College president Laurie Patton announced Tuesday morning that students will begin spring break on Friday, March 13, a week earlier than planned. Classes will resume on March 30 but will be taught remotely.
Middlebury is also canceling all sporting events, home and away, and is limiting social gatherings this week to no more than 120 people. The college is also banning all college-sponsored travel, including faculty conferences, and will not allow visitors on campus.
A patient who lives in Bennington County is Vermont’s one confirmed case of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Middlebury officials took this into consideration — plus the growing number of cases in nearby New York and New Hampshire — when deciding to take action, according to Patton.
“Public health authorities advise that practicing ‘social distancing’ is the best way to slow the spread of infection,” she wrote. “We therefore looked for opportunities to eliminate, as much as possible, the need for students, faculty, and staff to congregate.”
Students who must remain on campus during spring break and the rest of the semester can apply to do so, according to Patton.
“Your courses, too, will be delivered remotely,” she wrote in her message.
The college is also considering closing 14 of its international schools; Middlebury had already suspended programs in China and Italy, the two worst-hit countries. Staff are monitoring “the rapidly changing situation on the ground in each of our sites,” Patton said.
Other colleges in the state are watching the situation closely. Champlain College and the University of Vermont are on spring break this week but alerted students to stay abreast of advisories.
“We have not made a decision to close campus or move coursework entirely on-line at this time, however, we are evaluating the situation on a daily basis and do have contingency plans in place should those steps be necessary,” Champlain director of media relations Leandre Waldo wrote in an email to Seven Days.
UVM provost Patricia Prelock alerted faculty on March 3 to tell students preparing to leave campus for this week’s recess to bring course materials home with them. “Depending on how the situation unfolds, it may be necessary to provide instruction remotely for some portion of the Spring 2020 semester,” Prelock wrote in an email.
At the Vermont State Colleges, classes were in session as usual Tuesday, and there were no plans to change that. Administrators said they were watching the situation.
Before campus closes, Middlebury College staff will be instructing students on proper hand-washing techniques this week and will distribute sanitizing kits for cellphones and keys. The college will also adjust campus dining services to “decrease the number of students congregating at any one time.”
In Vermont, fears of a coronavirus outbreak has closed schools, changed how court hearings are conducted and postponed conferences. The state is currently monitoring 226 patients for signs of the infection, which include fever, dry cough and shortness of breath.
Worldwide, more than 109,000 people have been diagnosed with the virus, and 3,800 have died.
Read the full statement here.
Molly Walsh contributed reporting.
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Hats off to Middlebury for its heads-up thinking.
Too bad the joke-of-a-school to the north (UVM) is sitting on its hands.
Too bad you’re misinformed.
This is absolutely ridiculous, a total joke. It’s unfortunate that common sense is so scarce these days. Next it’s monkey see, monkey do; all schools and businesses and, and, and………will be closing and for what? Our one confirmed case and zero deaths. They have no idea how many people have this and the symptoms can be less than the common cold. I’m speechless at how stupidly this is being handled.
Silly. They would have been better off locking students on campus and continuing their campus schedule rather than scattering the students to the wind.
Economically this is a disaster for the Town of Middlebury and Vermont.
Here’s a question for the two individuals who said the college’s decision was “silly” and “absolutely ridiculous.”
What are your medical or public health credentials?
Doug. I’m not a doctor, but I can read. From the State of Vermont as of this morning.
“At this time the Health Department is not recommending closure or cancellation of mass gatherings or large events. It is reasonable for older adults and persons with underlying health conditions to consider not attending a mass gathering event. This guidance is subject to change based on the evolving situation.”
Yes. Canceling college at this time was silly.
The Middlebury student will still go to shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment, most just won’t do it in Vermont now.
So tell me again why YOU and YOUR expertise know that closing the university right now, scattering the students to the wind via mass travel exposure/carbon usage and wreaking havoc on the Vermont economy was the right choice?
Nice try. Being overly cautious is not “silly.” Complaining about how those responsible for the health of their charges use their best judgment is silly.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to isolate this population of students on campus, who I think are less at risk of full blown Covid, then to send them back to their communities where they are more likely to be exposed and to become vectors? Doesn’t this place them in greater risk of infecting their elders?
Cancel spring break instead?
Doug. I answered your question and provided you our states current health recommendation to back my assertions.
Panic reactions are silly and they hurt Vermonter.
As m I posted before…
The Middlebury student will still go to shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment, most just won’t do it in Vermont now.
And the question you ducked in your last post…
So tell me again why YOU and YOUR expertise know that closing the university right now, scattering the students to the wind via mass travel exposure/carbon usage and wreaking havoc on the Vermont economy was the right choice?
Doug. Are you staying that you don’t believe the medical advice coming from the State of Vermont?
Auditor Hoffer snarkily challenged Jimmy’s posting.
Jimmy responded citing the State’s official public health recommendations for the corona virus, as of today, in support of his posting.
Auditor Hoffer has no answer, so doubles down on snark? Really?
The State recommendation is just that; a recommendation. It is really quite odd that you guys are so bothred by how the College decided to exercise its responsibility. Its a judgment call and one being taken by many administrators in similar situations.
Doug. You believe Vermonters should listen to health recommendations from the State because they are just recommendations.
So be obvious extension, Vermonters should listen to recommendations from their Auditor because they are just recommendations.
I answered your question but you keep ducking my question.
Tell me again why YOU and YOUR expertise know that closing the university right now, scattering the students to the wind via mass travel exposure/carbon usage and wreaking havoc on the Vermont economy was the right choice?
Or will you forever remain ”Ducking Doug”?
By deductive reasoning UVM must be ‘silly’ for moving to remote classes as well. Bunch of Einsteins around here.
Ducking?!
That’s rich Jimmy, especially from someone who won’t even use his full name.
Ducking Doug. Still waiting for an answer to the question.
Hey “Jimmy”
Not until you tell us your full name.