Update on Fall 2020

June 11, 2020

Dear Fall 2020 Students and Families,

“Welcome home!” We look forward to greeting returning students with these words on Monday, August 31, the first day of fall semester classes. We anticipate similar greetings the week prior for new students—and earlier in August for our student-athletes.

Principia College’s goal is to return to in-person instruction in the fall. As we must wait for a green light from the state of Illinois, I’m writing to let you know how we’re planning and preparing to pivot if required in order to accommodate government-imposed restrictions. We likely won’t have all the answers needed to finalize plans for some time, but I want you to know how we are thinking about the decisions ahead.

In order to keep the lines of communication open this summer, we invite you to join biweekly Zoom Town Hall meetings with the College’s senior leadership and other information resources. Our next meeting will be at 1:00 p.m. this Friday, June 12. A one-time registration is required.

Rising to the Challenge
This fluid, ever-evolving situation has demanded flexibility from all of us. It is quite possible the demand for flexibility and grace may continue into the fall. I am confident we can rise to the challenge. During the two months of a restricted campus in the spring, we didn’t just learn to deliver remote teaching, we also developed policies and practices appropriate for the time. More than 50 students remained on campus, so we had the opportunity to adjust to required practices. We learned how to operate Dining Services under mandatory restrictions, for example. 

The state of Illinois is preparing to move to the next stage of its phased reopening around June 28. We are being deliberative and careful, refining procedures as we gradually re-engage with more activities. At the moment I am writing this, the College is “Open, but Restricted.” Many employees are back at work, using social distancing practices and preparing for the fall. However, only employees and residents are permitted on campus, and access to individual buildings remains limited to residents or work occupants. In the coming weeks, we expect to begin lifting some restrictions and beginning to open athletics facilities.

Adapting to Changing Conditions
We are considering contingency plans for fall 2020; these plans include being ready for a return to remote instruction, if required. It is important for you to know that, no matter what, Principia College will NOT stop delivery of its education programs this fall. And, of course, our first choice is for in-person delivery on campus.

Faculty are keeping this in mind. Some will be “going back to school” this summer. They will be taking graduate courses at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, in a certificate program on Design and Development of Online Lessons, Modules, and Courses. The College has contracted instructional designers with specific training and expertise in online learning to assist our faculty in developing skills in instructional design of online and/or remote teaching.

Based on student and faculty feedback, both during and after spring term, the Dean of Academics’ Office has identified new technologies, hardware, and software to obtain for the fall. These tools will advance our use of technology in face-to-face teaching as well as contribute to an improved and robust academic program if we are required to shift back to remote teaching.

Contingency Planning Criteria and Check-in Dates
As we approach contingency planning, we are using two important criteria: our commitment to offering a quality undergraduate education while simultaneously safeguarding the well-being of our students, staff, and faculty.

The administrative leadership has set several formal “check-in” dates. These are not specific decision-dates, but times at which we must reassess local, regional, national, and international events and guidelines. 

You can expect an update around July 1.
At that point, we will check our preparations for restarting in the fall, consult with a wide range of sources about expected conditions, and consider the question: “Are we still on track to start the semester in-person?”

We recognize that planning is paramount for all of you. International students, in particular, need sufficient lead time, especially to obtain visas (at this point, United States Embassies are not open to giving visas to new students) and reasonable airfares.

By the start of August, you can expect another update as we monitor conditions, examine our preparations, and consult our network of contacts.
For example, as interim president, I meet every other Friday with the presidents of the Associated Colleges of Illinois, a group of 27 private colleges and universities. I also have regular contact with the eight other presidents of the colleges in SLIAC, our intercollegiate athletic conference. Our director of workplace safety and our head of Christian Science nursing are in regular contact with the Jersey County Health Department (I am grateful it is a strong and supportive relationship).

Contacts for Questions
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email or call me at president@principia.edu or 618-374-5150. International students can also contact David Njau at ISPaSO@principia.edu or Phone/WhatsApp: +13142954886.

I continue to be grateful that Principia and Principians have the distinct advantage of depending on a reliable source for our information about well-being and future planning. While the global scene around us may swirl, we can stay firm in the knowledge that “God is not the shifting vane on the spire, but the corner-stone of living rock, firmer than everlasting hills” (Unity of Good, p. 14).

Thank you for joining together in prayerful support of our planning for the fall. While it may be different from a typical fall semester, we anticipate being together on August 31—and look forward to all the long-anticipated reunions between friends!

Sincerely,

John W. Williams
Interim College President