Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia on June 9 sent a message to members of the Georgetown University community providing an overview of how the university is preparing for the coming academic year, the practical assumptions that are guiding that decision-making, and what will be important for the Georgetown community to return to its campuses this fall.
“We are focused on the ways that we can protect the health and safety of each member of our community and pursue our academic mission during a time of serious risk and uncertainty,” DeGioia writes. To that end, the university has convened groups to support planning efforts in key areas, including public health, academic options, operations, and finance.
DeGioia’s message addresses several considerations in providing for the safe return of the members of the Georgetown community, given the risks posed by COVID-19, including:
- ReOpen DC, the plan for the District of Columbia, which stipulates that colleges and universities will be able to resume on-campus activities once two conditions are met: first, the city moves into Phase Two, and second, the city approves each college and university’s plan for returning to campus.
- The practical assumptions informing Georgetown’s plans for reopening.
- Emerging scenarios for the fall, developed in close partnership with the District of Columbia Departments of Health and Planning. “Recognizing that the need to manage density will make it impossible to return to normal this fall, we are exploring approaches ranging from fully virtual to approaches that balance virtual learning with on-campus presence—understanding that the needs across our campuses require differentiated approaches,” DeGioia writes.
He adds that the university “will provide clear and regular communications as we reach greater clarity about the upcoming academic year,” with the intent to “provide a full scope of our plans over the course of the coming weeks.” Read President DeGioia’s full message here.