Macalester scales back fall plans amid pandemic

Macalester College announced Monday that it is scaling back its fall plans due to the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Macalester President Dr. Suzanne M. Rivera said in a letter to students and families that the college made assumptions earlier in the summer that the risks of opening campus next month would be manageable, but the current state of the pandemic has led them to adjust.

Fewer students will be back on campus for the first 7 ½ weeks, with first-year and international students residing in campus housing. A waiver process will be made for others who need to return to campus housing. All other students will live off-campus for that time period.

Those who live off-campus will start by taking classes remotely, although they will be able to use designated campus facilities.

The college also said:

• It’s adding asymptomatic screening tests to its plan, and all students will be tested upon their arrival on campus and then within two weeks again.
• A "quiet period" will be implemented from move-in through Sept. 16 to manage risks associated with travel and gatherings.
• Students are asked to quarantine for two weeks before traveling to campus and anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home and contact Student Affairs.

The college said it hopes the measures will allow all students who wish to return to campus to do so in October.

Students can also request a leave of absence or a deferral if they feel it is necessary.

You can find more information here.