Dear School of Professional Studies Students,

Earlier today you received an email from President Christina Paxson regarding Brown’s plan for the 2020-21 academic year. I write to share more information on how this plan will shape the experience of Brown executive master’s students in the coming year.

The nature of our low residency degrees makes continuing coursework straightforward during the online components of our programs. However, the short-duration, intensive nature of the face-to-face sessions makes the planning for these somewhat more complicated. To help you navigate the unique circumstances of the coming year in light of the current pandemic, this letter explains how Brown’s three-semester model — and public health measures for Brown and the State of Rhode Island — will shape your coursework and face-to-face sessions over the next 6-12 months.

I will be leading town hall meetings together with program directors in the coming weeks, and I welcome your questions and feedback at that time or at any time by email.

Brown’s plans are based on current public health guidance and could shift as the University continues to closely monitor how the pandemic is evolving across the region and around the country.   

Course Start and End Dates

The final exam period of the fall semester of 2020 will end on December 11 instead of the previously scheduled December 21. You will continue to have a break between the fall and spring semester coursework. The spring semester of 2021 will start on January 20, 2021, and the exam period will end on April 23, 2021 (the term will not have its weeklong spring break). Your program directors will be in touch with additional details about how these changes affect the specific modules in courses in your program.

Commencement and Reunion Weekend will be held Friday, April 30, to Sunday, May 2, following the end of the spring term, assuming public health conditions allow large events to safely take place.

Face-to-Face Intensive Sessions

Facilities and Health Protocols

The School of Professional Studies executive education facility at 225 Dyer St. is well positioned to support face to face sessions over the next two semesters. Our spacious classrooms and common spaces have the capacity to accommodate students for coursework and dining with adequate social distancing. The technology in the classrooms supports lecture capture and remote participation of faculty and students.

Brown staff are working with the CIC building management team to develop traffic flow patterns, room layouts, and policies for elevator and restroom occupancy that conform to social distancing guidelines. We have also developed increased cleaning protocols to sanitize high-touch areas throughout the day, and clean all areas overnight. As noted in the message from President Paxson, Brown also requires all Brown community members to wear masks while in any shared space (including classrooms, conference rooms and open office spaces).

Testing and Contact Tracing

Brown will require all students, including executive students, to be tested for COVID-19. You will need to be tested upon arrival on campus, and subject to selection for random sampling during the time that you are on campus. As noted in President Paxson’s letter, students will also be required to use a digital tool via their computers or mobile devices that is used to schedule tests and record daily symptoms. This tool is designed to protect students’ privacy. The University will not have access to information on where students go, and symptoms data will only be used after students’ names have been removed. Data from the tool will be useful for identifying health trends on campus and informing the amount of routine testing that is needed.

These requirements apply to all members of the Brown community, and will allow the University to limit community spread of COVID-19 through early identification, isolation and contact tracing. I encourage you to read Brown’s Plan for a Healthy and Safe 2020-21. If you have questions about the specifics, please refer to the University’s Healthy Brown website, which serves as an evolving resource regarding Brown’s planning for the 2020-21 academic year. Also, please reach out to your program director or to me with any concerns about these procedures.

Travel and Quarantine

At the moment, Rhode Island is one of few states in the United States showing sustained declines in all indicators of community spread of COVID-19. In order to maintain the health of Rhode Islanders, the state has issued evolving quarantine orders (currently requiring 14 days) for people entering Rhode Island from states that have relatively uncontrolled community spread of COVID-19. It is possible that, when the date of your face to face session arrives, you would need to quarantine for 14 days upon entry to Rhode Island.

At the same time, we recognize that in the event that Rhode Island experiences a resurgence in cases at the same time that your home state is effectively controlling COVID-19, you might be subject to a quarantine upon arriving home from your face to face session at Brown. Given this level of uncertainty, we are still developing scenarios for participation in face to face sessions. We will share these scenarios with you in advance of upcoming town hall meetings, and discuss them with you at that time.

It’s important to note that safeguarding the health of the community will be the shared responsibility of everyone on the Brown campus during 2020-21. I sincerely appreciate the essential role that you’ll play in maintaining health and safety for our community, which is the University’s most important priority, and the flexibility that may be required as the pandemic compels us to adjustment plans for the academic year. 

I thank you for your continued participation in the Brown SPS community. We all miss seeing you in person, and are looking forward to continuing to deliver a world-class education.

Sincerely,

Leah K. VanWey
Dean, School of Professional Studies
Professor of Sociology and Environment & Society