December 2, 2020

Elms College announces plan for spring 2021 semester

REGIONAL
Staff report

(iObserve photo/Courtesy of Elms College)

CHICOPEE — As it successfully concludes its on-campus plan for the fall semester, College of Our Lady of the Elms has announced that the spring 2021 semester will continue to follow the hybrid ElmsFlex model. 

Due to the campus community’s successful efforts under the ElmsSafe health and safety protocols, the college was able to complete the in-person portion of the fall semester as planned, with students on campus until the Thanksgiving break. The remainder of the fall semester will be taught remotely.

“I continue to be inspired by and grateful for the way our students, faculty, and staff have come together to protect each other both inside and outside of the classroom since we reopened our campus in August,” said Harry E. Dumay, president of Elms College. “All the measures included in our ElmsSafe plan – wearing masks, social distancing, practicing enhanced hygiene, testing, contact tracing, quarantining and isolating as needed – have allowed us to foster a vibrant and nurturing learning environment for students that will extend into the spring 2021 semester.”

Spring classes, which will start on Jan. 26, 2021, and end on May 7, will continue to be taught in the hybrid ElmsFlex model, which gives students the option of attending sessions in the classroom, synchronously online, or a combination of both. Under the ElmsFlex model, students can move between the options based on their personal preferences and individual circumstances in order to continue their coursework.

Residence halls will be open with single-room assignments and students will receive designated days in January to return to, or move into, their on-campus rooms. 

COVID-19 testing will be required for all students, faculty, and staff prior to being allowed back on campus in January. Also, throughout the semester, all students, faculty, staff and visitors coming to campus will be required to complete a daily online health survey.

Elms College continues to closely monitor and follow guidelines from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and CDC, as well as Gov. Charlie Baker’s mandates. 

Out of an abundance of caution, classes will be held on Presidents’ Day, Feb. 15, and there will be no spring break. Additionally, all domestic and international travel involving study abroad, mission, or service trips has been cancelled. 

The college is awaiting determinations by the New England Collegiate Conference and the NCAA as to whether competitive sports will be held in the spring.

For more information on Elms College’s spring 2021 plan, visit www.elms.edu/elms-safe.