May 6, 2020 (8:17 am) Central Time
Dear Simpson College Community:
We recognize that questions related to the return to campus continue to be at the forefront of the minds for so many of you. Will Simpson College students return to campus? If so, what will the new safety procedures look like for a safe return? How will faculty and staff adjust to social distancing? When will sports and activities begin? These are all questions we are facing and must answer.
Like so many colleges and universities, we have grappled with these issues and have sought input and feedback from state and local health departments, sought guidance from national experts, engaged our college’s crisis management team, consulted with incoming President Marsha Kelliher, and been in contact with colleagues around the state and country.
It is our intent to return to on-campus, in-person operations in time for the Fall 2020 semester.
In order to prepare for this transition, we are in the process of developing a four-stage framework that the college will follow to return to more traditional operations as the state and local health departments begin to ease some of the guidelines established to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Since March 13, the college has operated in the High Risk state and as such will continue to adhere to follow the more stringent guidelines of state and local officials through May 31.
As we look ahead, the college will begin making plans to transition to a more Moderate Risk stage early this summer. The college will be working with our Department of Human Resources, as well as state and local health officials, to develop guidelines for a safe return of Simpson employees to campus. All decision will be made on the latest data available to the college.
We are continuing our work to define the parameters for each stage, as well as how to apply these parameters to specific areas of college functioning (such as classroom activities, residence life, and human resource issues). We will be sharing these with the campus community in the weeks ahead, with the goal of having a fleshed out plan in early June.
We continue to maintain and respond to all questions submitted through our dedicated email address. Please email, COVIDResponse@simpson.edu However, for students with specific questions related to course work, we encourage you to contact your individual professor and or advisor. For faculty with academic-related questions, please contact Cheryl Jacobsen, academic dean.
Please continue to monitor your emails and check the Simpson College COVID19 webpage for updates.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to Simpson College. We are #ONESimpson.
President Marsha Kelliher and Bob Lane ’81, Interim President