As the calendar turns to the final month of 2020 it signifies the start of the holiday season, a close to one of the more unique semesters on record and serves as a gateway to a new year with what we hope will be much brighter times ahead! As a community we are heartened by the spirit and resiliency of our Bulldogs who have continued to persevere in the face of adversity, traits that will serve them well beyond their college years. We know that final exam week can bring some anxious moments completing those last papers and exams and your continued encouragement and support is greatly appreciated. Special congratulations extended to our December graduates and families! While we know it is not how they envisioned their final semester at Dean, it in no way diminishes their tremendous accomplishments and we look forward to celebrating them with a special toast with details noted below. The following articles contain important information and resources as we close out the fall and look ahead to spring's arrival. All of us at Dean wish our Bulldog families a joyous holiday season and Happy New Year!

As we prepare to welcome students back to campus in Spring 2021, we have placed important information on the Dean College website. Please read this carefully with your student as it details items that will be needed prior to arrival and during the check-in and move-in process. Please pay specific attention to the deadlines associated with each item.

The last day of the semester is Thursday, December 17^th. Please encourage your student to use their resources (Advising, Learning Center, Faculty) to finish strong in this last week!

Congratulations to our December graduates! We wish them all the best of luck as they start the next phase of their journey. Please encourage your December grad to let us know their post-Dean plans—we send an “I Got Hired!” or “Going to Grad School!” t-shirt when students tell us they land a job or are accepted into graduate school.

Don't forget to shop for your favorite Bulldogs by visiting deancollegeshop.com.

Spring tuition bills are now available online at https://dean.afford.com. Bills are due January 6, 2021. Please contact the Center for Student Financial Planning and Services at 508-541-1518 or via email at sfp@dean.edu with any questions regarding your online bill. Spring opening information will be placed on dean.edu and Today@Dean (the student portal) in the coming weeks. Please read this information carefully as it will provide all details necessary for the return to campus.

Consider tuition insurance to supplement and strengthen our refund policy. We believe it's important to offer an easy, affordable way to protect the investment your family has made in higher education. This coverage expands the scope of our refund policy by ensuring reimbursement for tuition and other fees for covered withdrawals at any time during the semester. It also ensures COVID-19 related withdrawals. Rates for the Spring 2021 term are $106 per $10,000 in coverage. Plans also include Student Life Assistance: a 24-hour emergency hotline that offers students and parents even greater peace of mind. For questions or additional information please contact GradGuard at GradGuard.com/tuition/dean or call 1-866-724-4384.

The 2021-2022 FAFSA is now open and available for parents and students to complete. You will need to complete the 2021-2022 FAFSA in order to receive financial aid for next year. Visit https://fafsa.ed.gov to begin your application today. Please be sure to have your FSA ID username and password with you so you can electronically sign the FAFSA. As always, if you have any questions you can contact the Center for Student Financial Planning and Services at sfp@dean.edu or via phone at (508)-541-1518.

The Office of Residence Life has enjoyed the opportunity to connect with students virtually through a variety of programming including First Year Fridays, the community spaces, open “virtual” office hours, and more this semester! This Friday, December 11 at 3pm ET a holiday-themed, step-by-step drawing and painting tutorial will be led by one of our Community Advisors. To attend Residence Life virtual programs please visit the Campus Events on Today@Dean or follow @DeanCollegeCampuslife on Instagram and Facebook. 

As we look forward to next semester, we are dedicated to preparing a safe, inclusive, and fun Residential Living Experience for all students planning to return to campus. We will continue First Year Fridays in addition to a wide-variety of weekly programming opportunities in each residence hall from the Residence Life staff and the Resident Student Association. We always want to hear from our Bulldogs: encourage your student to suggest programming ideas for Spring virtual and in-hall residential programming. Have them reach out to mcoleman@dean.edu.  

Reminder: All Spring 2021 housing assignments will be released on December 14^th via MyHousing. Please check the Today@Dean and Dean emails for more information as we get closer to move in day.

  

Please direct any questions regarding Residence Life to reslife@dean.edu or 508.541.1838.

ALL SPRING SEMESTER RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUTER STUDENTS must submit confirmation of the Flu Vaccine by December 31, 2020

Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, influenza vaccine will be required for all full-time undergraduate and graduate students under 30 years of age and all full- and part-time health science students at post-secondary institutions. The current legislation does not apply to students who will remain in an entirely virtual format for the spring semester.

Any documentation that is provided by the practitioner who administered the influenza immunization is acceptable. You must upload proof of the vaccination to the student Health Portal section labeled '2020-2021 Influenza Vaccine Record'.

Please use the following link Health Portal Instructional Video to view the process for uploading all health forms to the portal.

For additional information about the flu vaccine and FAQ's please visit mass.gov.

As part of our planning for Spring 2021, students on campus will need to display their College ID's at all times. First year students should submit their photos to MyPhotoID. Students who previously submitted a photo and had it approved do not need to do anything further. Parameters approval process are addressed on the website. Please direct any questions to myphoto@dean.edu. ID's will be distributed when students arrive to campus in January.

Students can register at any time for Academic Coaching by going to www.dean.edu/academiccoachingregistration. The link is also available on Today@Dean under Essential Links on the student side. The cost of academic coaching remains $850 per semester for one hour each week; and $850 for each additional hour per week, per semester. Students may enroll in up to 5 hours per week. For students currently receiving Academic Coaching, we encourage you to re-register to continue to take advantage of all that Academic Coaching offers.

If you have any questions about Academic Coaching for the Spring, please email learning@DEAN.edu. We would be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

When seeking information about Dean College calendar dates, please use the Official Academic Calendar that is listed on www.dean.edu under the Academics tab. Please do not use Google or other internet search engines for the calendar as it is likely to produce outdated and incorrect information.