Dear Members of the Curry College Community,
 
As our Fall semester is now well underway, I write to you with both gratitude and pride in how our Curry community has come together to make living and learning on our campus at this challenging time successful, safe and healthy so far.
 
As I reflect on our current 14-day positivity rate (which is 0.033%, compared with 0.28% in the Town of Milton and 0.90% in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts), I appreciate the efforts that each and every one of you have made on campus every day to get us to this point. These include, but are not limited to, the many reasons our community has shared about why they wear their masks, the innovative strategies our faculty have implemented in the classroom (and under the tents), and the multitude of ways in which our students have adapted to engage and participate in campus life under unprecedented circumstances.
 
It is still a long road to Thanksgiving, and we all must remain constantly vigilant to ensure continued success. I want to stress how important it is for all of us to adhere to the health and safety protocols that have been set forth at all times - wear your masks, wash your hands, keep your distance, and monitor your health - to ensure our collective wellbeing and importantly, our continued presence on campus. Your sustained efforts are both essential and appreciated.
Curry College continues to look forward, and at this time, I want to share with you some plans for the Spring 2021 semester.

Academic Calendar
In the interest of providing our students and faculty the maximum amount of time to plan their academic journeys, as well as continuing to support community health and safety with the pandemic likely to continue into the winter months, the following changes have been made to the Spring 2021 Academic Calendar:

  • A staggered move-in to residence halls with an onboard testing program will be conducted. Dates and details will be forthcoming.
  • Spring semester classes will begin Monday, February 1 for traditional undergraduate students.
  • The normally observed College Spring Break will be cancelled. Classes will be held and offices will be open throughout the semester (with the exception of Monday, April 19 when offices will be closed for Patriots Day, while classes will be held).
  • The last day of classes will be Monday, May 10.
  • Final exams will be held Tuesday, May 11 through Saturday, May 15.
  • Residence halls will close on Sunday, May 16. Please note that residential students must move out no later than 24 hours after their last scheduled exam.

*Note that the Continuing Education/Graduate semester will conform to the previously published Calendar for Continuing Education and Graduate Studies. Full semester (e.g. ACCEL) and Term III CE/Grad courses will begin Monday, January 25 and Term IV will begin Monday, March 22, ending as scheduled on Saturday, May 15.

For Winter Term, we will be offering three fully online options for students wishing to either catch up on coursework or get ahead in credits:

Two 3-week sessions:
  • December 7 - December 28, 2020 and January 5 - January 24, 2021

One 6-week session:
  • December 7, 2020 - January 24, 2021

Course Modalities
As in the Fall, for both traditional undergraduate and continuing education and graduate courses, for the Spring semester Curry College will continue to incorporate a mix of face-to-face (FTF), hybrid, hyflex and, to a limited extent, online courses in our offerings. The hybrid and hyflex courses will include both online and FTF components for a given course, designed to reduce contact intensity and frequency. 

We have learned much since March 2020 about how to effectively design and deliver our curriculum using multiple modalities, as well as supporting this curriculum through virtual advising and our full portfolio of student support services. The College has invested in both faculty development and technology to support these efforts. As we move favorably along this “experience curve,” the quality of the student academic experience will continue to be enhanced.

Commencement
At this time, we are hopeful that it will be possible to hold traditional in-person Commencement exercises for both the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021 in May; however, please be aware that these plans will be entirely subject to Commonwealth of Massachusetts mandates regarding gatherings, which are currently restricted to an extent that would not allow for this event. We will adhere to all federal, state, local and public health guidance and requirements in this respect, and will provide further information to the Curry community about this event.

Finally, I want to note that all plans for Spring 2021 are contingent upon both public health and our campus health situations. We will be monitoring all guidance from local, state and federal authorities, and the status of our on-campus testing program carefully and constantly. Should these plans change, we will notify you without delay.
I am proud of the progress that we as a College have made in navigating the challenging and changing landscape of this Fall - a semester unlike any other before it. As we forge ahead, we must continue to be flexible, resourceful, and resilient, but we have also continued to learn, to evolve and to improve daily. We know that together, we can keep each other healthy and safe so that we can keep living and learning on our beautiful campus. I again thank you for your continued care and caution, which are what makes that possible.
 
My best wishes for a productive and enjoyable semester, and for the continued health and wellness of our Curry community,
Kenneth K. Quigley, Jr.
President
Curry College