Bennett College News June 1, 2021 Update on decision making for fall 2021 at Bennett College Dear Bennett College Family, I am excited to share with you that we are working on a plan for in-person and hybrid operations for fall of 2021. With continued decline in COVID-19 cases, increasing vaccination rates, and continued attention to mitigation measures such as masking and social distancing, we are looking toward a return to campus in the fall, provided cases continue to decline. We are increasingly optimistic about the current projections on the number of North Carolinians who will be vaccinated in the coming months; and the continued guidance from our public health experts that we can bring students, faculty, and staff back to our campus while effectively minimizing the risk to our community. Ensuring a strategic, thoughtful, and safe transition In anticipation of a return to an in-person campus and while paying close attention to COVID variants, the College's Senior Leadership Team and Reopening Planning Committee have piloted our pandemic protocols over the past several months, in close cooperation with the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services. * Our plan for an in-person and hybrid return to campus means operations, academics, housing, and events will begin to transition to in-person and hybrid operations during the late summer, with the transition being completed by the end of September. * We are exploring a phased return to campus to give time and space for adjustment to being back in-person and to the new hybrid operations * Our ability to safely return in-person will require every member of our Bennett community to vigilantly work to stop the spread of COVID-19 by adhering to campus protocols and guidelines issued by Guilford County, the state of North Carolina and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which will be shared as part of the return to campus information. * A successful return to campus also means we must be prepared to rapidly adjust when and where needed. We will provide details to you next week to help you plan for the fall and enable us to transition from our current virtual operations to in-person and hybrid operations by the end of September. The Board of Trustees, Senior Leadership Team and Reopening Planning Committee are finalizing the plan in accordance with the most recent guidance from public health and the CDC, the state's projections on vaccine availability, and maintaining health and safety protocols. If you have questions, please submit them to registrar@bennett.edu<mailto:registrar@bennett.edu> to help inform our communications. It has been an extraordinary 15 months for all of us. Thanks to every one of you for navigating this ultimate of VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) environments with grace, perseverance and determination. We have collectively demonstrated that Bennett College is in fact antifragile and able to innovate and differentiate - even in a virtual environment. That is because of the commitment and hard work of each of you. Thank YOU. Have a safe and healthy summer, Suzanne Elise Walsh, JD President Sandra M. Phoenix HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs - Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/