By Adrian Velonis, Staff Editor
On the morning of Friday, March 20th, Presidents Wendy Raymond of Haverford and Kimberly Cassidy of Bryn Mawr announced to the student body via email that online learning would continue for the duration of the Spring 2020 semester in light of the continued spread of COVID-19, or the Coronavirus, a departure from the colleges’ initial plans to bring students back for on-campus study in early April. Although all students will receive credit for the semester and seniors will graduate, an on-campus commencement will not be held at either college, and the Centennial Conference (of which Haverford and Bryn Mawr are both member institutions) has canceled all spring competitions. Additionally, Haverford’s annual Alumni Weekend and Bryn Mawr’s Reunion have also been canceled or postponed, with the colleges searching for “alternative plans to celebrate with these classes,” according to Cassidy.
“The Centers for Disease Control has recommended no events for large groups through at least mid-May, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has closed schools and has ordered all non-life sustaining businesses to shut down,” Cassidy wrote in her message to Bryn Mawr students. “It has become increasingly clear that it is neither responsible nor realistic to plan on resuming in-person classes or events. Our highest priority must be to protect the health and well-being of members of the [Bi-Co] community.” At the time of writing, no cases of COVID-19 have been reported for those living or working on either campus.
This comes as a shock to many students in the Bi-Co, who assumed that Zoom lectures would only remain the norm for a couple of weeks. In particular, seniors in the midst of thesis research have been hit hard by the upheaval. “I had planned to make one last research trip to New Hampshire, which had to be scrapped and replaced with phone interviews which are much less helpful,” said Jack Leighninger (HC ‘20), a political science and history double major. “Not only that, but now I have to write my thesis from home! I haven’t really worked here since high school, so it’s been really challenging staying focused.”
Zuyi Wang (HC ‘20), an economics major, expressed some optimism about the process. “It’s not too bad for Econ majors actually. A lot of the analysis can be done remotely since we use stata. The most frustrating aspect is not being able to have access to my advisor more readily […] I’m also really sad that I won’t be able to actually turn in my thesis and celebrate with my friends and the Econ department.”
However they manage, working from home is still a big change for all students. According to one Bryn Mawr sophomore, “Switching to online classes has been tricky for everybody, [but] I think Haverford and Bryn Mawr are doing the right thing.” The New York Times has even written an article detailing some of the problems that students have experienced as a result of the change. Many students, especially those with permanent residences outside the United States, are in a bind. “Now Russia is about to close its borders,” said Sophie Chocaeva (HC ‘22). “This crisis is exposing that a lot of people don’t have anywhere to go.”
At Bryn Mawr, the credit/non-credit and pass/fail policies have been modified for the Spring 2020 semester in light of the “extraordinary circumstances” students are currently facing. Students may now take any number of classes as non-credit without counting toward the limit of four that applies normally. Additionally, professors will be permitted to choose whether they grade their courses pass/fail; if a pass is earned, such classes will still count toward major or graduation requirements.
Haverford has likewise announced that “For all courses taught during Spring 2020, […] although P/F will be the default value on students’ transcripts, students also have the option to uncover a P grade (for the numerical grade) in any of their courses.” P grades will not affect GPA, but uncovered grades will. P grades during this semester will also count as fulfilling major, minor, concentration, graduation, and prerequisite requirements, and will not affect international students’ F-1 Visa (full-time academic student) statuses. Swarthmore College, a member of the Tri-Co, has also moved to a credit/non-credit semester.
“I am greatly saddened that we will not be able to hold on-campus Commencement this spring for the Class of 2020. Our seniors, who have come so far and worked so hard, deserve a celebration of their achievements and the opportunity to join in community,” Raymond noted in her email. “That is why I am working with student, faculty, and staff leadership on possible alternatives for marking their graduation and saluting the tremendous Class of 2020. We will be in touch with families and friends of members of the Class of 2020 about the path forward.” Cassidy wrote in hers that “We are exploring various ways to celebrate with and for the Class of 2020, including possibilities for distributed local events, a virtual ceremony, or inviting members of the class to a later in-person event.”
In response to questions about canceled springtime traditions such as Pinwheel Day, when a secret student group on campus covers Founders’ Green in rainbow pinwheels, Raymond later stated, “I have been told by those in contact with the Pinwheel Day Secret Squirrels that COVID-19 is not going to prevent this wonderful tradition from happening, if in a new and different way!”
The closure affects students in ways beyond academics. The NCAA canceled its winter and spring championships on Thursday, March 12th, and the Centennial Conference followed suit on the 19th, shutting down all spring seasons and affecting numerous student-athletes across both campuses. “I’m very upset that we had to end our season early, especially with our program’s new records that we set this year. It’s a frustrating feeling that a good part of our season is now gone. But I know that the cancellations were for the health and safety of the students,” lacrosse player Becca Long (BMC ‘22) commented, asking, “How will this virus affect us in the long run as a team, athletics department, and college community?” Briana Quinn (HC ‘20) on softball noted, “Obviously it sucks given that we were going to win the conference and is not how we want our season or year to end, but it’s important to realize this is for everyone’s safety.”
Both Haverford and Bryn Mawr have stated an intention to reimburse students for room and board for the remainder of the semester, following the lead of other institutions such as Amherst, Harvard, Middlebury, and Smith. Haverford students will be refunded up to approximately ½ of the cost of room and board for the semester, “prorated based on a family’s contribution to the cost of attendance,” Dean Martha Denny informed students in an email. Haverford has also created an FAQ page for faculty, staff, and student workers to answer questions about employment during this period. However, neither college has yet laid out a plan for summer programs that would normally take place, such as student research and internships, leaving many students uncertain about their plans between May and August.
As the COVID-19 outbreak increased in magnitude just as students in the Bi-Co had been let out for spring break, many have simply remained at home without all of their belongings. “We’ll soon announce an orderly and systematic plan for enabling students to return to campus for their things, one consistent with community efforts to practice social distancing and that therefore incorporates a relatively extended time period for the pickup schedule,” said President Raymond. “If you are already off-campus, please do not return to move out during the next two weeks: health officials are asking us to limit movement.” President Cassidy issued a similar statement in her announcement, also noting that “If students cannot come back to campus for other reasons, Residential Life will share options for shipping or summer storage.” Haverford’s Central Services is also offering mail forwarding to students’ permanent residences.
Since the start of the quarantine, several social media accounts have been created by students across the Bi-Co as a means of maintaining solidarity through crisis, such as the “Haverquarantined” Instagram page, which posts aesthetic images of the campus and has amassed over 500 followers. President Wendy Raymond has also announced a regular “Wendy’s Wirtual Worner” for student outreach (so named to continue the alliteration present in the former “Kim’s Korner”), which will take place on Zoom.
Raymond ended her email on an inspiring note. “Let’s bring humanity, compassion, and inclusivity to all we do, including recognizing that many if not all of us are struggling with unexpected challenges,” she wrote. “Let’s show generosity toward every person, starting with those most at risk for becoming seriously ill or dying from this disease. Let’s let our lives speak of trust, concern, and respect. You inspire people like me to want to join this community, a community we sustain through shared values that transcend borders and create connection.”
This article will be updated to reflect changes to any of the above content as more information becomes available to the Bi-College News. For more detailed information on the coronavirus in the Bi-Co, see Haverford and Bryn Mawr’s respective FAQ pages.
Image credit: Jacob Gorenburg (HC ’22), The New York Times
