

Resilience and kindness amid crisis

March 31, 2020

Dear William & Mary Community,

At our first weekly Community Conversation, I invited our far-flung William & Mary family to learn how the Alma Mater of the Nation is responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Many have written to me with reminders that William & Mary has weathered extraordinary challenges in the past, with resilience. That said, in barely three weeks, our world has shifted and our lives changed. As we work through immediate-term solutions in crisis mode, we will begin to shift to living, teaching and learning during a pandemic. As we continue to chart a path forward together, I feel honored to be part of this community.

I take heart in the transformations we have accomplished in such a short amount of time. We all know that higher education prides itself in measured response and reflection. William & Mary has held onto our pride in those qualities even as we have moved expeditiously to advance the three-part mission we cherish: teaching, learning and research.

Here are just a few examples:

Our students and faculty have taken their pursuit of learning and scholarship online: 2,000-plus courses in two weeks. Research advances, music performances continue and students and teachers are coming together to explore the affordances of distance education, aided by our Studio for Teaching and Learning Innovation.
Our staff has kept the university running apace, rapidly adapting to new technologies and workflows and providing round-the-clock care to support our students’ health and wellbeing.
Our researchers have pooled their PPEs and shared them with local hospitals – resources we hope will extend the safety of our courageous local healthcare providers on the front line.
Our alumni are connecting with each other and alma mater via virtual networking, professional and intellectual programming, webinars and volunteer opportunities.
Our neighbors, parents and friends have pulled together to support this community – through words of encouragement, guidance and continued investment.
Our community has generously given to the university through our For the Bold campaign so that students facing emergencies can access needed funding. So far, we have provided 118 students with emergency financial support. It says so much about who our students are that they have asked only for what they need – knowing others will be in need too.

In this historic moment, each of us has an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine our purpose, pursue new passions and explore new modes for creating community. Thank you for your resilience and kindness and for being a constant in a time of rapid change.

Best regards,

Katherine A. Rowe
President

P.S. We will continue to gather for virtual Community Conversations on a weekly basis. Please join us tomorrow, Wednesday, April 1, at 12 p.m. ET, for a conversation on health and wellness. See www.wm.edu/conversation for more details and upcoming dates.

Important update on policies, deadline and plans

March 26, 2020

RE: Consideration of temporary adjustments on policies for course evaluations, deadlines for mid-probationary review and tenure/promotion, and contingency plans for research continuity and expectations

Dear Colleagues:

During the past couple of weeks, COVID-19 has posed a plethora of challenges to all within our university community – ones that have tested our resilience and required around-the-clock interventions by all. I am very proud to say that the students, faculty, staff and administrators of William & Mary have been overcoming one impediment after another, surmounting obstacles that we never anticipated. Working together, faculty are successfully transitioning courses to online delivery and implementing contingency measures into their research, students are being relocated to ensure their safety, policies are being temporarily adjusted to allow for flexibility and stress relief, and employees are transitioning effectively to remote work. I am very proud of our joint efforts and sincerely thank each of you for all that you are doing to facilitate a successful response to this unique situation. Having said that, I am also cognizant of the fact that there is more for us to collectively do as we move forward.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, I am committed to working closely with faculty and administrators to seek ways to offer greater flexibility for the success and well-being of all in our community. Last week, with guidance from the schools and with the support of Faculty Assembly leadership, we crafted temporary adjustments to the W&M undergraduate grading policy. Our collective aim was to relieve undue pressure for students and create the conditions most conducive to their learning. Discussions about similar adjustments in grading policy are also under active consideration within our graduate and professional schools. While we are still fine-tuning, I hear that for many this comes as great relief. In an effort to facilitate collaborative learning in the online environment, we have also amended our FERPA policy to include W&M email addresses and telephone numbers as “Directory Information” that can be shared with students within a class.

We now must turn our attention to three pressing issues for you as faculty. I believe there is a need for: 1) increased flexibility regarding course evaluations; 2) options for revised timetables for mid-probationary reviews and tenure evaluations; and 3) in-depth contingency plans regarding research continuity and expectations. For the first two issues I am communicating with the faculty leadership in each of the schools, requesting that representatives of those governing bodies, along with Associate Deans and Deans, reach out to their faculty to determine specific concerns and share ideas on these critical matters. I have asked my Vice Provost team to coordinate this effort and bring forward co-created recommendations for temporary adjustments in policy and process within the next couple of weeks.

Regarding research contingency planning, normal research operations have changed significantly since COVID-19 was determined to be transmitted by person-to-person contact. To protect our students and faculty abundant caution has been implemented. Department chairs, Deans, the Faculty Research Committee and research leaders are working closely with faculty to review and adjust the status of research operations given evolving recommendations and restrictions from the Commonwealth and federal government. Currently, only essential operations as defined by our management are in progress at W&M (including VIMS). If you can accomplish your research remotely, you should. I encourage principal investigators to provide considerable flexibility in teleworking by allowing their employees to engage in data analysis, preparation of publications and reports, training, learning, and other appropriate activities whenever possible.

Furthermore, I greatly appreciate faculty’s uncertainty around research continuity given the disruption in operations that has and will likely continue to occur. The Vice Provost for Research and the Office of Sponsored Programs are working closely with the Associate Deans and Deans within the schools as well as the faculty leadership to identify and explore questions related to work progress, deliverables, funding, sponsors, etc. in order to provide thoughtful guidance to faculty.

I urge all of you to participate in these academic and research planning processes as your ideas will inform our strategy and greatly matter to our shared success. Please accept my ongoing gratitude for your extraordinary efforts during this uncertain time. I deeply appreciate you and your contributions.

With best wishes for you and your loved ones for forbearance and good health,

Peggy Agouris
Provost

An invitation to a virtual Community Conversation and reflections from the past week

March 25, 2020

Dear W&M Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Many of you are back in the classroom, as Arts & Sciences, Education, and VIMS started classes this week. The schools of Law and Business made the transition to remote teaching last week, so teachers and students in those classes are in your second week. We welcome the insights that early start may yield for the rest of us.

It has been moving, and heartening, to listen as this unprecedented shift has taken place. In barely more than a week, William & Mary faculty and staff in every school reinvented their spring semesters, adapting long-standing habits and materials into new platforms. Despite the intense worry and uncertainty that all of us are feeling, the sense of shared purpose at William & Mary is strong.

This note has only one piece of business, an invitation, and then reflections on insights that have been shared with me this week from many different sources.

The invitation: in order to create some space to reflect together, I will be hosting a virtual Community Conversation (www.wm.edu/conversation) from the President’s House this Friday at 2 p.m. ET. We will hear from faculty and undergraduates who will join me (virtually) to share their reflections on this week’s transition to distance learning. We will also use this as an opportunity to weave into the conversations many of the questions we have been hearing.

Please join us on Friday to hear more about how this week unfolded, from teachers’ and students’ perspectives. If this kind of virtual conversation proves welcome, we’ll continue it in the coming weeks. More details to come.

I write also to acknowledge the incredible difficulty of what we are undertaking. Classes are back in session because of great effort by many. More will be needed in the weeks ahead. We must pace ourselves, give each other grace when our efforts fall short of our hopes, and take care of each other.

The emotions many of us feel this week have been intensely mixed, with good reason. I’ve heard many expressions of pride, determination, solace in collaborative work, joy in creativity under pressure. So much gratitude is flowing. I am especially grateful to Williamsburg’s Mayor and City Council in joining me to affirm how deeply we value our international graduate students, undergraduates, professional students, visiting faculty and staff – honored members of our community whose presence strengthens William & Mary in every way.

It is important to honor the painful feelings as well: care for the health of loved ones and one's own health; frustration when William & Mary misses a step in communication; feelings of being unsettled and out of place; worry about finances. Sadness comes with every cancellation that passes on the calendar of self-quarantine. With our determination and steadfast efforts, we are also mourning: a lecture, a birthday, the long-awaited symposium, a team road trip, and so much more. Not having been able to say goodbye weighs on many. As does the fear of worse losses, impending.

One common theme of emails to me this week: there is overwhelming support for postponing decisions on Commencement 2020. William & Mary is of one mind on this: we want to be together. So we will wait until April for better clarity on how that may be achieved.

The clear throughline in everything that has been shared with me over the past week is care for others. That speaks volumes about who we are as a community. Just more than a week ago, I wrote to you with the difficult news that William & Mary would need to finish the semester remotely. As COVID-19 cases rose sharply in Williamsburg this week, I shared the wrenching news that we would need to close dorms – and find the students still on campus places to stay where they can more safely self-quarantine. We are doing so, thanks to the assistance that Student Affairs and the Reves Center are providing, and the hospitality of many campus neighbors.

Even in distress, so many of you have taken the time to send a kind note to a faculty member, staff member, student leader, or administrator. Please know how much each of these gestures lifts our spirits.

Sincerely,

Katherine A. Rowe
President

Announcement of temporary adjustments to academic policy for Spring 2020

March 20, 2020

Dear Faculty and Students,

In recent communications, we have emphasized that despite the disruption caused by COVID-19, William & Mary is committed to ensuring that students complete their course work this semester and continue their progress toward graduation. To that end, we have moved instruction online and have been supporting our faculty and students in preparing for this new modality beginning this coming Monday.

In consideration of the extensive adjustments that faculty are making to deliver course content and the steps students are taking to equip themselves for new learning environments, we will institute the following temporary modifications to the undergraduate Pass/Fail (P/F) policy for the Spring 2020 semester only:

Pass/Fail grading will be available for all undergraduate courses, and any undergraduate student may select this grading option.
Students may select P/F grading for one, some, or all their Spring 2020 courses, or students may choose not to change any courses to P/F grade mode.
Courses with a P grade may be used to fulfill major, minor, proficiency, COLL, and other graduation requirements.
At the end of the finals period, faculty will submit standard grades for standard-graded courses.
Grades of D- or higher will be converted to “P” for students who have chosen that option for that course.
Students must exercise the P/F option by Friday, May 29, 2020.
1. Students will elect P/F grading mode through Banner self-service through the last day of undergraduate classes, Friday, May 1.
2. Once grading begins on Monday, May 4, students wishing to change grade modes may do so using a request tool that will be available on the University Registrar’s Office website.
Dean’s List criteria remain unchanged; that is, students must have 12 standard-graded credits to be eligible for consideration.

In addition, for undergraduates, course withdrawal to a grade of “W” will be extended to the last day of the semester, Friday, May 1. Requirements to maintain full-time enrollment remain in effect.

A notation will be made on undergraduate transcripts for Spring 2020 explaining these temporary changes to academic policy. This should alleviate concerns about graduate admission, employment, or other future review.

Graduate students will receive guidance from their schools and programs regarding adjustments, if any, to grading modes and withdrawal dates.

We continue to be grateful for the resilience of our community as we support one another and take necessary measures to achieve our objectives.

Sincerely,

Peggy Agouris
Provost

W&M's COVID-19 Response: Important Updates for the Remainder of the Semester

March 19, 2020

Dear William & Mary Community,

Like many of you, we continue to follow closely the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19. First and foremost, our thoughts and care are for those whose wellbeing has been and will be impacted, in our surrounding region and around the world. This is an incredibly challenging time. We know we can help by providing as much clarity as we can, as soon as we have it.

As we move forward, the goals we shared last week remain our north star: 1) to safeguard the health of students, faculty and staff; 2) to ensure students complete their classes; 3) to maintain the university’s research and other operations; 4) to do everything within our power to support national and global efforts to slow the spread of the disease.

We are seeing significant impacts across our far-flung communities and close to home, here in Williamsburg. Thus, I write to share decisions regarding the university’s operations for the remainder of the semester. In acting now, we hope to allow you as much time as possible to prepare and respond.

We make these decisions in conjunction with the advice of local health authorities, recognizing that the Peninsula Health District, in which our main campus resides, has a dense concentration of positive COVID-19 test results – now including individuals on our campus. Nothing is more important than the health and wellness of our community.

All in-person classes will resume remotely on Monday, March 23, and continue in this format through the end of the semester. Courses that are already online are continuing this week as previously scheduled. Over the past week the provost’s office and deans’ offices have begun coordinating the transition to online course delivery. Faculty, students and staff should access W&M's Instructional Resilience site for assistance with this effort.
All residence halls will close for the remainder of the semester. We ask the few students remaining on campus to activate their personal evacuation plans and leave their residence halls no later than March 25. Details from Residence Life regarding next steps and support services for students may be found below. We ask that other students remain away from campus and await further information before returning to collect their belongings.
Our Student Affairs staff are committed to working with individual students who are unable to implement their personal evacuation plans, to find a solution. Please click here to consult with them.
W&M will provide students partial refunds for room and board. We are still working to understand the economic impact of the epidemic – intensely aware of the financial vulnerability of so many families and employees. The Office of Finance and Administration will share details and specific amounts in the coming days.
For many of us, the ceremony of Commencement matters profoundly. This is, of course, especially true for seniors and their families. So we are deferring a decision on how or when to have Commencement. By April, we hope that the timeline of this unfolding epidemic may be clearer and that our ability to plan will be as well. We promise to bring our best thinking to this question so that we can honor and uphold William & Mary’s tradition of belonging.
University travel and events restrictions will continue through at least May 1, 2020. The university’s interim travel policy provides guidance to all.
All employees who can work remotely are expected to do so during this period. For the small number who must be on campus: your supervisors will continue to advise on appropriate ways to safeguard your and our community’s health using social distancing and appropriate hygiene protocols.

I want to acknowledge how much we are asking of all employees, whatever your roles. All of our lives have been upended by COVID-19 and we will all be balancing competing demands for some time to come. We will be learning how to work or teach remotely, fulfilling university responsibilities through new modes, while attending to the care and education of others – our children, parents, neighbors and friends. We have an obligation to one another to extend flexibility and understanding everywhere possible.

We recognize that these decisions have weighty consequences — personal, financial and more. They require dedication and sacrifice from our students, faculty and staff. And we know that each decision we make generates new questions. So we will continue to share more details as they become available.

Please keep sending your questions our way, since they give us a better understanding of how to support you to the best of our collective ability. Please continue to consult our website and FAQs daily, where we compile the most up-to-date information.

William & Mary has faced profound adversities before and flourished. Since our founding in 1693, our history has been one of creativity and resilience in the face of daunting challenges. Over the past week, we have been heartened by so many stories of students, faculty, staff, neighbors and alumni reaching out to support each other.

Your goodwill, care and spirit of partnership are this university’s strength. Thank you.

Katherine A. Rowe
President

GUIDANCE FROM STUDENT AFFAIRS

The university has made the difficult decision to close all W&M residence halls (including apartments and the Graduate Complex) effective March 25 at 5:00 p.m. Any residential students still on campus will need to execute their personal emergency evacuation plan and move out of their residence hall by that time. Please consult the following procedures.

For students living in off-campus housing: given the lack of services on campus and out of an abundance of caution, we ask that you return to your family residence.

Students currently on campus and in residence need to move out by Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

Residence halls will not reopen this semester.
If possible remove all of your belongings at this time and complete the online check out process.
If you are unable to move out completely now, we will offer another window in May to come back and collect your belongings.

If you are away from campus and have belongings in your room for which you have a critical need (medications, laptops) you must make plans to collect them by Wednesday, March 25, 5:00 p.m., as follows:

Email living@wm.edu with your request.
It is critical that you bring your room key and ID card to access your residence hall.
If you don’t have your key, email living@wm.edu for assistance.
You will have a limited amount of time to collect your belongings and leave campus.
Social distancing protocols will be in place and we will require compliance with these actions.
No one may accompany you into the building. Only residents will be permitted entry to residence halls. If you bring guests with you, they must remain in your vehicle.
Do not come to campus if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or have been asked by state or local health officials to self-quarantine. Under those circumstances, you may designate someone else to return for your critically-needed belongings by emailing living@wm.edu.

If you need for someone else to retrieve your critical items for you:
Email living@wm.edu from your official W&M email account and provide the following information:

Your name, hall and room number
Name of person coming to gather items
Only one person may enter the residence hall
They will be escorted at a distance of 6-8 feet by a staff member

Final Move Out Procedures:

We will plan a full move out period from April 18-May 18, 2020. More information about access and hours during that window will be shared at a later date. Please note that future health conditions in our region may require adjustments to these proposed dates.

Concerns:

Again, for those students who are unable to implement their personal evacuation plans – know that we are committed to working with you to find a solution. Please click here to consult with us.

Letter of thanks to all who teach at W&M

March 16, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

As all who teach at W&M take steps to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, individually and in your schools, we write as president, provost, and as your colleagues to express our gratitude to you. Every institution has business continuity plans with scenarios for epidemics, W&M included. Yet it is one thing to plan for hypotheticals and another to make decisions in real-time, under ambiguous circumstances, adjusting as new information arrives hourly. That is the territory we are in now, together.

We cannot imagine better colleagues with whom to navigate this new territory. The dedication, creativity, and understanding with which you approach this challenge continue to inspire us. We are grateful for your thoughtful input and feedback – directly and via your deans. Please keep that coming so that we can continue to benefit from your best thinking.

As you prepare this week for the very significant conversion to teaching remotely, we want to share our insights on the strengths that educators at William & Mary bring to these challenges and provide a quick summary of the major steps our university has taken so far to respond to the crisis. We do so with humility, cognizant of the significance and scope of the work you have ahead.

Where we are as of March 16

Recognizing the ethical imperative to protect our communities, W&M joined the national effort to slow the spread of this novel coronavirus, so that our healthcare system has sufficient time to respond. We asked the students who could do so to return home. The campus is closed to the general public, effective noon today, for one week through March 22, in accordance with the Governor’s directive to close executive branch and state facility offices in the Peninsula Health District. We asked all employees who could do so to begin teleworking. Roughly 500 students remain on campus and the employees who support them are using shifts and other recommended strategies to safeguard their health.
As we anticipated, we now have confirmed cases in Williamsburg, including a W&M staff member. We expect that number to grow. We know your thoughts, like ours, are consumed by care for those who are and will be affected by this pandemic.
In each school, designated administrators and staff are leading the school’s response and building resources to support everyone engaged in instruction to make the conversion to distance teaching. Classes start a week from today.
The Emergency Management Team meets daily. Sam Jones, the chair of EMT, will continue to communicate with you frequently as conditions change. All communications are archived on our COVID-19 website and we ask that you consult that daily as well.

We are confident that these urgent actions will help protect the members of our community, as well as those we care for beyond William & Mary. We are grateful to all with whom we consulted to make these decisions swiftly – so we could give you and our students as much time as possible to prepare.

We also believe that more decisions will be needed as the situation keeps changing. So we are intentionally making decisions on a short-term time frame and with clear, simple goals – the four goals shared with the community last week. Understanding the challenge that an uncertain timeline presents to our entire community, we will revisit the timeline of this semester as quickly as we can – and no later than the end of the month.

The strengths we see

Central communication is essential for clarity in a crisis, a principle we have followed so far. Problem-solving and creativity thrive locally, however. A university is modular: made up of diverse schools, departments, and programs where faculty have a high degree of expertise and authority in their teaching and curricular decisions. Your local solutions are essential.

We fully trust in your knowledge of your field and your students – and in your ability to make good decisions that ensure W&M meets the four goals we have set out. In consultation with your department or program chair and dean, we encourage you to explore creative solutions in the best interests of your students, your colleagues, and your program.

Use your best judgment as to what is most important for student learning and stay focused on that. Engage your students intentionally, as partners, and chart your course together. Pace yourself and them. Please reach out to take full advantage of the resources we are growing to help you keep teaching. Help us learn from colleagues around the country in your fields who are engaged in the same effort; when you discover great ideas, share them within your programs and with your deans.

Finally, please stay open to discovery. To borrow an insight from the field of translation studies, when you shift longstanding practices and materials into new platforms, you engage in a kind of translation. The scholar N. Katharine Hayles makes this point: in “media translations” (as in translation between languages), something is always lost and something gained in the movement across platforms. The choices one makes in translation illuminate what one values most.

With gratitude and great respect,

Katherine Rowe, President
Peggy Agouris, Provost

Faculty Support for Remote Teaching & Online Learning

March 11, 2020

In light of recent COVID-19 developments and preventive measures taken by William & Mary, the Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation (STLI) will be partnering with W&M Libraries and IT to provide short-term solutions to aid course continuation over the next several weeks. We have developed an online portal of resources and teaching tips that faculty can access to provide the operational support needed during this transition. In addition to the web resources and tutorials provided, we are planning to offer live webinars and virtual and in-person drop-in sessions for individual support each day beginning on Monday, March 16.

We recognize this is a significant challenge for all of us in the W&M community. We have created these resources and supports to assist you, however, we will adjust our approach based on the needs of faculty and instructors. As many of you are eager to begin considering strategies for teaching remotely, we encourage you to explore the Instructional Resilience website and tutorials provided. You will find a link to the numerous resources and supports available through W&M Libraries as well. This will be a helpful starting point to prepare for live webinars and drop-in sessions beginning next week.

We will provide frequent updates via email. For any additional questions, please contact the STLI at stli@wm.edu.

Peggy Agouris
Provost

W&M's COVID-19 Response: Interim Changes to Instruction, Events & Travel

March 11, 2020

Dear William & Mary Community,

Since January of this year, W&M has been monitoring the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and actively responding, in close consultation with public health experts, the VA Department of Health and our peers.

We are guided by four key goals: safeguarding the health of students, faculty and staff; ensuring students complete their classes; maintaining the university’s research and other operations; and joining in the national effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, to protect our communities, from Williamsburg to DC and beyond. As we gather new information, we will continue to use these goals to guide our best judgment. I ask each of you to do so as well.

With students due to return from spring break and reports of presumptive cases in our region, we are taking further steps to ensure we meet these goals. The university will remain open with modified academic operations:

Starting tomorrow, March 12, through April 3, we will implement interim policies for events and travel. Over the next week we will move to online and remote modes of instruction.

All in-person classes are suspended. Classes will resume online starting Monday, March 23. Courses that are already online will continue as scheduled.

Students are strongly encouraged to return home or stay home. For those for whom this is not a realistic option, you are welcome on campus as detailed below.
University travel and events are suspended, as detailed below.
Employees are expected to continue working during this period, observing proper health protocols and with modifications as needed and approved by supervisors.
We will continue to meet daily to evaluate the circumstances and decide no later than April 1 whether to continue these changes further.

These decisions will have consequences for each of us professionally and personally. Changing near-term plans and longstanding habits requires time, effort and patience. We are in wholly new territory and will learn as we go, together. For many of us as individuals, there will be disappointments and frustrations. For some, there may be real sacrifices, unexpected challenges or burdens that are hard to see. So I ask that you hold close our core values of belonging and respect.

As we move forward, we are committed to ensuring the standards of excellence that distinguish a William & Mary education. So many offices and individuals on campus have been working incredibly hard behind the scenes over the past weeks. They stand ready to support students, faculty and staff in this transition. I am deeply grateful to them for their tireless and resourceful partnership.

By Friday, we will provide additional guidance on planning underway to support students, families, staff and faculty. We ask that everyone continue to refer to https://www.wm.edu/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information on anything related to W&M’s institutional response.

William & Mary is a resilient community. I have seen this firsthand, particularly in recent weeks. We take care of each other. I am confident that will be the case in the coming days and weeks. Thanks to each of you for your creativity, understanding and commitment to this shared effort.

Best regards,

Katherine A. Rowe

President

The university remains open with modified academic operations. Further details may be found below.

Effective March 12, we will implement the following interim policies for modes of instruction, events and travel. These policies will be effective through at least April 3. We will decide by April 1 whether to extend them further. Employees are expected to continue working during this period, observing proper health protocols and with modifications as needed and approved by supervisors.

Our understanding of this pandemic is rapidly evolving. We recognize the stress this uncertainty places on students, families, faculty, staff and the communities we belong to. By taking further preventative steps, we maximize time for measured transitions and reduce the risk of future disruptions to our teaching, learning and research mission. For students, staff and faculty who are traveling – and for their families – taking prudent action now increases their ability to plan. Finally, W&M has a responsibility to contribute to local, state, federal and global public health efforts.

Instruction is moving to remote and online platforms.

In-person classes are suspended for this coming week to allow faculty and staff to modify delivery of their curriculum. Classes will resume via online and distance platforms on Monday, March 23. Online instruction will continue uninterrupted.

The provost and deans’ offices will coordinate this transition for all academic programs. The university is providing support for the online instructional, remote learning and technology needs of faculty, students and staff.

Students are strongly encouraged to return home or stay home.

We ask students not to return to campus during this period. On-campus services (residence halls, dining, etc.) will be limited for those with compelling reasons to be present, such as international students. The Office of Student Affairs is overseeing student support during this transition.

University travel is suspended.

All university-sponsored travel – domestic and international – is suspended regardless of fund source. We strongly discourage all personal travel, domestic or international, and may require employees who do travel to self-quarantine upon return. A university-wide policy on travel reimbursements is posted online.

We remind the community of CDC guidelines and recommendations, which include a self-quarantine of 14 days after travel abroad in specific regions.

University events are suspended.

All events and gatherings in university facilities as well as university-sponsored events on and off campus are suspended through at least April 3. This includes events sponsored by any recognized student organization and other affiliated groups. Whenever possible, we will seek opportunities to enable some events through virtual means and platforms.

Division I Athletics will operate within the policies of its governing bodies, the CAA and NCAA, and be subject to university health protocols.

Events beyond April 3 may be addressed now out of an abundance of caution so there is ample time to prepare alternative plans. This is particularly important for large groups and for events involving the most at-risk populations. Event sponsors should explore solutions that include canceling, rescheduling or moving to alternative platforms.

All great ideas are welcome as we work together to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and mitigate disruption. Many on campus are already exploring ways to use telecommuting, virtual meetings and buddy systems. Please share your suggestions via our question box.

Planning in Response to COVID-19

March 9, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

As we follow the spread of COVID-19, there is the need for immediate planning to ensure that we meet the instructional needs of our students should the virus impact our faculty numbers or a student’s ability to attend class. Deans and department chairs should be meeting with their faculty to ensure that each faculty member has in place a plan by mid-week to deliver course work over the rest of the semester should there be a major disruption in workforce. This may be reviewing course expectations with another faculty member so they can step in or the use of on-line options if a faculty member must self-monitor and not come on campus.

At this point, the Studio for Teaching and Learning Innovation is working closely with Information Technology to support on-line course delivery. If a faculty member’s instructional plan has an on-line component, please contact Adam Barger (1-1635 or STLI@wm.edu) for assistance in establishing remote teaching/on-line course delivery.

Administrative departments should continue to define essential services and the activities necessary to provide these services in a workforce disruption.

We have much to put in place before our students return to campus this weekend. I appreciate your immediate attention to this effort.

Thanks.

Sam Jones
Emergency Management Team Chair

Clarification: Faculty & Staff Quarantine

Spring COVID-19 Prevention Measures

Pre-Arrival Quarantine and Testing

Vaccine Information and Public Health

End of semester gratitude

Spring 2021 Information

Spring 2021 Calendar Announcement

Celebrating Small Wins and Taking Time Off

Fall 2020 wins

Time Off

W&M&You Climate App - Now available for all Faculty & Staff!

Voluntary COVID-19 Testing Now Available

Gratitude and Employee Recognition Day on Nov. 30

Maintaining COVID-19 protections at W&M under VA Phase 3

Guidance for faculty & staff on mandatory health protocols

Voluntary COVID-19 Testing Now Available

What to Do If You Test Positive Through Prevalence or Third-Party Testing

COVID-19 Case Management at William & Mary

Start of in-person classes

Testing services at W&M

COVID-19 Prevalence Testing Coming Soon

Staying Healthy Together: Dashboard & Accountability

Update on W&M Financials for Staff and Faculty

Mandatory COVID-19 Health Video Series

Required COVID-19 Testing for Employees

About Kallaco and W&M

Adjusting phased return to campus

Healthy Together: A Community Commitment

COVID-19 Testing

Face Covering Requirements July 15-Dec. 31, 2020

Guiding Principles & Resources for Course Delivery

Essential Information for Faculty and Staff

W&M's COVID-19 Response

Employee Guidelines for Returning to Campus

Planning and Preparation: July - August 2020

Core On-Campus Functions

Return to Campus Plans and Guidance

Blend of On-Campus and Remote Work

Remote Work

Individual Responsibilities

Recognizing Individual Work Circumstances

Health and Wellness

Will COVID-19 testing be provided?

Is there a way to track symptoms?

Will W&M’s medical plan cover costs of testing and treatment?

How is W&M preventing the spread of illness at work?

How is W&M incorporating the latest science about COVID-19 into our decision-making and response?

Where can I seek further help and guidance?

W&M work guidelines through July 31 and fall public health protocols

Joint Assembly Leadership Message

Campus operations through June 30, 2020

W&M from May 16 to June 30, 2020

Tenure Clock Extension Policy

Appreciation and Updates for Faculty

Operating under pandemic and planning for the coming academic year

Campus Community message

Flattening the curve on the financial impact of COVID-19

A weekend for Commencement and May celebrations

Information on Exam Proctoring

Connection and Wellness – Reinstituting Open Office Hours Virtually with the Provost

Serving our communities during COVID-19

Standing with William & Mary

UPDATE on Summer Instruction

An update on Commencement 2020

Resilience and kindness amid crisis

Important update on policies, deadline and plans

An invitation to a virtual Community Conversation and reflections from the past week

Announcement of temporary adjustments to academic policy for Spring 2020

W&M's COVID-19 Response: Important Updates for the Remainder of the Semester

Letter of thanks to all who teach at W&M

Faculty Support for Remote Teaching & Online Learning

W&M's COVID-19 Response: Interim Changes to Instruction, Events & Travel

Planning in Response to COVID-19