Dear students, faculty, staff, and friends,
We are excited to bring you this guide to planning for the upcoming fall semester and campus reopening. This semester will be unique in both format and content. We will live differently, work differently, and learn differently. But it is precisely in that difference that lies its enormous power.
Yeshiva University's mission is to enrich the moral, intellectual, and spiritual development of each student and to equip them with the knowledge and abilities to become influential people and leaders of tomorrow. Next year's research will be especially helpful in shaping the course of students' lives. Character is formed and developed during times of deep adversity. This is what Yeshiva University was created to be: a teachable moment. That's why we have developed an educational plan for the coming year that features a high-quality student experience and prioritizes personal growth in this time of coronavirus. Together with our talented rabbis, faculty, and close yeshiva friends and associates, our students will navigate the challenges, challenges, and opportunities presented by the era of COVID-19.
To develop plans for the fall, we convened a scenario planning task force comprised of representatives from key areas of campus. Their plans are based on the latest medical information, government directives, direct input from rabbis, faculty, and students, and best practices from industry and university leaders across the country. We are deeply grateful to our task force members and all those who supported them for their tireless work on the detailed work necessary to bring students back to campus and resume our educational operations.
Following recommendations from our task force, I am announcing today that the fall semester will reflect a hybrid model. Incorporating online and virtual learning into on-campus classroom instruction will allow many students to return in a measured manner. Students who prefer not to be on campus can also enrich their student experience by continuing their studies online and benefiting from a full range of online student services and extracurricular programs.
Safety is our top priority when bringing students back to campus. Many aspects of campus life will change this coming semester. Gatherings will be limited and large courses will be moved entirely online. Across campus, everyone must adhere to health guidelines, including social distancing, wearing face masks, and testing and contact tracing policies. With a focus on minimizing risk, undergraduate students will begin the first few weeks of the fall semester online and move to campus after the Jewish holidays. This schedule limits the amount of student travel to and from the campus by concentrating the on-campus portion of the fall semester into one contiguous segment.
Throughout our planning, we have used the analogy of a dimmer switch. Reopening campuses is not as simple as a binary switch, like turning a light switch on or off, but like a dimmer that can be flexibly scaled back and forth to respond appropriately as the health situation changes. It becomes something. Some plans may change depending on the progress of the virus and applicable state and local guidance.
We will provide an update reflecting the latest guidance before the term begins. Please check our website yu.edu/fall2020 for regular updates. We understand that even after reading this guide to the end, you may still have more questions, so we're also posting a detailed FAQ section online. Additionally, we will be holding community calls for faculty, students, staff, and parents over the coming months.
Making plans for the future during this time can certainly be humbling. This coronavirus has reminded us again and again of the lesson from Jewish tradition that we are not completely in control of our circumstances. But our tradition also teaches us that we can control our reactions to situations. The next semester brings big challenges and changes. There will be some compromises and small inconveniences, but not every problem has a perfect solution. However, faith and fortitude, mutual cooperation and resilience are important life lessons emphasized during this time. And if we all commit to responding with civility, kindness, and love, we can turn this new reality on campus into deep life lessons for the future.
Deeply rooted in Jewish values and proactive in preparing for future careers and capabilities, we will journey through these uncharted waters alongside the Yeshiva University community. The coming year will be a formative year in the lives of our students. And we will rise to this moment together so that our students are stronger and better prepared to become tomorrow's world leaders.
I wish you good luck,
Ali Berman
