Dear Members of the Campus Community,

Over the coming weeks, we will continue our preparations to be ready to resume in-person learning in the spring should conditions allow, and we will have more details to share with you soon.

This is an anxious and uncertain time, and I have heard over the past week from those who are excited about the possibility of returning to campus and those who have concerns. Please know that our absolute highest priority is to do everything we can to ensure the health and safety of all members of our campus community. We have been working hard for months all across campus to make sure we will be ready to accommodate a return to in-person learning and welcome those who choose to return to our campus residences. Both the Emergency Response Group and the Emergency Policy Council have been meeting continuously since last March, working through the myriad details associated with operating our campus and meeting the needs of our campus community in the safest ways possible, in accordance with public health guidelines, directives from the governor, and best practices that are being established for higher education.

As noted earlier, even if we are “in-person,” we will be prepared to offer some classes in hybrid and remote formats as well. We will also be fully remote or pivot to remote learning at any point in the semester should it become necessary. As long as there is a pandemic and not widespread availability and use of an effective vaccine, we must be prepared to deliver a Puget Sound education in various formats to meet our educational mission and support the success of our students.

There are still many details to work through, and I know you have questions. To ensure that every member of the campus community has the opportunity to be informed of our progress and contribute to decision-making, please note the following schedule of virtual town hall meetings. I hope you will be able to join us.

Thursday, Nov. 5, 1–2 p.m. 
Virtual Town Hall for Faculty and Staff Members
Preview of Spring Campus Operations
Hosted by President Crawford
Hear from some of our campus leaders guiding our pandemic response! Panelists include Kelly Brown, director of Counseling, Health and Wellness Services; Debbie Chee, director of Residence Life; Terry Halvorson, director of Dining and Conference Services; and Bob Kief, associate vice president Services.

Thursday, Nov. 5, 5–6 p.m.
Virtual Town Hall for Students and Parents
Preview of Spring Campus Operations
Hosted by President Crawford; Laura Behling, provost; and Uchenna Baker, vice president for Student Affairs
Several of our campus leaders will participate in providing details about our preparations for fall. Panelists include Kelly Brown, director of Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services; Debbie Chee, director of Residence Life; Terry Halvorson, director of Dining and Conference Services; and Bob Kief, associate vice president Facilities Services.

Monday, Nov. 16, 4–5 p.m.
Virtual Town Hall for Faculty
Q&A About Spring Semester
Hosted by President Crawford and Provost Laura Behling
This session is specifically designed to respond to questions and concerns from our faculty members as they prepare for the spring semester.

Tuesday, Nov. 17, 3–4 p.m.
Virtual Town Hall for Staff 
Q&A About Spring Semester
Hosted by President Crawford
This session is specifically designed to hear from our staff members. Panelists include Cabinet members; Cindy Matern, associate vice president for Human Resources; and Emily Holloway, Staff Senate chair.

Thursday, Nov. 19, 5–6 p.m.
Virtual Town Hall for Students and Parents
Q&A About Spring Semester
Hosted by President Crawford; Laura Behling, provost; Uchenna Baker, vice president for Student Affairs; and Sherry Mondou, executive vice president and chief financial officer
We look forward to this time with students and parents to talk in more detail about plans for spring.

Virtual Town Hall Series for Alumni
A new series of town halls for alumni will kick off on Nov. 12 with Provost Laura Behling. Each town hall will feature a different guest, including senior campus leaders and me. Invitations will be sent to alumni soon.

How to tune in: Details on how to join these town hall meetings will be available shortly at pugetsound.edu/covid19internal.

Visit the campus dashboard: To keep up with testing results for the campus community, please visit pugestound.edu/covid-19-dashboard. We report any positive cases on this web page and other information we are tracking to inform decision-making. The next mass testing date on campus for students, faculty, and staff members is Wednesday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m –3 p.m. in the Wheelock Student Center parking lot.

New mask-wearing guidance: Thank you for practicing good personal and public health practices, including maintaining social distancing, avoiding gathering in large groups, washing hands frequently, and wearing masks. The latest mask-wearing recommendations from the CDC provide excellent information about selecting, wearing, and cleaning masks. (Please note that vented masks and bandanas are no longer considered appropriate coverings to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 and should not be worn on campus.)

Keep up to date: All of the messages that have been sent to campus with details about the fall and spring semesters are available for review online.

We will continue to keep you informed of major developments in planning efforts for the spring semester. Please continue to check your email regularly, visit pugetsound.edu/fall2020, and reach out to members or me of the President’s Cabinet at any time with questions, ideas, and feedback. 

We got this, Loggers!

Sincerely,

Isiaah
Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President.