RICHMOND — It's back to school at Earlham College in Richmond, one of the first colleges to begin the fall semester in the midst of a pandemic.
Wearing masks, students in the Class of 2024 arrived on campus for orientation.
“With colleges and universities across the nation being closed for an extended period of time, witnessing students’ excitement as they return to campus has brought me so much joy and hope for the upcoming year,” Earlham President Anne Houtman said. “We are well prepared for the resumption of classes and student activities on campus. We are planning for change and adjustment to guard the continued health and well-being of our community as the regional and national situation evolves.
“For those students still affected by travel restrictions or who remain at home due to concerns about their safety, we look forward to working with them virtually and having them back on campus as soon as possible,” she said.
Fall semester classes begin Monday. A two-month pause in the academic year is planned after Thanksgiving, the height of the traditional flu season in the Midwest. An optional, virtual term will be available for interested students in January.
In light of the pandemic, the college will offer both in-person and online courses. Earlham's traditional semester system will change, with both fall and spring semesters now divided into two seven-week terms. Using the shorter terms will give the school more flexibility in case pandemic conditions worsen.
In order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus, new cleaning regimens and rules for masks and sharing public spaces are in place. Students, faculty and staff have all returned to campus after being tested for the virus with a negative result. Ongoing health checks will be made throughout the campus community, and there are plans to isolate anyone who comes down with the virus.
The goal of move-in weekend at Earlham and every college is to get students off to a good start. This year that comes with mask-wearing and social distancing protocols in place.
