Dear W&J Community,
I am pleased to announce that we expect to resume fully in-person instruction and residential living for all students in Fall 2021. With the recent announcement that adults in all categories should have access to a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of May, we are making plans for a return to the traditional on-campus experience. Summer sessions will be offered in a mix of online, hybrid, and in-person instructional modes.
Housing registration will open later this month and the schedule of Fall 2021 courses will be available on Monday, April 5. Registration for classes will begin April 13. Students will receive more details in the coming weeks via the college website, MyW&J, and W&J Weekly. In the meantime, as we transition from our current mode of operating to a more traditional approach, I am confident that our faculty and staff will work to make this as smooth as possible.
Rest assured that the health and safety of everyone in the W&J community will continue to be our highest priority in every decision. Our COVID-19 Response Team, Clinical Advisory Panel, and COVID-19 Student Advisory Group will monitor the public health situation throughout the summer and work through any adjustments that may be necessitated by changes in the public health situation. Our experience in adapting to change over the last year has prepared us well to respond to any future CDC or state guidelines for prevention and protection.
In addition, I want to assure our senior class that all options for our May 2021 commencement are now being evaluated by a planning team with input and advice from student leaders. As you might imagine, some of these options are dependent on future improvements in public health and easing of state restrictions. We will share more definitive information as soon as possible.
Finally, I am aware that it was one year ago this week when we were abruptly required to close the campus and transition to remote instruction. I encourage each of you to pause to reflect on our shared journey over these many months. We have experienced disappointments, to be sure, yet have learned that the W&J community is deeply compassionate, resilient, and capable of rising to overcome challenges greater than any of us could have imagined. Never in this college’s storied history has our motto, Together We Thrive, been more resonant.
Let’s continue to be vigilant in following our health and safety protocols as we look to the future with growing optimism.
With my gratitude,
John C. Knapp
President and Professor
