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June 22, 2020

Be Roberts Restart Ready

June 22, 2020

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Families,

As the Finger Lakes Region projects to move forward with phase four planned for June 26, I am delighted to share that Roberts Wesleyan College will be starting a modified Fall semester on campus beginning August 24! We will be offering in-person and online options in many programs for our traditional, adult, graduate and seminary students this Fall. To help enable this restart, traditional undergraduate students will be able to choose between a fully online semester or an in-person semester, through a survey due July 1.

For certain, how we interact as we learn, live, worship and work together will need to be a little different, but our core functioning as a Christian community of higher education remains unchanged. The following information includes our current planning and alignment with the New York State Guidelines.

The safety, health and well-being of our campus community will always be paramount in our decision-making, and we are prepared to modify our plans should the conditions change. We will continue to monitor all updates from New York State as we move forward to restart operations this fall as outlined below. Please check your Roberts email regularly and check our Roberts Restart webpage for the latest updates and information.

Students enrolled in non-traditional undergraduate courses, adult and graduate degree programs and Northeastern Seminary can expect to hear from their Program Directors directly in early July about details of their program.  All cohort courses running between November 21, 2020 through January 11, 2021 will be held online only.

Please check your Roberts (or Northeastern) email and the Roberts Restart website regularly.

The following information is applicable to students enrolled in traditional undergraduate programs.

Adjusted Traditional Academic Calendar:

The significant changes in our academic and operational calendar are based on advice from Monroe County, New York State and CDC experts, who believe we could be facing a second wave of COVID-19 sometime late fall or early winter.  The outline for Fall 2020 for our Traditional Undergraduate and BELL student body is as follows:

  • Traditional undergraduate students will choose between a fully online semester or an in-person semester. We ask that all traditional undergraduate students fill out this form by July 1. If the College does not receive a response from you, we will assume that you are planning to join us in-person.
  • New traditional undergraduate first-year and transfer student Fall 2020 Orientation will be August 21-23
  • The first day of Fall Semester classes will be Monday August 24 as scheduled.
  • Classes will continue through Friday, November 20 with no fall break.
  • After Thanksgiving, classes will continue in an online format only until the end of the semester (students will not be permitted to stay beyond November 21 unless approved by the College due to specific program requirements).
  • Final exams will be issued online in early December as scheduled with the semester concluding on December 11.
  • We will begin the Spring Semester 2021 as scheduled on January 11 on campus.

As you return to campus, the experience will look different. The College has worked according to state and local public health guidelines and has been in communication with peer institutions with Rochester area colleges and in other regions of the country. We are not alone in experiencing the monumental changes of our work and school lives. It is not what any of us wanted or expected. However, leaning on the faithfulness of God, we can embrace the opportunity to lead others in our response to change and our willingness to extend grace to others around us on the journey.

This announcement is just the start of our communications about your return or your start at Roberts Wesleyan College. In the near future, look for additional information for student move-in dates, guidance for faculty and staff returning to the workplace and additional details about new campus operations.

The Roberts Restart website will be updated throughout the summer as more details are available. Additional information will be communicated directly to you through your Roberts email account, from the Roberts Restart Team.

I know there is a lot on your minds, and we will do everything possible to provide answers to the many questions you may have between now and August 24. During this time, we must all prepare for some inconveniences and align with new community standards and behaviors that will help ensure a safe campus. Thank you for your commitment to Roberts Restart 2020 including these important responsibilities.

We are looking forward to seeing you on campus and continuing to serve all of our students and campus community with education for character.

With Prayer and Optimism,

Dr. Deana L. Porterfield
President


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