STORIES FROM DAVIDSON COLLEGE

 

The fall semester will begin an academic year like none before at Davidson College. We have been working to make sure we are ready to return to campus with safety as our foundational priority.

Design teams made up of students, faculty and staff, have developed plans for the academic calendar, changes to the experience of first year students and living and staying well in these unprecedented times. Staff across the college have reconfigured spaces, processes, and practices to safeguard our health.

We have designed new ways of going about each day, whether serving meals, deeply cleaning residence halls or sitting farther apart in class—all aided by a strong medical staff and the guidance of trustees with relevant epidemiological and medical expertise.

We are establishing protocols for COVID-19 testing, quarantine and isolation. We are working with Charlotte’s largest medical center to provide a full-time public health nurse and exploring additional staffing needs.

Information will be added to these pages as decisions and announcements are made throughout the summer.

Accountability To Each Other – With safety as our foundational priority, planning for the fall 2020 semester is guided by values of access and equity, community and connection, continuity, flexibility, quality, intentionality and transparency, and feasibility. See page on “Our Shared Responsibility.”

The Calendar and Course Load – The 2020-2021 academic calendar and minimum course load will be temporarily modified to help address the additional challenges brought about by the pandemic.

Classes and Schedules – A variety of classroom spaces will be available and configured to meet health guidelines. Different modes of teaching have been developed to provide options and flexibility for how courses are delivered.

Health and Safety – Davidson College has adopted new public health standards, including wearing masks or face-coverings indoors, and sometimes outdoors, using a Symptom-Checker App and other measures to keep us safe.

Housing and Dining – We’re working hard to create a safe residential campus environment, while recognizing that some students need or want other options.

Athletics – We are working within NCAA guidelines as well as with our Athletic Conferences – A10, Pioneer League and Southern Conference – on the testing and accommodations necessary to return to play.

Offices, Services, and Campus Operations – Many programs and services on campus have been modified to meet the demands of an ever-changing situation.