Communication to Georgetown University Staff 2021

December 29, 2021: Spring Semester 2022 Update

December 29, 2021

Dear Georgetown University Faculty and Staff,

Following today’s message from President DeGioia with a link to a detailed webpage including public health requirements, we provide the following information about how we will begin the Spring semester. As we send this very important information, we’d also like to recognize the impacts and the challenges of the changing pandemic environment requiring another shift in our mindset and activities as we adapt to an altered start to the Spring semester. As we have done since the beginning of this pandemic, we will continue to work closely with our colleagues and students to ensure our community has the necessary support for success.

Classes Start as Originally Scheduled, Held Virtually Through January 30, 2022. Most classes will start on January 12th as stated in the academic calendar, in a temporary remote mode, through January 30, 2022.  It is our intention to resume on-campus in-person classes on Monday, January 31, 2022, depending on public health conditions at that time. We will communicate any updates to the mode of instruction if need be. At this time, all students and faculty regularly scheduled to be on campus will be expected to be on campus by January 31.

Research 
When research activities require in-person work, faculty and staff have been asked to schedule work in such a way that allows for reduced density, maintaining physical distancing when possible and wearing a properly-fitted, high-grade mask inside at all times. Graduate students conducting research should continue as scheduled. We strongly encourage those who are eligible to be boosted to do so before returning to campus before the January 21, 2022, deadline .  Access for study participants visiting Georgetown for research purposes continues as planned.

Use of Library and Study Spaces
Libraries will be open only to Georgetown University community members. Students will need to keep at least six feet apart while studying in libraries or study spaces on campus and wear a high-grade mask at all times. These rooms will also be available for students as study spaces until January 30, so that students may maintain physical distancing.  We strongly encourage those who are eligible to be boosted to do so before returning to campus before the January 21, 2022, deadline . Masks (specific types outlined here) must be worn in indoor public spaces on campus, and no eating or drinking is allowed in communal areas, including libraries, classrooms, and study spaces. 

Undergraduate Residential Student Move-In Begins January 11, 2022
There are a very small number of exceptions for move-in prior to January 11. Given that classes will be held virtually, temporarily, through January 30, residential students may choose to move in later in January in the period between January 12 and January 30. Residential students will receive more information about the move-in process in early January.

International Students
New F1 students must enter the United States within 30 days of the start of Spring 2022 classes. For classes that start on Wednesday, January 12, the arrival deadline would be Thursday, February 10. Students in programs with different start dates should consult their program leadership. Students should, in all cases, make every effort to arrive by the start of in-person instruction to ensure their ability to make academic progress. Those students unable to get a booster in their home country can receive one upon arrival at the University.

Arrival Testing
Students, faculty and staff returning to campus after the winter break will need to get tested prior to their arrival on campus, following the arrival testing schedule described here, regardless of their vaccination status or whether they have traveled or remained in the local area. Please see the COVID-19 Testing section of the Public Health and University Operations webpage for more information on testing requirements prior to returning for the spring 2022 semester. 

Meetings, Gatherings, Events and Visitors
With limited exceptions explicitly approved by University leadership, all University events, including meetings with visitors, must be held virtually or outdoors through January 30, 2022. Georgetown requires all visitors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and, effective January 21, 2022, to have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot when eligible, or to have an approved medical or religious exemption.  

Mode of Work for Staff
Except for required in-person services, teleworking is encouraged temporarily through January 30, for academic staff while classes are held virtually. Supervisors have the responsibility to determine any temporary changes to mode of work, and to communicate these changes to impacted employees. We recognize that many staff have on-campus duties not feasibly performed remotely, and reducing campus density will assist our safety efforts. 

We will continue to monitor local school district public health policies to support faculty and staff with school-aged children, as well as being aware of issues that may arise from problems accessing established care for preschool aged children and other dependents. We will extend the GUCares Dependent Care financial support grant program into the Spring 2022 term for those in the community facing particular challenges with child or dependent care.

Use of Classrooms and Faculty Offices Until January 30, 2021
Prior to January 31, faculty may teach in virtual mode from classrooms or campus offices if they choose. Please contact CETS or the MSB or SCS help desks to let them know if you will continue to use your assigned classroom. Medical Center faculty may use classrooms on the GUMC campus as currently reserved and scheduled.

CNDLSResources
In addition to extensive instructional resources found on the Instructional Continuity website, CNDLS will hold Digital Learning Days on January 6-7 (please complete the registration form to attend). CNDLS will also expand office hours for any instructor needing assistance. Please feel free to visit CNDLS virtual office hours, M-F from 9am-6pm, with additional times available by appointment.

CETS and MSB Help Desk
Contact the CETS team at cets@georgetown.edu or via their Zoom help desk (Meeting ID 995-332-8350) between 8am-9pm Monday-Friday and Saturday 8am-6pm. For MSB classes, please contact the MSB help desk through the zoom link or ‘chat bot’ or by email ( msbhelp@georgetown.edu ) or by phone (202-687-4721). The MSB Help Desk is available Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 8 pm.

Requesting an Instructional Technology Aide
You may request an Instructional Technology Aide (ITA) by completing the Faculty ITA Interest Form by Wednesday, January 5, 2021. ITA’s are undergraduate work study students in paid hourly positions, who can assist instructors by performing tasks such as maintaining the virtual environment by troubleshootingconnection and access issues, monitoring zoom discussions, chat function and/or breakout rooms, monitoring course activities by gathering rapid class feedback, and distilling discussion board posts.

MCEF-Faculty Senate-CNDLS Joint Forum
On January 10th at 2:30pm, the Main Campus Executive Faculty, the Faculty Senate, and CNDLS will hold a joint faculty forum on teaching and learning plans for the beginning of spring semester, public health, and resources and support for faculty. Medical Center faculty are invited to participate. At that time, please join the forum here.

We hope this detailed information will allow you to better plan for your return to campus in January. We will continue to monitor public health conditions and communicate any updates. In the meantime, we wish you a healthy and restful winter break, and look forward to our return to University activities in January.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President of Health Sciences

David Green
Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 December 22, 2021: Happy Holidays

Dear Georgetown Students, Faculty and Staff,

I write today to wish you and your family a wonderful and happy winter holiday season.

This has been a year unlike any other year we have experienced, in both our private lives and our work lives.

Our community has endured continuing threats to our health from the pandemic. We remember those who have suffered.

We have, as an educational community, however, proven to ourselves that we can come together on campus and engage in teaching, learning, and research. We have demonstrated the resilience necessary to fulfill our mission despite the constraints of the pandemic.

As I reflect upon this past year, I wish to extend my continued thanks and appreciation to you for your dedication, perseverance and embodiment of our Jesuit values. I hope that the upcoming winter holidays offer a more extended opportunity to rest and reflect. 

I look forward to 2022 with optimism, and I am certain that the Georgetown community will continue to be strong and united, no matter what the future holds. Thank you, again, for all you do and best wishes for a happy holiday and joyful new year.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

 December 15, 2021: Immediate Changes This Semester

Dear Georgetown University Faculty, Staff and Students,

We are putting in place certain new public health measures today, following this morning’s message from Dr. Ranit Mishori.

Exams

If there is no disruption to student preparation, faculty can move from in-person exam formats to virtual or take-home exams. Main Campus faculty wishing to move required in-person exams to a larger classroom permitting more physical distancing should contact the Registrar’s office at schedulechanges@georgetown.edu to request relocation to a larger classroom. For in-person exams at the Medical Center (BGE and NHS), the Office of the EVP will contact faculty with larger classroom options. Students, please be vigilant in looking for any updates from your faculty.

Study Spaces

Study spaces will revert to 6-foot physical distancing between persons. These classrooms will also be available for students as study spaces so that students may maintain physical distancing. Masks must be worn in indoor public spaces on campus, and no eating or drinking is allowed in communal areas, including libraries and study spaces. 

Research and Lab Access

Access to and work in research laboratories can continue, but 6-foot physical distancing should be maintained whenever possible, and personnel should be masked at all times. 

Visitors

Georgetown faculty and staff are urged to move any indoor meetings with visitors to a virtual mode. With limited exceptions (e.g., research subjects, delivery drivers), University buildings will be restricted to Georgetown community members through the end of the fall semester. Parents and family members will be able to enter residential buildings to assist students who are returning home for the winter break.

Meetings and Gatherings

In order to limit density on our campus, please move all indoor meetings and gatherings to virtual mode at this time. As you have heard from Dr. Mishori, please move any holiday gatherings to virtual mode, or postpone as an option.

Staff/AAP Teleworking

To the greatest degree possible, we encourage teleworking for faculty and staff working to support our students and faculty for the remainder of the calendar year. Supervisors will be in touch with details on any temporary changes to mode of work. We recognize that many staff have on-campus duties not feasibly performed remotely, and reducing campus density will assist our safety efforts. We will continue to monitor public health conditions and communicate any changes.

Students in On-Campus Housing over Winter Break 

Students approved for housing over winter break will be housed as planned. These students will receive direct communication with any further information.

Decisions Regarding Return in Spring Semester

We will continue to monitor public health conditions and will be in close communication as we near the start of spring semester activities. 

Thank you for your continued patience. We wish you a safe and healthy completion of the fall semester.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President of Health Sciences

David B. Green
Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 December 13, 2021: Invitation to “Teach the Speech,” January 2022

December 13, 2021

Dear Georgetown Faculty and Staff,

This year, Georgetown University’s MLK: “Let Freedom Ring!” Initiative honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will provide the opportunity to continue the conversations on our campus about our capacity to bring about social change. Guided by Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community, we encourage all members of the university to reflect on urgent problems that demand social action.

Georgetown’s events honoring the legacy of Dr. King are highlighted by a program honoring our annual John Thompson, Jr. Legacy of a Dream Awardee. Events will continue through the month of February, celebration of Black History Month, and the rest of the semester. 

Each year, Georgetown faculty, staff, and students across campuses and schools read and reflect on one of Dr. King’s speeches or texts during the Spring semester. In the last nine years, diverse faculty and staff across the University have participated in this cross-campus curricular initiative by teaching Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” (2013), about the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (2014), Dr. King’s “The Other America” speech (2015), his Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (2016), “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence” (2017), “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” (2018), “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution” (2019), “Where do we go from here?” (2020), and “Our God is Marching On” (2021) in their courses and educational spaces.

For 2022, the Provost’s Office encourages faculty and staff to “Teach the Speech” and incorporate Dr. King’s 1965 speech entitled “I Have a Dream” (text and audio / multimedia) during the Spring 2022 semester. Fill out this form to commit your course or unit to “Teach the Speech” in Spring 2022. On this same form, you can RSVP for the annual Teach the Speech Teach-In, an event scheduled for Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 11:30am co-hosted by the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS), the Center for Social Justice (CSJ), the Doyle Engaging Difference Program, and the Division of Student Affairs. The event will be hybrid, and offered to an in-person and a Zoom audience.

The Teach-In will feature two short keynote addresses, a student reflection, and a facilitated dialogue among our three speakers. Our first invited mini keynote will be offered by Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan, whose political career and service as Chair of the Virginia Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission showcases her commitment to racial and social justice. Our second invited mini keynote is from Georgetown University Law Center Class of 2004 graduate, Neonu Jewell, JD, MBA, MDiv, who serves as the Critical Race Theory Research Fellow at the African American Policy Forum. Veronica Williams (C’23), a junior in the College pursuing a major in American Studies and minors in Psychology and Public Health, will offer the student reflection. Ijeoma Njaka (G’19), Senior Program Associate for Equity-Centered Design at the Red House and Inclusive Pedagogy Specialist at the Laboratory for Global Performance & Politics, will facilitate a dialogue with the speakers. 

We invite all Georgetown faculty and staff to commit time within their unit, office, or program to read and reflect on Dr. King’s speech with their colleagues and students. We invite members of the Main, Medical, Law, and Qatar campus communities to join in this effort.

With best wishes for a safe and healthy holiday season,

Robert M. Groves

Provost

 November 30, 2021: For Spring Semester 2022

Dear Georgetown Main Campus and Medical Center Faculty and Staff,

We have had a very successful return to campus this Fall thanks to all student, faculty and staff efforts, and are looking forward to the spring semester. Please find short informational notes here, followed by an endnote. We will continue to monitor public health conditions and will reevaluate guidelines should public health conditions change. All Main Campus and Medical Center students (except School of Medicine students) will receive a similar message in preparation for the Spring semester.

In-Person Learning Continues
The majority of courses will continue to be offered in-person for spring 2022, with some exceptions and modifications based upon pedagogical or operational considerations.

Masks Must be Worn in Buildings
Masking is proven to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and infection and, regardless of vaccination status, all individuals will continue to be required to wear a mask indoors in University-owned or operated buildings with limited exceptions (e.g., when eating or drinking or when alone in a private office). 

Sanitizing and Cleaning in Classrooms
The University will continue to supply hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes in each classroom and will continue to use cleaning supplies that meet the EPA’s criteria for use. 

Free COVID-19 Testing; Upon Demand as Often as You Wish
In addition to required COVID-19 testing, including upon your return to campus this week and at the beginning of the spring term,COVID-19 testing is and will continue to be available at no charge to all students, staff and faculty members for the spring semester. Make an appointment online or in the One Medical app for testing at an on-campus testing location. 

What To Do if You Have COVID-19 Symptoms, Test Positive, or Have Been Exposed
Regardless of your vaccination status, please stay home if you have symptoms of COVID-19, or a positive test result, and report your symptoms via the COVID-19 Symptom Check-In survey . If you receive a positive test result from a testing site other than those at Georgetown, please immediately report your result to the University’s Care Navigator Team. If you are not vaccinated and have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you must stay home and contact the University’s Care Navigator Team. A member of the University’s Care Navigator Team will contact you with next steps. You may also email other COVID-19 questions or concerns to  covidcarenavigator@georgetown.edu.  

Prepare for Absences in Advance
Students who miss class because of COVID-related isolation or quarantine should take steps consistent with students missing class for illness or other reasons. Faculty members will be prepared to make course materials available to students missing classes due to any illness, including COVID-19 illness, isolation, or quarantine, based upon course content and pedagogy. Faculty may use lecture capture software if appropriate for their courses. Lectures can be stored on Panopto and linked on the Canvas site. Faculty are not required to provide synchronous remote learning options for students missing class because of illness.  

If a significant number of students are absent from class because of isolation or quarantine, faculty members will consult with their department head, program director, and school dean regarding a decision to move the class to online mode temporarily, or to take other measures to ensure continuity of instruction.

Students must contact their (1) academic advisor, program director, or course director, and (2) each individual faculty member when placed in isolation or quarantine to determine next steps for each particular course. 

For privacy and other reasons, please do not email students about a student who may be sick — there is a public health process in place for contacting those who may have been exposed. 

Faculty Removing Masks in Classrooms 
Current University guidelines allow for fully vaccinated faculty to remove their masks when lecturing, if they choose, but such faculty must be at least 6 feet away from others. Recall that all classrooms have instructor microphones and amplifiers. Students are required to wear masks while in class, unless they have a University-approved disability accommodation, and no eating or drinking in class will be permitted, unless they have a medical accommodation.  

For faculty interested in clear masks to use while lecturing, please contact the following office for your campus:

• Main Campus/Medical Center: please contact CETS (cets@georgetown.edu) or go to the Office of the University Registrar in White Gravenor G-10 to pick up a clear mask Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• School of Continuing Studies (SCS): please contact Kelly Troxell (kat36@georgetown.edu).

If you forget a mask or are wearing a cloth mask, please use one of the free masks available inside building entrances. 

Student in Class Refusing to Wear a Mask
If an undergraduate or graduate student in your class is without a mask in a University-owned or operated building (and does not have an accommodation permitting them to be on campus without masking), ask the student to wear a mask. If they refuse, you may end your class for the day by announcing that since a violation of the public health requirement is occurring, you as an instructor cannot continue. Please report the student to Judy Johnson, Director of Student Conduct, at johnsonjd@georgetown.edu . (School of Medicine students should be reported to Dean Princy Kumar at Princy.N.Kumar@gunet.georgetown.edu.)

Have Clear Attendance and Instructional Continuity Policies in Syllabus
Each syllabus should state the class attendance policy and indicate how students should make up work (e.g., meeting with you during office hours or watching the recorded lecture) and what forms of remote instruction will be offered for students who miss a class (again, this is not required). 

Please Take Attendance and Create Seating Charts for Contact Tracing
Take attendance in each class, and consider establishing assigned seats with a seating chart as this information must be forwarded to our Public Health team for contact tracing should anyone in the classroom test positive for COVID-19. Taking this step will ensure more efficient contact tracing.  

What To Do if You are Placed in Isolation or Quarantine
If you teach an in-person class and you (or your family) are placed in isolation or quarantine, notify the University’s Care Navigator Team at covidcarenavigator@georgetown.edu and your department head or program director. Similarly, contact your students to notify them of your plans for academic continuity. In consultation with your department head, program director and Dean, you may be advised to move the class online temporarily or to make other arrangements for academic continuity. If you become ill with COVID symptoms and are unable to teach, contact your department  head or program director as you would with other illnesses. These matters will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the department/program and school.

What To Do if There are Children’s School Closures and Dependent Care Needs for Ill Family Members
In the event that there are school closures and/or COVID-related dependent care challenges, you may switch to remote instruction for a short period while arrangements for dependent care are underway. Faculty should work with their department chair, program director and Dean if faced with such circumstances.

Visit CNDLS for Help Designing Your Courses for the Spring
All faculty are invited to visit the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS) Teaching and Learning webpage for resources to support your teaching in the spring. CNDLS is also holding Digital Learning Days on December 7th-8th (with an encore on January 6th-7th). The two-day event will feature faculty panels, 75-minute small group workshops, and consultations to help you design your courses to address the most pressing classroom challenges faced this past semester, including increased absences and assessments.

If you use Panopto, Turn on Closed Captioning. This can be done retroactively to videos you’ve already recorded. Captioning not only helps with accessibility of your content, but it helps students locate material to review.

Rehearse Using New Classroom Technology with CETS/Technology Team Help 
Please make an appointment with our classroom technology teams prior to teaching in the spring. On Main Campus, contact Classroom Educational Technology Services (CETS) for questions or assistance setting up educational technology in your classrooms. If you teach in MSB, please contact the MSB Tech Center (msbhelp@georgetown.edu). If you teach in SCS, please contact scsavsupport@georgetown.edu. Faculty at the Medical Center campus please contact TESS ( tess@georgetown.edu) or call the UIS service desk at 202-687-4949.  More information is available on the UIS Educational Technologies webpages.

With Thanks and Looking Ahead
Thank you for all you have done to make the fall semester successful. Let’s continue to approach the next weeks and months with compassion and grace. Some students and faculty may be new to campus for the spring semester. Of course, we will continue to monitor public health conditions and notify you of any changes to planning or requirements.

In recent months, we have reestablished our vibrant in-person community on Georgetown campuses. By working together, we can build upon our experiences this fall, making the spring semester productive and engaging for the entire Georgetown University community.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

 November 24, 2021: Thanksgiving Thoughts and Wishes

Dear Georgetown Students, Faculty and Staff,

I write today to wish you and your family a safe and restful Thanksgiving. 

This year I am especially grateful to be back on campus and to see us all benefit from our community’s participation in public health protocols. These have permitted the return to in-person learning and research activities while also protecting one another. 

I am also deeply thankful for your patience, for your commitment to teaching and support of our students, and for your continued embodiment of the ideals of cura personalis and people for others. 

We have been enriched by your candor in voicing your concerns and actively participating in the University’s response to extraordinary challenges. Thank you for supporting each other, with patience and the assumption that we are all acting with good will.

I want to express my warm gratitude to you with wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

 October 15, 2021: Launch of the Center for Digital Ethics; danah boyd, Ph.D. appointed Visiting Distinguished Professor

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community, 

Georgetown University is pleased to announce the launch of the Georgetown new Center for Digital Ethics and the appointment of danah boyd, Ph.D, as a Visiting Distinguished Professor at Georgetown University as of September 1, 2021. Dr. boyd will work with colleagues across the University in support of Georgetown’s Center for Digital Ethics within Georgetown’s cross-campus Technology and Society Initiative and the planned Emergent Ethics Network. She will contribute to the campus community with public lectures and a course offered in the spring semester, tentatively titled “Data & the Politics of Evidence.”

The Center for Digital Ethics is composed of an interdisciplinary group of computer scientists, legal/regulatory scholars, social scientists, statisticians, policy scholars, and philosophers, impacting the framing of digital ethical guidance. This rapidly emerging field is focused on building a conceptual framework of ethical principles and practices regarding the design and use of technologies such as machine learning algorithms, social media platforms, and data on individuals.  The Center’s work will help define the academic field of digital ethics and help form the “digital ethics core” of education, research, and outreach for Georgetown.

Dr. boyd is a nationally and internationally recognized authority on the relationship between technology and society whose work touches on privacy, media manipulation, algorithmic fairness, and more. You can read more about danah’s background here. Dr. boyd is a partner researcher at Microsoft Research and the founder of Data & Society , an independent research institute focused on the social implications of data and automation. 

Dr. boyd received a Ph.D. from the School of Information (iSchool) at the University of California-Berkeley, a master’s degree from MIT Media Lab’s Sociable Media Group and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Brown University.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. danah boyd to our Georgetown community. We hope you will interact with Dr. boyd and the Center for Digital Ethics through the upcoming lecture series and other academic activities that will be developed for the coming year. 

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

September 24, 2021: Main Campus Public Health Forum

September 24, 2021: Main Campus Public Health Forum

 August 30, 2021: Problems Encountered Last Week

Dear Main Campus Faculty and Staff,

Thank you for your hard work and the care and patience you’ve shown in our return to in-person teaching. We are aware of and sincerely regret the difficulties that many of you encountered in a number of classrooms. We are writing to describe what is being done to remedy the problems and to provide guidance for handling these problems going forward. 
 
We would also like to acknowledge the challenges that many of you have had with classroom technology. Our Classroom Educational Technology Services (CETS) team has been overwhelmed with the volume of requests. We are actively working on solutions so this group can better serve our faculty and students.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems and Water Problems

We have mobilized the resources of our energy partner and our building services contractor to further support the University. Managers, supervisors and subject matter experts are on campus now, mobilized to help us plan, execute and better communicate our work. We have also hired additional HVAC contractors, tasked to repair and upgrade specific systems around campus. We will also be doubling the size of our contracted custodial and maintenance staff in various areas around campus.

Instructional Continuity During Classroom Air Handling Difficulties

When the temperature and/or the ventilation in a classroom are not conducive to teaching and learning, faculty are free to exercise their judgment and move classes online until conditions are improved.
 
To report difficulties with classroom operations such as air handling, mechanical equipment, operable windows, etc., please contact the Work Management team at 202-687-3432 or by submitting an online ticket.
 
Finally, over the weekend we had requests for further clarification of public health measures and classroom teaching. You will soon receive an email from Dr. Ranit Mishori with further information on classroom-based COVID-19 procedures and contact tracing procedures.
 
Sincerely,
 
Robert M. Groves, Provost
 
David B. Green, Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
 
Lori M. Baldwin, Vice President of Planning and Facilities Management

 August 19, 2021: Transition at GU-Q

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community, 

Georgetown University is pleased to announce the appointment of Clyde Wilcox, Ph.D., as the Interim Dean of Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Q) beginning October 16, 2021. In this role at the University, he will replace Ahmad Dallal, Ph.D., who will assume the presidency of the American University in Cairo.

Dr. Wilcox is a full professor in the Government Department at Georgetown’s Main Campus in Washington, DC, where he has taught since 1987, and is also Professor of Government and International Politics at the School of Foreign Service in Qatar. His work focuses on a number of topics in American and comparative politics, including religion and politics, gender politics, interest groups, public opinion and electoral behavior, campaign finance and science fiction and politics. He has authored, coauthored, edited or co-edited more than 30 books, including his two most recent books Federalism: A Very Short Introduction (2019) and The Interest Group Society (6th ed, 2018). He has also published hundreds of articles and book chapters including “Federalism in a Time of Plague” (2020) and “Religious Change, Political Incentives, and Explaining Religious-Secular Relations in the United States and the Philippines” (2017). Professor Wilcox is an internationally recognized speaker and has lectured in Qatar, England, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia. He has provided diplomatic training for the U.S. State Department, as well as for diplomats of other countries, and is a regular source for multimedia print, radio and television media on topics of government and international politics. 

Professor Wilcox received his Ph.D. and M.A. from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Arts from West Virginia University.

I wish to extend our appreciation to Ahmad Dallal, Ph.D., for his service and leadership as Dean, and also congratulate him on his new position as President of the American University in Cairo. 

Please join me in congratulating Clyde Wilcox as he takes on this new role.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

August 17, 2021: Quick Summary of What You Need To Know for the Fall Semester

Dear Georgetown Main Campus and Medical Center Faculty,

Please find informational notes here, and then an endnote from us.

All Faculty Invited: Town Hall Friday, August 20 on Return to Campus

Dr. Ranit Mishori, Georgetown’s chief public health officer, and Provost Groves will hold a town hall on Friday, August 20, from 3:30-4:30 p.m, sponsored jointly by MCEF and CNDLS, about the University’s public health guidelines and the return to in-person instruction. We will also be joined by Prof. Yulia Chentsova-Dutton and Dr. Andrea Bonior from the Department of Psychology, who will address the social and emotional challenges of our return to an in-person environment. We encourage you to attend the town hall by using this Zoom link and to submit questions for any of the speakers by August 19 at noon EDT through this Google Form.

Rehearse Using New Classroom Technology With CETS/Technology Team Help 

Please make an appointment with our classroom technology teams prior to your return to campus. On Main Campus, contact Classroom Educational Technology Services (CETS) for questions or assistance setting up educational technology in your classrooms this fall. If you teach in MSB, please contact the MSB Tech Center ( msbhelp@georgetown.edu). If you teach in SCS, please contact scsavsupport@georgetown.edu. Faculty at the Medical Center campus please contact TESS (tess@georgetown.edu ) or call the UIS service desk at 202-687-4949. 

All faculty are invited to visit the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS) Fall 2021 Teaching and Learning web page for resources to support our return to campus, and the UIS Educational Technologies web pages.

In Your Classes, Use What We Have Learned

Through the extraordinary, innovative efforts of faculty and CNDLS staff we learned a great deal in our online courses, our pilots in the Fall of 2020 and our Hybrid and HyFlex courses offered in Spring 2021.

• Communicate early and often
• Consider shorter or smaller assignments
• Provide frequent, regular assessment feedback
• Have a clear rubric to which students can refer
• Plan for flexibility
• Plan and adjust for everything to take more time and effort, from you and your students
• Be attentive to individual student needs adjusting to on-campus life 

Additional suggestions and approaches can be found on the CNDLS Return to Campus website.

Masks Must Be Worn in Buildings

Masking is proven to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and infection. Thus, individuals, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a mask indoors in University-owned or operated buildings with limited exceptions (e.g., when eating or drinking or when alone in a private office). Given current conditions, we strongly encourage faculty to wear masks while speaking and lecturing. Current University guidelines allow for fully vaccinated faculty to remove the mask when lecturing, if they choose, but such faculty must be at least six feet away from others. Recall that all classrooms have instructor microphones and amplifiers. Students are required to wear masks while in class, unless they have a University-approved disability accommodation, and no eating or drinking in class will be permitted, unless they have a medical accommodation.

For faculty interested in clear masks to use while lecturing, please contact the following office for your campus:

• Main Campus/Medical Center: please contact the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action (IDEAA) at ideaa@georgetown.edu.
• School of Continuing Studies (SCS): please contact Kelly Troxell (kat36@georgetown.edu).

Our Georgetown University Mask Guidelines strongly recommend wearing a surgical-style mask. Free surgical-style masks are available at entrances to University buildings, on-campus testing sites and at the rear entrance of GUTS buses. If you forget a mask or are wearing a cloth mask, please take a free mask and put it on before entering any University building. 

Student in Class Refusing To Wear a Mask

If a student in your class is without a mask (and does not have an accommodation permitting them to be on campus without masking), ask the student to wear a mask. If they refuse, you may end your class for the day by announcing that since a violation of the public health requirement is occurring, that you as an instructor cannot continue. Please report the student to Judy Johnson, director of student conduct, at johnsonjd@georgetown.edu.

Sanitizing and Ventilating Classrooms 

The University will continue to supply hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes in each classroom and will continue to follow best practices for cleaning on campus, including all classrooms, using cleaning supplies that meet the EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Classrooms, including microphones and technical equipment, will be cleaned each day. 

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have been assessed to ensure that all classrooms meet CDC COVID-19 guidance and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards for mitigation of virus transmission. Upgrades to building ventilation systems include MERV-13 air filtration for occupied spaces, installation of ultraviolet decontamination systems and building air flushing strategies to reduce airborne transmission.

Free COVID-19 Testing for You Upon Demand as Often as You Desire

COVID-19 testing is available at no charge to all faculty members teaching on-campus classes. Make an appointment online or in the One Medical app for testing at the Healey Family Student Center or Leavey Conference Center. More information about testing is on our website.

No Classroom Physical Distancing 

We are planning for Fall classes to be in-person, unless the course was approved to be online for pedagogical reasons. Currently, no physical distancing is required for classrooms, laboratories, offices, elevators or other spaces on campus. Many public health measures remain in place, including masking when indoors and frequent hand-washing. 

Prepare for Student Absences

Students who miss class because of COVID-19-related isolation or quarantine would be handled in a manner consistent with students missing class for illness or other reasons. Faculty members should be prepared to make course materials available to students missing classes due to COVID-19-related isolation or quarantine, or other symptoms and illnesses, based upon course content and pedagogy. Faculty are encouraged to use lecture capture software if appropriate for their courses. Lectures can be stored on Panopto and linked on your Canvas site. Faculty are not required to provide synchronous remote learning options for students missing class because of illness. Feel free to reinforce to students, they must contact both their (1) academic advisor, program director or course director, and (2) each individual faculty member when placed in isolation or quarantine to determine next steps for each particular course. 

For privacy and other reasons, please do not email your class about a student who may be sick – there is a public health process in place for contacting students notifying those who may have been exposed. 

If you reach a point where a number of students are absent from class for reasons of being in isolation or quarantine, consult with your department head or program director and school dean regarding a decision to move the class to online mode temporarily, or to take other measures to ensure continuity of instruction.

Attendance, Seating Charts and Contact Tracing

Take attendance in each class and consider establishing assigned seats with a seating chart as this information must be forwarded to our pubic health team for contact tracing should anyone in the classroom test positive for COVID-19. Taking this step will ensure most efficient contact tracing.

What To Do if You Have COVID-19 Symptoms, Test Positive or Have Been Exposed

Regardless of your vaccination status, please stay home if you have symptoms of COVID-19, or a positive test result, and report your symptoms via the COVID-19 Check-In survey . If you receive a positive test result from a testing site other than the ones at Georgetown, please immediately report your result to the University’s Care Navigator Team. If you are not vaccinated and have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you must stay home and contact the University’s Care Navigator Team. A member of the University’s Care Navigator Team will get in touch with you and help you through any next steps. You can also email other COVID-19 questions or concerns to covidcarenavigator@georgetown.edu.

Public health guidance from the CDC and the DC Department of Health advises fully vaccinated people who have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 do not need to quarantine. However, they should try to get tested 3-5 days after an exposure, even if with no symptoms, and wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative.

What To Do if You Are Placed in Isolation or Quarantine

If you teach an in-person class and you (or your family) are placed in isolation or quarantine, notify the University’s Care Navigator Team and your department head or program director. Similarly, contact your students to notify them of your plans for academic continuity. In consultation with your department head, program director and dean, you may be advised to move the class online temporarily or to make other arrangements for academic continuity. If you become ill with COVID-19 symptoms, and are unable to teach, contact your department head or program director as you would with other illnesses. These matters will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the department/program and school.

What To Do if There Are Children’s School Closures and Dependent Care Needs for Ill Family Members

In the event that there are school closures and/or COVID-19-related dependent care challenges, you may switch to remote instruction for a short period while arrangements for dependent care are underway. Faculty should work with their department chair, program director and dean if faced with such circumstances.

On a Personal Note

We want to thank you for your persistence and dedication through this extended transition as we return to classrooms on campus. Let’s approach the next weeks and months with compassion and grace. Some of your students may not have attended a class in person in some years. Some undergraduates enjoyed one semester on campus, followed by more than a full year exclusively online. Some faculty may have the need to make alternative arrangements if they have a sick child at home, or may need to rely on colleagues in their department to cover a class, and may need to reach out to a department chair or dean with this information. Please be gentle to one another; all of us are working diligently with a united mission. We can succeed this semester by calling on our community cohesion.

This is a time of great anticipation and excitement, and of tremendous change, allowing us to extend our own resilience and broaden care for others consistent with our Georgetown values.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Edward B. Healton
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

 July 19, 2021: Fall 2021 Public Health Guidelines for Students, Faculty, and Staff

Fall 2021 Public Health Guidelines for Students, Faculty, and Staff email found here.

 July 1, 2021: Updated COVID-19 Travel Policy Relaxes Travel Restrictions

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community, 
 
We write today with the good news that because of increasing vaccination rates and updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on domestic travel and international travel, the University is updating the COVID-19 Travel Policy for students, faculty and staff, and will be relaxing travel restrictions. Please review the details below on permitted University-related travel, public health guidance related to travel and instructions for booking travel for faculty research and for students and staff.

Permitted Travel

As of today, July 1, 2021, fully vaccinated individuals may engage in domestic University-related travel, upon providing proof of vaccination through the GU360 mobile app or GU360 website with a vaccine authorized for emergency use by the FDA or World Health Organization prior to travel. For individuals who are not yet fully vaccinated, domestic University-related travel remains limited to “essential travel” as defined in the policy.
 
As of August 1, 2021, the following international University-related travel is permitted. Please refer to the COVID-19 Travel Policy for definitions of the key terms used below (e.g., lower risk regions, elevated risk regions, essential travel and Senior Administrator) and additional details. While booking approved international travel planned for August 1 or later is permitted now, there is still a moratorium on international travel before August 1, and the COVID-19 Spring and Summer Travel Policy (new window) (new window) (new window) remains in effect for international travel until then.

Students

• Fully vaccinated students may engage in individual or independent University-related travel (e.g., thesis research, internships, fellowships) to lower risk regions or for essential travel, as defined in the COVID-19 Travel Policy, upon review by the University’s Travel Review Committee and approval by the relevant Senior Administrator identified in the Policy.
• A limited number of international programs – including certain study abroad programs organized or sponsored by the Office of Global Education and other University departments – will also be permitted to proceed beginning in Fall 2021, after a program-specific risk assessment and approval by the relevant Senior Administrator. Students participating in such programs must be fully vaccinated. Students who have applied for an international program for Fall 2021 will receive more information in the coming days and weeks from the Office of Global Education or other sponsoring unit regarding the status of their program.

Faculty and Staff

• Fully vaccinated faculty and staff may engage in University-related international travel to lower risk regions, as defined in the COVID-19 Travel Policy (new window) (new window) (new window), after providing proof of vaccination (new window) (new window) (new window) through the GU360 mobile app or GU360 website (new window) (new window) (new window). 
• Fully vaccinated faculty and staff may travel to elevated risk regions, as defined in the policy, after providing proof of vaccination (new window) (new window) (new window) through the GU360 mobile app or GU360 website (new window) (new window) (new window) and submitting the travel request for review and approval by the relevant Senior Administrator, who may consult with the Travel Review Committee.
• Faculty and staff who are not, or have not informed the University that they are, fully vaccinated – either due to an accommodation or due to their fully telework mode of work – should consult with the relevant Senior Administrator or the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action (new window) (new window) (new window), as appropriate, before embarking on University-related international travel.

The COVID-19 Travel Policy Approval Process (new window) (new window) (new window) provides information on how to submit a request for international travel approval when required under this policy.

Public Health Guidance

Travelers must stay apprised of, and comply with, public health and travel regulations and guidance in place both at their destination, and upon their return, with the understanding that such regulations and guidance continue to change quickly. Please review University public health protocols related to travel (new window) (new window) (new window), District of Columbia travel guidance (new window) (new window) (new window), CDC travel guidance (new window) (new window) (new window) and the travel guidance of your state of residence.

As of July 1, 2021, per CDC guidance, international travelers, regardless of their citizenship or vaccination status, will need to get a COVID-19 test no more than three days before returning by air to the United States, show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight to the United States, and get a COVID-19 test three to five days after returning to the United States.

Booking University-Related Travel 

Individuals engaging in approved University-related travel must comply with all other University policies (e.g., financial or departmental approvals).
 
In response to faculty feedback, campus leaders are developing policies specific to faculty research travel. Faculty booking research-related travel should refer questions to their unit head or dean.
 
Staff will need to request approval from their manager or relevant Senior Administrator before booking University-related travel.
 
We strongly encourage students, faculty and staff to book University-related travel through Georgetown Travel Services (new window) (new window) (new window) (GTS) to take advantage of travel savings and so that the University can communicate and provide emergency assistance to individuals on University-related travel. If you have any questions or feedback throughout the process of booking with GTS, please email travel@georgetown.edu (new window) (new window) (new window) or Sheyna Arthur, Director of Procurement Services, at sheyna.arthur@georgetown.edu (new window) (new window) (new window).

We will continue to monitor public health conditions domestically and globally, and we will update the University’s travel policies as appropriate. 
 
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work together to protect our University community.
 
Sincerely,
 
Robert M. Groves, Provost
 
Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences 
 
William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center
 
Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 May 19, 2021: Update on Public Health Measures

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,

We are writing to share several updates about the University’s public health measures, which we are implementing after carefully reviewing the latest guidance from the DC government and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As we prepare for the gradual return to campus of our community in the coming weeks and months, we are encouraged that public health trends for COVID-19 on campus and in the District of Columbia continue to improve.

COVID-19 Mask Guidelines

We are updating the University’s COVID-19 Mask Guidelines, effective Friday, May 21, which is when Mayor Bowser’s latest public health order takes effect.

Fully vaccinated individuals on campus and fully vaccinated students living in the Georgetown, Burleith and Foxhall neighborhoods (“Neighborhoods”) do not need to wear a mask in outdoor spaces, except where directed in limited circumstances, including during certain University events, such as the 2021 Commencement ceremony at Nationals Park. All individuals on campus and students living in the Neighborhoods, regardless of vaccination status, need to continue to wear a mask when indoors, except when eating or drinking, when alone in a private room with a closed door or when in their personal residence without guests.

We have made these updates in consultation with public health experts who have been advising the University throughout the pandemic. To reduce the risk of transmitting the virus and to protect community members who are in vulnerable populations, it is important for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to continue to wear a mask indoors on campus or when in certain circumstances outdoors, including University events in which large crowds are gathered in the same space.

Please refer to the Mask Guidelines for additional information.

Georgetown University Community Compact

The Georgetown University Community Compact (Community Compact) will remain in effect for the summer. We have updated the Community Compact in light of new guidance for fully vaccinated individuals.

Faculty and staff who have been approved to come to campus this summer and who have not yet signed the Community Compact will need to sign it by completing the Summer 2021 Affirmation in the GU360 mobile app or GU360 website. Faculty and staff who have already signed the Community Compact do not need to take any further action.

Students who will live on campus or participate in a University course or program this summer will also need to complete the Summer 2021 Affirmation in the GU360 mobile app or GU360 website. Students who have already signed the Community Compact will not be prompted to sign it again, but they will need to confirm their address and emergency contact information as part of the Summer 2o21 Affirmation. Students who are not living on campus or are not participating in a University course or program this summer do not need to take any further action.

COVID-19 Vaccination

As Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Ranit Mishori shared in her May 12 message, students, faculty and staff are now able to get vaccinated on campus, at no cost to community members. If you are interested, please email chiefpublichealthofficer@georgetown.edu to indicate your interest and to receive additional details.

If you have already been vaccinated, please submit documentation of your COVID-19 vaccination through the GU360 mobile app or GU360 website. Please follow these instructions to submit your documentation.

We all must keep doing our part to protect ourselves and one another, including by getting vaccinated as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 April 28, 2021: Update on “Return to Campus” Plans

Dear Georgetown University Staff and AAP Employees,

Thank you for your contributions supporting our community throughout the pandemic, whether you have been working on campus or teleworking.

President DeGioia’s March 25 message announced our intention to bring our full community back to our campuses to begin the next academic year. This summer, the return begins gradually. Our dynamic and diverse community of students, faculty and staff brings our campuses to life, and it will be a welcome moment when we reunite in person.

We’re pleased so many of you were able to attend our Staff/AAP Community Forum yesterday. As a follow-up to our presentation, this message provides information on preliminary “return to campus” plans for employees as we know many members of our community have questions about coming back to campus, including concerns related to dependent care responsibilities. We will provide additional information in the coming weeks and will adjust our plans as needed based on public health conditions. Faculty are also receiving this message today for informational purposes.

Phase I: Mode of Work for 2021-22 Academic Year

For the 2021-22 academic year, the University will designate the appropriate mode of work for staff and AAP colleagues as in-person, telework or hybrid (i.e., combination of in-person work and telework). Staff and AAP colleagues will receive notice of their mode of work for the 2021-22 academic year by June 30, 2021. 

Over the coming weeks, the Department of Human Resources will work with the schools and business units within our academic campuses and University Services on this process. Unit heads and supervisors will receive a list of employees on their teams and will decide on the mode of work for each position, based on the requirements of the role and public health considerations. These lists will then be reviewed by the respective executive vice president or chief operating officer. The Department of Human Resources will notify individual employees of their mode of work.

We intend to provide as much flexibility as possible to balance operational needs with individual circumstances, while also ensuring we continue to achieve our educational and research missions. There is no one-size-fits-all solution given the variety of roles, work requirements and operating needs we have at Georgetown. To address this diversity, we have developed a Telework Framework that will enable us to make informed decisions related to each position’s mode of work. This framework has been developed in consultation with a University-wide Telework Committee, which has been exploring this issue in depth.

All employees, except those who already have a telework agreement to work outside of the local area in place, should return to a residence in Washington, DC, Maryland or Virginia and be in commuting distance of their on-campus worksite, no later than Monday, August 2, 2021, regardless of the mode of work for the position for the coming year. This will ensure that we provide the best support for our returning residential and on-campus academic and research community, and allow the University to manage its legal and compliance obligations, reflecting the resolution of some of the exigencies caused by the pandemic.

We will provide additional updates in the coming weeks and months, including information about public health measures for the Fall semester. Please refer to the “Return to Campus” website for employees, which we will continue to update. Information will also be available on that site about upcoming information sessions in May, which will be co-led by our Department of Human Resources Client Services Partners and our school and business units across the University.

Phase II: Beyond 2021-22 Academic Year

As we move through the upcoming academic year, which we envision to be transitional, we will update position descriptions based on what we learn about the most effective ways to conduct our work. The Department of Human Resources will work with department heads and supervisors to add mode of work to updated position descriptions. Recognizing this is a significant undertaking, we will complete this process in a timely manner but no later than June 30, 2022.

As mentioned, the year ahead will be a time of transition for all of us. We will continue to adapt to new circumstances together. Thank you again for your commitment to Georgetown, resilience and care for one another and our students during this time.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 April 16, 2021: Following up on Cultural Climate Issues

Dear Georgetown University Main Campus Faculty, Staff and Students,

We write regarding President DeGioia’s letter on April 16 addressing the results of the recent Campus Cultural Climate Survey conducted at the University. 

As we aspire to create a sense of belonging within the Georgetown community that is not pervasive in the larger U.S. society, these findings are deeply disappointing. 

Given Georgetown’s attempt to honestly face its own legacy of the enslavement of people of African descent in the 19th century and its vestiges, the survey results teach us how much more remains to be done among its current community in the 21st century.

The survey shows we have not achieved equality of belonging across groups over the past few years, and demonstrates the need for further action fostering inclusion across campus. As a start, we have committed to actions designed to improve the cultural climate. For example, we have launched the Provost’s Distinguished Faculty Fellows, which will improve Georgetown’s competitive position to attract faculty from a wide range of backgrounds who demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We will increase our support of Master’s student funding for disadvantaged students by 17.5 million dollars over five years, and have doubled Healy Fellowships for Ph.D. students. We are building the Provost’s Emerging Scholars Program, a mentoring program for undergraduate students from marginalized backgrounds, recruiting them into careers in research and academia. We recently established a grant process supporting academic departments’ work to make curricular changes resulting in more inclusive pedagogy, and we have reviewed and updated policies which may have unintentionally created inequities. We are re-energizing the diversity requirement for undergraduate students. 

Multiple schools on the Main Campus are building individual efforts to respond to the survey results with actions to create a more inclusive environment. The Deans will reach out in due course to engage in dialogue on the hard work needed to address the challenges raised.

Thank you to all members of our community as we move forward together. Thank you to our students for your participation and honesty in taking part in this survey. We plan to make the cultural climate survey results a focus of discussions in faculty, staff, and student advisory groups, in order to identify additional ways forward.

We value this work of creating equity across students’ experiences and of improving the diversity of our faculty because we firmly believe we will be a stronger, better university as a result of these efforts. 

Cultures are built by people sharing the same environment. Ideas from all of us are to be valued as we attempt to build a more inclusive culture.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Paul Almeida, Dean of the McDonough School of Business

Maria Cancian, Dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy

Soyica Colbert, Interim Dean of Georgetown College

Joel Hellman, Dean of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service

Kelly Otter, Dean of the School of Continuing Studies

Alexander Sens, Interim Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

 April 12, 2021: Good News for Fall 2021 Class Schedule

Dear Georgetown Main Campus Faculty and Staff,

Given the very useful input from faculty at the April 6 MCEF-CNDLS session, we have reshaped key features of the classroom and scheduling design. In consultation with our public health colleagues, we have designed a schedule based on “three feet” rather than “six feet” separation of student desks, and adjusted the cleaning schedule of rooms to be consistent with new CDC guidance on cleaning.  

These changes permit almost all faculty to have their chosen times and days in our classroom spaces. We have a few, but many fewer, sections not yet assigned to rooms, which will require some case-by-case work, as usual. We also must have some large classes in virtual mode, but somewhat fewer of those. Under these circumstances, faculty are reminded that some may need to teach in classrooms different than those they may be accustomed to. 

This permits students to register for fall semester, 2021, at the times that we have posted earlier, with Ph.D. students starting today, Monday, April 12, with others following according to this schedule.

We thank you for all your ideas and share your enthusiasm for returning to work with our students in person.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Provost

Kathryn Olesko
Chair, Main Campus Executive Faculty

 April 9, 2021: Resuming Undergraduate Hybrid Classes April 12

Dear Georgetown University Main Campus and Medical Center Faculty, Staff and Students,

We write to share information on resuming hybrid undergraduate courses as of April 12, 2021. As you know, graduate courses have remained in hybrid mode throughout the semester. Hybrid mode for undergraduate courses was suspended earlier in the semester due to a rise in COVID cases among our community. We are pleased to share that based upon post-Spring Break testing data, we can now resume hybrid mode for undergraduate students, as of April 12, 2021.

It is important to note that each faculty member establishes the schedule of in-person meetings in their classes. Undergraduate students in hybrid courses will hear from their faculty members regarding the specific schedule that class will follow, as some classes may not meet on Monday the 12th or may resume hybrid mode at a later date.

Lauinger Library will continue operations with established physical distancing guidelines and procedures, including a space reservation system, to best serve faculty and students. With these new procedures in place, we will be able to accommodate seniors, graduate students and faculty who are in compliance with the University’s public health protocols and display a green Building Access Badge at entry.

While Yates Field House and Kehoe Field will remain closed for the final weeks of this semester, they will reopen in phases as part of our planned summer and fall sequencing. We will communicate reopening status as public health conditions permit.

All faculty, staff and students coming to campus or residing on campus and students living in the neighborhoods around campus must continue to meet all testing protocols, quarantine and public health requirements set forth and accessible through our website, regardless of vaccination status. In addition, faculty, staff and students coming to campus or residing on campus must complete the COVID-19 Daily Check-In survey in order to receive a green Building Access Badge. You can find additional information on health and safety requirements on the COVID-19 Resource Center website and in the frequently asked questions, which are updated regularly. We strongly encourage all members of our community to get vaccinated at your earliest opportunity and to get whichever vaccine is available to you. 

We will continue to prioritize public health needs in our decision-making and to work to protect the health and safety of our community. Our plans and safety measures remain subject to change as public health conditions change. We look forward to returning to campus in a measured way, gradually increasing our presence on campus as a community. 

In conclusion, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for your patience and collaboration throughout this semester and year. 

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 March 24, 2021: Registration Postponed: April 12 for Grad Students and April 19 for Undergraduates

Dear Main Campus Students, Faculty and Staff,

As a result of consultation with student and faculty leaders, the registration period will be postponed by one week, with registration now beginning Monday, April 12, for graduate students and Monday, April 19, for undergraduate students. More information will be provided by the University Registrar in the next few days for Main Campus students. The School of Continuing Studies will continue with registration activities as planned.

This change will allow students more time to evaluate their course options for the Fall semester. Again, our plans are subject to changing public health conditions and District of Columbia review.

Students should please contact their academic advisor or program director for more information on specific courses and curricular requirements.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

 March 22, 2021: Reminder: Avoid Travel and Follow Public Health Guidelines During Spring Break

Dear Members of the Georgetown Community,

Following our March 5 message, we are writing to remind you to avoid travel and follow all public health guidelines during spring break.

Again, we strongly recommend that members of our community follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by avoiding travel and social gatherings to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. Travel increases the risk of being infected and of bringing the virus back to DC – especially the more transmissible variants – and could lead to a spike in cases that will endanger our community’s health and further delay a return to more on-campus activities. Instead, we encourage you to consider these spring break activities to decompress and stay connected with friends and family virtually instead of traveling.

Any community members who will be on campus between March 26 and April 4, and any students remaining in the neighborhoods of Georgetown, Burleith or Foxhall, must continue to get tested in accordance with the University’s COVID-19 Testing Protocol. Testing hours will operate on a slightly modified schedule, including reduced hours on Thursday, April 1, and new hours at the Leavey Center on Friday, April 2, and Saturday, April 3.

If you must travel, it is critical that campus-eligible students and non-emergency employees returning to DC from outside the DC, Maryland or Virginia (DMV) area begin self-quarantining upon return. You may take a test on campus within 24 hours of your arrival, but you must schedule another COVID-19 test three to five days after returning and continue to self-quarantine until you receive a negative result from that test, as this time period poses the greatest risk of community transmission. Social gatherings with individuals outside of your household during quarantine periods – even in small groups – were a large driver of COVID-19 cases following winter break. 

All community members – regardless of vaccination status – who are eligible to come to campus and who travel over spring break also should restart completing the COVID-19 Daily Check-in survey each day upon their return and resume testing in accordance with the University’s COVID-19 Testing Protocol.

Community members who are eligible to come to campus should report any upcoming travel to the University through the GU360 Daily Check-in no later than March 24 to ensure you receive the proper quarantine guidance and, for student residents, food delivery. 

Classes restart after spring break on Monday, April 5. We are planning for hybrid undergraduate classes to resume in person on Monday, April 12, on an in-person schedule determined by the faculty member. Graduate hybrid courses will continue in-person operations, with mode determined by the instructor for each course.

No matter where you are, whether you are immunized or not, it is critical that Every Hoya Everywhere do their part to contain the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Ranit Mishori, M.D., MHS, FAAFP, Professor of Family Medicine, Interim Chief Public Health Officer

 March 18, 2021: Spring and Summer Travel Policy

Dear Georgetown Faculty, Staff and Students, 

In March 2020, we suspended all university-sponsored international and domestic travel for students, faculty and staff. In light of the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on our community, and the advent of increased vaccination opportunities, we must balance restrictions on activities in compliance with public health imperatives and the desire to promote and facilitate learning and research. In the context of this trade-off, today we announce updates to this policy for the remainder of the Spring semester and Summer 2021 in the COVID-19 Spring and Summer Travel Policy.

In summary, due to the significant continued public health risk posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the University’s moratorium on all domestic and international university-related travel by students, faculty, and staff, remains in place until further notice. Limited exceptions may be granted for travel that is deemed “essential,” or travel to low-risk destinations as defined in the University’s COVID-19 Spring and Summer Travel Policy. Georgetown study abroad programs offered by the Office of Global Education during the Summer 2021 term (May-August 2021) and all other university-sponsored undergraduate, non-credit international travel are suspended through August 15, 2021.

Limited exceptions to the moratorium may be granted after review by the relevant campus Executive Vice President (for students and faculty, and non-University Services staff), the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (for staff members of University Services), or the Vice President and Chief of Staff (for direct reports to the President). They will also consult with the University’s Travel Review Committee (“TRC”). The Travel Moratorium Appeals Process provides information on how to submit an appeal. 

The University is constantly monitoring the public health situation domestically and globally, with the hope that conditions will improve enough to safely permit additional University-related travel in the future, including expanded opportunities for faculty travel for purposes of field, archival, laboratory, or other research; we will promptly inform the community of any changes to the moratorium. 
 

We appreciate everyone’s cooperation as we work through changing public health circumstances. 

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and Executive Dean of the School of Medicine

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 March 5, 2021: Avoid Travel and Follow Public Health Guidelines During Spring Break

Dear Members of the Georgetown Community,

With spring break approaching, we want to offer guidance for staying safe and healthy, regardless of where you are learning or working this semester.

We strongly recommend that members of our community follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by avoiding travel and social gatherings to protect themselves and others from COVID-19.

Travel to DC after winter break appears to have driven the increase in COVID-19 cases among the University community that quickly spread through even small social gatherings. As a result, Georgetown has had to enact a number of measures to limit further exposure and transmission. The best way to keep one another safe and to resume more on-campus activities is to limit travel and social gatherings – wherever you are for spring break – for the time being.

If you must travel, follow all public health guidelines before, during and after traveling to avoid getting infected yourself, and transmitting the virus to your family, friends and others. Bringing the virus back to DC – especially the more contagious variants – could lead to a spike in cases that will endanger our community’s health and further delay a return to more on-campus activities.

Classes restart after spring break on Monday, April 5. We are planning for hybrid undergraduate classes to resume in person on Monday, April 12, at an in-person schedule determined by the faculty member. We will be in communication with any changes to this planning process. This pause between April 5 and April 12 allows for the necessary quarantine after the break, should students, faculty or staff leave the DC, Maryland or Virginia (DMV) area during this time. Graduate hybrid courses will continue in-person operations, with mode determined by the instructor for each course.

For Those Leaving the DMV

Again, we strongly recommend that you do not travel over spring break.

Students and non-emergency employees who are eligible to come to campus and who travel over spring break for a few days to any state or country outside the DMV area should reenter the COVID-19 Testing Protocol by taking the steps listed below. (Emergency employees should start at step four). 

1. Begin self-quarantining upon your return to DC.
2. You may take a test on campus within 24 hours of your arrival. You must continue your quarantine even if the test is negative. 
3. Schedule a COVID-19 test three to five days after returning to DC and continue to self-quarantine until you receive a negative result.
4. Restart completing the COVID-19 Daily Check-in survey each day.
5. Continue to get tested in accordance with the University’s COVID-19 Testing Protocol.

If you are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, test positive for COVID-19 or are not feeling well prior to your departure, please do not travel and do not come to campus. 
 
Students and non-emergency employees in quarantine will not be permitted to enter any University building other than their on-campus residence or participate in any in-person University program or activity until they have received a negative result from their test three to five days after returning to DC. 

For Those Staying in the DMV

Any community members who will be on campus between March 26 and April 4, and any students remaining in the neighborhoods of Georgetown, Burleith or Foxhall, must continue to get tested in accordance with the University’s COVID-19 Testing Protocol. Testing hours will operate on a normal schedule, but will be closed Friday, April 2, through Sunday, April 4.

Residential buildings will remain open over spring break, along with several dining options operating on slightly modified schedules. Students will be able to utilize their meal plan in Leo O’Donovan Hall, and Flex can be utilized at Leo O’Donovan Hall, Royal Jacket and the Hoyas @ Home Grocery delivery program. We encourage any students concerned about their ability to access food over spring break to contact the Division of Student Affairs.

Public health screeners will continue to be posted at buildings Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Community members entering campus buildings after-hours must have approved GOCard access.

GUTS buses will run on regular schedules. The Student Health Center will have a slightly modified schedule – open 8:30 to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday with no Saturday hours on March 27 or April 3. Lauinger Library and designated study spaces will continue to be available to students currently living on campus in University residential housing and to graduate students who have green GU360 badges, with reservations permitting them to use the study space. Access to Dahlgren Memorial Library will continue to be restricted to BGE, SOM and NHS graduate students.

No matter where you are, we encourage you to decompress and stay connected with friends and family virtually. It is critical that Every Hoya Everywhere do their part to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Ranit Mishori, M.D., MHS, FAAFP, Professor of Family Medicine, Interim Chief Public Health Officer

 March 3, 2021: Extended Pause for Undergraduate Hybrid Courses Until April 12

Dear Georgetown University Main and Medical Center Campus Faculty, Staff and Students,

We write with an update on operating conditions on Main Campus. As you know, graduate-level hybrid courses returned to campus as of February 15, while undergraduate-level courses had been paused until March 8. Please see the following updates based upon current public health conditions.

Due to continued high numbers of off-campus undergraduate students with positive tests, as well as a growing number of cases among campus residential students this week, we are extending the current pause on undergraduate courses meeting in-person. There will be no in-person undergraduate hybrid courses and activities through Monday, April 12. Main Campus spring break begins after the last class on March 26, with classes resuming in virtual mode Monday, April 5.

We are planning for hybrid undergraduate classes to resume in person on Monday, April 12, at an in-person schedule determined by the faculty member. This pause between April 5 and April 12 allows for the necessary quarantine after the break, should students, faculty or staff leave the DMV area during this time. Graduate hybrid courses will continue in-person operations, with mode determined by the instructor for each course. 

Faculty Members Teaching Hybrid Courses

Those faculty members teaching hybrid courses may use their assigned classroom or office to continue teaching, even if undergraduate students are solely in virtual mode.

Meetings and Faculty Office Hours

No academic meetings or gatherings should take place on campus, including faculty office hours.

Use of the Library and Designated Study Spaces

Use of the Lauinger Library building and facilities, as well as use of all designated study spaces, will continue to be restricted to students currently living on campus in University residential housing and to graduate students who have a green GU360 Building Access Badge, with reservations permitting them to use the study space. Access to Dahlgren Memorial Library will continue to be restricted to BGE, SOM and NHS graduate students.

Research Activities

Faculty who have been granted access previously to their offices are now able to return to these offices. New requests for such access can be submitted via the Campus Eligibility Access form. Researchers with currently approved Research Resumption Plans, as submitted through the GMS portal, can continue to conduct research activities accordingly. Undergraduate students who were previously approved to conduct research activities on campus, including both those in residence on campus and those living off campus, are permitted to do so in accordance with the considerations above. These students will receive additional information from their advising dean or academic supervisor and should direct any questions to their academic supervisor.

Redeploy Georgetown Assignments

In light of the continued pause and reduced traffic on campus, some on-campus redeploy assignments may be adjusted. Impacted redeployed employees will receive a communication from the Department of Human Resources with further guidance. This status change does not impact remote redeploy assignments.

Religious Services

Limited in-person religious services resumed on February 17 and will continue to be limited to community members with a green GU360 Building Access Badge. Please check the Office of Campus Ministry website for the latest scheduling information.

Yates Field House and Kehoe Field

Yates Field House and Kehoe Field will continue to remain closed. We will communicate reopening status, should public health conditions permit.

As public health conditions allow, we look forward to relaxing these operating restrictions and will be in communication regarding resumption of undergraduate in-person experiences. To resume on-campus activities we must all continue to do our part and remain vigilant in following health and safety guidelines, including wearing a mask, practicing physical distancing, avoiding indoor social gatherings, respecting the requirement to quarantine and meeting testing commitments.

We thank you for your efforts at this time.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President of Health Sciences

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 February 18, 2021: Extended Pause for Undergraduate Hybrid Courses Until March 8; Continuation of Graduate Courses in Hybrid Mode

Dear Georgetown University Main and Medical Center Campus Faculty, Staff and Students,

We write with an update on operating conditions on Main Campus. Previously, we had announced that graduate level hybrid courses would return to campus, while undergraduate level hybrid courses would pause until March 1. We are extending the pause in undergraduate hybrid courses.

Graduate hybrid courses will continue in-person operations, at a schedule determined by the instructor for each course.

However, due to ongoing high levels of positive coronavirus cases among undergraduates, we are extending the current pause on undergraduate courses meeting in person. There will be no in-person undergraduate hybrid courses and activities through Monday, March 8, at 7 a.m. If circumstances improve, we will alert you as soon as we can make the decision to return undergraduates to campus.

Use of the Library and Designated Study Spaces
Use of the Lauinger Library building and facilities, as well as use of all designated study spaces, will continue to be restricted to students currently living on campus in University residential housing and to graduate students who have green GU360 badges, with reservations permitting them to use the study space. Access to Dahlgren Memorial Library will continue to be restricted to BGE, SOM and NHS graduate students.

Meetings and Faculty Office Hours
No academic meetings or gatherings should take place on campus, including faculty office hours.

Research Activities
Research activities will continue to be restricted in accordance with the guidance shared on January 27. Office access (granted through the GMS Office Access Portal), even with prior approval, is suspended, as is any pending request through the Campus Eligibility Access form. Researchers with currently approved Research Resumption Plans, as submitted through the GMS portal, can continue to conduct research activities accordingly, but only if the research cannot be conducted from home, or if a temporary interruption would have significant negative consequences. Such continuation is subject to the following restriction on undergraduate participation. The only undergraduate students who can engage in laboratory-based research are those who (a) live on campus and (b) are receiving credit for their work. No GUROP students, undergraduate volunteers, or paid or unpaid interns, and no undergraduates living off campus, are permitted to enter labs or engage in research activities on campus until March 8 at 7 a.m.

Redeploy Georgetown Assignments
In light of the continued pause and reduced traffic on campus, some on-campus redeploy assignments may be adjusted. Impacted redeployed employees will receive a communication from the Department of Human Resources with further guidance. This status change does not impact remote redeploy assignments.

Religious Services
Limited in-person religious services resumed beginning on February 17, but will be limited to those with green building access badges. Please check the Office of Campus Ministry website for the latest scheduling information.

Yates Field House and Kehoe Field
Yates Field House and Kehoe Field will continue to remain closed. We will communicate reopening status, should public health conditions permit.

As public health conditions allow, we look forward to relaxing these operating restrictions and will be in communication regarding resumption of undergraduate in-person experiences. To resume on-campus activities we must all continue to do our part and remain vigilant in following health and safety guidelines, including wearing a mask, practicing physical distancing, avoiding indoor social gatherings, respecting the requirement to quarantine and meeting testing commitments.

We thank you for your efforts at this time.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President of Health Sciences

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 February 18, 2021: New Guidance for Wearing a Mask

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:

Given the recent surge of positive cases in our community, the spread of more infectious variants locally and across the country and the latest research and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we write today to provide updated guidance on the University’s requirement to wear a mask on campus.

We strongly encourage all students, faculty and staff to wear, at a minimum, a surgical-style mask over their nose and mouth. In general, a surgical-style mask is a disposable face mask with an adjustable metal strip to provide a snug fit over your nose.

We have updated the University’s COVID-19 Mask Guidelines and the Georgetown University Community Compact to reflect this guidance. In addition, we have clarified that the Mask Guidelines and Community Compact apply to community members who are on campus or are participating in a University program or activity, regardless of location, and to students living in the Georgetown, Burleith, and Foxhall neighborhoods.

Free surgical-style masks are now available at entrances to University buildings staffed by public health screeners, residence hall entryways, on-campus testing sites, and at the rear entrance of GUTS buses. We encourage you to take a surgical-style mask and put it on before entering any University building.

Please wear your mask properly, making sure it fits snugly against your face. Last week, the CDC published this report that highlights the importance of a good fit in reducing transmission and exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19. You can improve how your mask protects you by wearing a cloth mask over a surgical-style mask or by knotting the ear loops and tucking in the sides of a surgical-style mask. Although wearing a cloth mask is better than going maskless, current research suggests that wearing a cloth mask by itself is not as effective as wearing a surgical-style mask. Alternatively, you may choose to wear a KN95 mask, but you should not wear a cloth mask over it. 

Surgical-style masks should be replaced daily. Please dispose of your mask in a trash can when you are finished using it, and wash your hands.

If you are buying your own surgical-style masks, look for them to be designated as ASTM Level 2 or 3.

Please remain vigilant and continue to follow all health and safety guidelines, including wearing a mask, keeping at least six feet apart, avoiding indoor social gatherings, washing your hands frequently, respecting the requirement to quarantine and meeting testing commitments.

If you have questions, please refer to these frequently asked questions, or contact the University’s COVID-19 Helpline at 202-784-3510 (available 9 a.m.–5 p.m. ET Monday–Friday) or covid19-questions@georgetown.edu.

Thank you for your flexibility, resilience, and dedication to our community’s safety over the course of the pandemic. It is critical that Every Hoya Everywhere do their part to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President of Health Sciences

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 February 10, 2021: Resumption of Graduate Hybrid Courses; Continued Pause on Undergraduate Hybrid Courses

Dear Georgetown University Main and Medical Center Campus Faculty, Staff and Students,

We write today to provide an update regarding our operating status. On January 28, we paused in-person hybrid mode classes and certain on-campus activities and enacted a number of measures to limit exposure and transmission of COVID-19 due to a significant increase in the number of cases. When we announced the pause, we had hoped to resume on-campus activities starting on Monday, February 15.

Graduate hybrid courses can resume in-person operations, at a schedule determined by the instructor for each course, beginning, but no earlier than Monday, February 15, at 7 a.m.

The number of positive cases among undergraduates continues to be concerning, so we are extending the current operating status for undergraduates with restrictions. There will be no in-person undergraduate hybrid courses and activities through Monday, March 1, at 7 a.m. If circumstances change, we will alert you as soon as we can make the decision to return undergraduates to campus. 

Use of the Library and Designated Study Spaces

Use of the Lauinger Library building and facilities, as well as use of all designated study spaces, will continue to be restricted to students currently living on campus in University residential housing and to graduate students who have green GU360 badges, with reservations permitting them to use the study space. Access to Dahlgren Memorial Library will continue to be restricted to BGE, SOM and NHS graduate students. 

Meetings and Faculty Office Hours

No academic meetings or gatherings should take place on campus, including faculty office hours. 

Research Activities

Research activities will continue to be restricted in accordance with the guidance shared on January 27. Office access (granted through the GMS Office Access Portal), even with prior approval, is suspended, as is any pending request through the Campus Eligibility Access form. Researchers with currently approved Research Resumption Plans, as submitted through the GMS portal, can continue to conduct research activities accordingly, but only if the research cannot be conducted from home, or if a temporary interruption would have significant negative consequences. Such continuation is subject to the following restriction on undergraduate participation. The only undergraduate students who can engage in laboratory-based research are those who (a) live on campus and (b) are receiving credit for their work. No GUROP students, undergraduate volunteers, or paid or unpaid interns, and no undergraduates living off campus, are permitted to enter labs or engage in research activities on campus until March 1 at 7 a.m. Please direct research resumption questions jointly to Billy Jack at billy.jack@georgetown.edu and Moshe Levi at ml1742@georgetown.edu.

Redeploy Georgetown Assignments

In light of the continued pause and reduced traffic on campus, some on-campus redeploy assignments will be adjusted. Impacted redeployed employees will receive a communication from the Department of Human Resources with further guidance. This status change does not impact remote redeploy assignments.

Religious Services

Limited in-person religious services will resume beginning on Wednesday, February 17, but will be limited to those with green GU360 Building Access Badges. Please check the Office of Campus Ministry website for the latest scheduling information. 

Yates Field House and Kehoe Field

We hope to reopen Yates Field House and Kehoe Field for undergraduate student use on March 1, should public health conditions permit.

Daily Check-in and Testing Procedures

All faculty, staff and students accessing campus beginning Monday, February 15, should resume testing. Those returning to campus next week are advised to book a testing appointment for Thursday, February 11; Friday, February 12; or Saturday, February 13. Those who will be on campus must complete the COVID-19 Daily Check-in at least two hours prior to departing for campus in order to receive a green GU360 Building Access Badge for entry to University buildings.

Faculty, staff and students taking in-person hybrid classes who will not access campus are not required to come to campus for testing, in accordance with the University’s COVID-19 testing protocol. Students living in the neighborhoods around campus should continue to come to campus to get tested weekly, and we strongly encourage students living in the neighborhoods to get tested twice per week at no charge. On-campus testing is a safe and efficient way to get tested. We recognize pandemic conditions have contributed to social isolation and loneliness for many members of our community. We encourage you to take advantage of the many University resources we have in place to promote your physical and emotional well-being. Our thoughts are with those struggling with the effects of the pandemic and those in our own community who are suffering at this time.

As public health conditions allow, we look forward to relaxing these operating restrictions and will be in communication regarding resumption of undergraduate in-person experiences on Monday, March 1. To resume on-campus activities we must all continue to do our part and remain vigilant in following health and safety guidelines, including wearing a mask, practicing physical distancing, avoiding indoor social gatherings, respecting the requirement to quarantine and meeting testing commitments.

We thank you for your efforts at this time.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President of Health Sciences

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 February 8, 2021: Immersive Summer Experience for the Class of 2024 and Transfer Students

Dear Georgetown Staff,

As mentioned in the November letter from President DeGioia, the University plans to launch an exciting on-campus Summer Hilltop Immersion Program for the Class of 2024 and our new transfer students. We want to offer current first-year and new transfer students the opportunity to participate in the bonding experience that naturally occurs by sharing spaces with classmates on the Hilltop Campus, in residence halls, in classrooms, and libraries.  

Last Wednesday, we sent an email invitation to first-year and transfer students to come to campus to enjoy the Summer Hilltop Immersion Program. 

The Class of 2024 provided important feedback and ideas regarding features of the summer program. The program development was also guided by feedback from public health experts. To encourage broad student participation, financial aid awards for students typical of the academic year will be offered to permit full participation of class members.

All planning for the Summer Hilltop Immersion Program is provisional and subject to modification based on public health conditions, and review and acceptance by the Washington, DC government.

Program Overview:

We are planning for the Summer Hilltop Immersion Program to be a five-week program focused on the Class of 2024 and other new Hoyas that will take place from June 4 to July 9, 2021. An initial list of course offerings is provided below. In addition, there will be a series of one-credit hour courses that are built around experiential opportunities and programs to help students learn some of the Jesuit values that animate Georgetown, like “women and men for others,” “community in diversity,” “cura personalis,” and other core aspects of who we are. There will also be opportunities for students to meet and get to know faculty through small meetings related to current topics, research, or courses that may be of interest to students.

If students have questions about the program please refer them to hilltopsummer@georgetown.edu.

The student experience will feature opportunities to:

• Interact with classmates in a residential experience on the Hilltop;
• Explore Washington, DC and engage in one of the most vibrant cities in the world;
• Learn from upperclass student leaders in an immersive orientation experience;
• Explore co-curricular opportunities that are available to students when they return in the Fall to help in their formation as developing Hoyas;
• Begin career planning with services at the Cawley Career Education Center; and, 
• Learn about the many student supportive offices on campus, including Health Education Services, the Writing Center, the Academic Resource Center, the Student Ombuds Office, Center for Social Justice, Campus Ministry and Counseling and Psychiatric Service.

Full-need financial aid will be available to eligible participating students to make this opportunity accessible to all our new Hoyas. 

Below is an initial sample of classes that may be offered, assuming there is sufficient enrollment. This is not a complete list, and courses will continue to be added with a focus on first year and sophomore level courses.  

Intro to Computer Science: Python, COSC-010

Computer Science I, COSC-051

Computer Science II, COSC-052

Econ Principles Micro, ECON-001

Econ Principles Macro, ECON-002

Intro to Film Studies, FMST-181

International Trade, ECON-243

Comparative Political Systems, GOVT-040

International Relations, GOVT-060

History in Focus, HIST-099

Middle East II, HIST-161

Introduction to Ethics, PHIL-010

Introduction to Philosophy, PHIL-020

Introduction to Sociology, SOCI-001

Writing and Culture, WRIT-015

Painting I: Oil, ARTS-150

Science courses: Organic Chemistry, General Chemistry, Foundations of Biology, Principles of Physics 

Language courses:  Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish – levels vary by department

Introduction to Epidemiology, HESY 184

HealthCare in America I, HESY 010)

Nutrition and Disease Prevention, HEST 112

Probability and Statistics, Math 040

Health, Equity, and Justice: Understanding Factors, Creating Change

Anatomy & Physiology I, HSCO 113 (online)

Anatomy & Physiology II, HSCO 114 (online)

Accounting II, ACCT 102

Principles of Marketing, MARK 220

International Business, STRT 261

We will provide more specific information about the program soon. 

Hoya Saxa,
 

Rohan Williamson, Vice Provost for Education

 January 27, 2021: Update Regarding COVID-19 Vaccines

Dear Members of the Georgetown Community, 

We have received many questions from members of our community about vaccine eligibility and availability in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. While vaccination eligibility is generally determined by your place of residence and your state’s vaccination distribution plan, we have created a website, which includes available information that will be updated regularly.

As we shared with you in a message on January 8, Georgetown University does not have its own supply or allotment of vaccines. In the District of Columbia, vaccines are being administered through providers authorized by the DC Department of Health. 

We continue to coordinate closely with our partners at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) on vaccine planning and are engaged in regular conversations with the DC government about how we can be most helpful.

As you may know, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is our clinical partner and is an authorized provider of the vaccine. While many of its employees hold faculty appointments at Georgetown University Medical Center and the hospital hosts many of our medical and nursing students during their clinical training, MGUH is owned and operated by MedStar Health. MedStar Health has followed the priority order of vaccine distribution set by government agencies, which included prioritizing our physicians and clinical students who interact with their patients. MGUH does not have a separate allotment of vaccines for members of the Georgetown community. 

We urge any member of the Georgetown community who is eligible to be vaccinated to take advantage of vaccination opportunities provided through your healthcare provider, or state or local government. Please note that each municipality may have different eligibility phases and requirements.

A group of colleagues who have expertise in public health, bioethics and operations is convening with and engaging stakeholders across the University as we consider the many issues related to the vaccine, including issues of equity and its impact on our community. We are working to develop an approach that enables Georgetown to assist the DC government in its mission to provide the vaccine to as many people as possible in the District, including our University community. In the event the DC government were to give an allotment of vaccines to universities to distribute to their employees, this group would provide feedback to University leaders on the appropriate approach. While we have no indication that this action will happen, we are laying the groundwork to be in the strongest possible position should an opportunity emerge. As this work continues, we strongly urge you to utilize any vaccination opportunity for which you may be eligible. 

Thank you for flexibility, resilience and dedication to our community’s safety over the course of the pandemic. It is critical that Every Hoya Everywhere do their part to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost 

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President of Health Sciences

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 January 27, 2021: Change of Operating Status Effective Thursday, January 28

Dear Georgetown University Main and Medical Center Campus Faculty, Staff and Students,

Due to a marked increase in numbers of positive COVID-19 cases affecting our community, we are taking temporary measures to limit the exposure of members of our community. The specific actions are listed below. 

As public health conditions allow, we look forward to relaxing these operating restrictions and plan to end the adjustments on Monday, February 15. Thank you for persevering in teaching, working and learning under changing public health conditions. 

Hybrid Course In-Person Meetings
All hybrid mode classes, both daytime and evening classes, except laboratory-based instruction in the Biomedical Graduate Education program at GUMC, will meet virtually beginning Thursday, January 28, at 7 a.m. until Monday, February 15, at 7 a.m. At this point, barring further increases to the positive case count in our community, we plan to reinstitute hybrid in-person meetings on Monday, February 15, at 7 a.m.

Use of the Library and Designated Study Spaces
Effective Thursday, January 28, use of the Lauinger Library building and facilities, as well as use of all designated study spaces, is restricted to students currently living on campus in University residential housing and to graduate students who have green GU360 badges, with reservations permitting them to use the study space. Access to Dahlgren Memorial Library, which opens on Monday, February 1, is restricted to BGE, SOM and NHS graduate students. If public health circumstances allow, we hope to expand use of the Library and study spaces to seniors living off campus as of Monday, February 15, at 8 a.m.

Meetings and Gatherings
Meetings of study groups, faculty members and students must move to online mode at this time. No academic meetings or gatherings should take place on campus. If public health conditions permit, we plan to relax these restrictions on Monday, February 15, at 7 a.m.

Faculty Office Hours 
Effective immediately, faculty office hours must take place in a virtual mode. If public health circumstances allow, we hope to reinstitute in-person office hours as of Monday, February 15, at 7 a.m.

Research Activities
Research activities will be restricted in the following manner. Office access (granted through the GMS Office Access Portal), even with prior approval, is suspended, as is any pending request through the Campus Eligibility Access form. These researchers should plan to resume research activities on campus on or after February 15 at 7 a.m.

Researchers with currently approved Research Resumption Plans, as submitted through the GMS portal, can continue to conduct research activities accordingly, but only if the research cannot be conducted from home, or if a temporary interruption would have significant negative consequences. Such continuation is subject to the following restriction on undergraduate participation. The only undergraduate students who can engage in laboratory-based research are those who (a) live on campus and (b) are receiving credit for their work. No GUROP students, undergraduate volunteers, or paid or unpaid interns, and no undergraduates living off campus, are permitted to enter labs or engage in research activities on campus until February 15 at 7 a.m.

It is in our best interest as a community for all researchers to comply fully with their approved research resumption plans, including strict adherence to the 25% density restriction. They are encouraged to adopt enhanced safety measures such as double-masking, the use of surgical masks and other high grade PPE and more frequent cleaning. We remind researchers that their Research Resumption Plans included contingency plans for scaling back activities in the event that such action was needed. If public health circumstances allow, we hope to reinstitute more broad access to offices and buildings for research, as of Monday, February 15, at 7 a.m.

Please direct research resumption questions jointly to Billy Jack at billy.jack@georgetown.edu and Moshe Levi at ml1742@georgetown.edu.

Redeploy Georgetown Assignments
In light of fewer campus buildings being open in the coming two weeks, and reduced traffic on campus, some on-campus redeploy assignments will be adjusted in the coming days. All employees currently redeployed on campus should report to work Thursday as scheduled and will receive a separate communication by the close of business on January 28 from the Department of Human Resources with further guidance. This status change does not impact remote redeploy assignments.

Academic Administrative Units Staff
Unit-level decisions to maintain on-campus services or transition to remote work schedules will be communicated by each unit’s manager.

Religious Services
All in-person religious services will also be paused until Monday, February 15. Please check the Office of Campus Ministry website for the latest scheduling information.

Yates Field House and Kehoe Field
Yates Field House and Kehoe Field remain closed for use. If public health conditions permit, we plan to open these facilities to use for undergraduate students currently living on campus in University residential housing on Monday, February 15, at 7 a.m.

Daily Check-in and Testing Procedures
Faculty, staff and students taking in-person hybrid classes who will not access campus for this two-week period will not be required to come to campus for testing, in accordance with the University’s COVID-19 testing protocol. Students living in the neighborhoods around campus should continue to come to campus to get tested weekly, and we strongly encourage students living in the neighborhoods to get tested twice per week at no charge. On-campus testing is a safe and efficient way to get tested. All faculty, staff and students accessing campus after the two-week hiatus must complete the COVID-19 Daily Check-in, resume testing and have a green GU360 Building Access Badge to gain entry to University buildings. 

We will be in touch immediately should circumstances change and a return to a less restrictive operating mode is possible. Our thoughts are with those struggling with the effects of the pandemic and those in our own community who are suffering at this time. 

We recognize pandemic conditions have contributed to social isolation and loneliness for many members of our community. We encourage you to take advantage of the many University resources we have in place to promote your physical and emotional well-being.

We must meet our obligations to each other as a community at this difficult time, in restricting our in-person interactions and in supporting each other through transitions in virtual and in-person modes of teaching and learning. We look forward to our continued interactions in virtual mode.

Sincerely, 

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President of Health Sciences

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

 January 26, 2021: Welcome to Spring Semester

Dear Georgetown Faculty, Staff and Students,

Welcome to Spring Semester, 2021! I hope that our extended winter holiday break allowed you to recharge and reconnect with friends and family.

I am optimistic and enthusiastic about the semester ahead. We thank Georgetown’s faculty who continue to meet the demands of this unusual time in history, offering very exciting research and learning opportunities for our students both online and in person. We are grateful to our students for their commitment to their studies and research endeavors, and offer our thanks to our staff for continuing to find solutions to unprecedented problems, making possible a uniquely Georgetown education, both on-campus and through remote learning.

We want to assure you that the health and safety of our entire community are at the forefront of our work and our decision-making. As we resume academic activities this week, we will be guided by public health conditions, following the best advice of our health experts and adhering closely to the evolving public health policies imposed by the District of Columbia and federal governments. 

Please continue to check the University’s website for up to date information on COVID-related matters, including testing and, as it becomes available, any vaccine information. 

We must emphasize that any plans for the Spring semester are subject to change in light of developments in the progress of the pandemic and guidelines from local and federal authorities.

We look forward to sharing exciting opportunities for learning and research in the coming weeks and months. Welcome back for the Spring semester. You have our very best wishes for a safe, healthy and productive term, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost