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Academics
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All policy adjustments for the 2020-21 academic year can be found in the catalog.
Pay close attention to the Academic Calendar which includes significant schedule changes for the spring 2021 semester (including the cancelation of Spring Break). We strongly recommend subscribing to the Academic Calendar so you can monitor the critical deadlines.
Here’s a direct link to this year’s Class Block Grid.
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In order to accommodate the initial in-room quarantine, all classes (including those designated as in-person) will be conducted remotely on the first two days of the term, February 17 and 19. All Claiming Williams events on February 18 will be remote, as well.
- Classes with an in-person component will start to meet in their assigned classrooms on Monday, February 22.
- We have asked faculty to provide digital copies of all initial readings so that you can stay on track while in quarantine. Please plan to pick up your required texts after you clear quarantine, if you have not purchased them in advance of your arrival. Note that you will not have access to the mailroom or the Williams Bookstore until after initial quarantine, so please do not rely on either option for your course texts during the early weeks of class.
- The registration window will reopen for drop-add and choosing a fifth course February 15-25. If you are interested in adding a course to your schedule you must email the professor first to find out whether spaces are available. Do not show up to an in-person class without the professor’s prior written permission. We have to be strict about this in order to ensure that we do not exceed the maximum occupancy for our classrooms, in accordance with our COVID safety plan and town and state regulations.
Please see the Registrar’s Office site for additional information, or if you have further questions or need clarification.
Updated: 2/3/2021
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- Faculty-specific course registration details and timeline
- Direct link to the 2020-21 Class Block Grid
- A Guide to Teaching Through Disruption
Updated: 1/5/2021
Athletics
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Access to athletics facilities is strictly limited during the pandemic. All students living on campus will have controlled access to indoor facilities such as the fitness center and swimming pool via a pre-registration system. More details are available on the Athletics website.
Updated: 2/4/2021
Access to Campus Facilities
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- All Williams College buildings are closed to the public.
- For the campus community, buildings are restricted to card access only.
- Students have card access to these specific buildings and to their own residence halls.
- Buildings without card access have protocols in place that are clearly publicized at their locations and on their websites.
Updated: 2/22/2021
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- Sawyer and Schow libraries are open to current Williams faculty, students and staff.
- New hours and services are in place for January through the start of the spring semester.
- In addition to in-person access, non-contact services are available and recommended whenever possible. Read on for details.
Updated: 1/8/2021
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While the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance and the Williams College Museum of Art are closed to the public during the pandemic, each is offering a wide array of virtual programming.
Updated: 1/7/2021
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Access to athletics facilities is strictly limited during the pandemic. All students living on campus will have controlled access to indoor facilities such as the fitness center and swimming pool via a pre-registration system. More details are available on the Athletics website.
Updated: 2/4/2021
Health and Safety
- To learn all about specific testing requirements, eligibility, the testing process, and using CoVerified’s app or web portal to schedule your own tests go to the Faculty & Staff testing page.
Updated: 2/2/2021
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Protection from COVID-19 is not something that Williams, as an institution, can guarantee without the help of the entire college community. Safety requires everyone to comply with the new rules such as testing, symptom monitoring, hygiene, and social distancing. If an employee does not comply with these rules and protocols they will not be permitted to work. Learn more about our community expectations, compliance and conditions of employment, workplace training, social distancing requirements, and more under “Creating a safe work environment” on the Human Resources COVID Guide.
Updated: 1/14/2021
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- Employees are required to wear face coverings outdoors on campus when social distancing of six feet or more is not possible.
- Employees who cannot wear a face covering for medical reasons will be asked to wear a specialized face shield, which will be provided by the college (medical documentation required).
- Multiple employees working in an open space, even with cubicle barriers, will be required to wear face coverings.
- Fabric face coverings will be available to faculty and staff, additional during testing hours beginning Monday, February 15, if you need a resupply. More information available in the HR COVID-19 Guide.
Updated: 2/8/2021
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- The college has a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment and part of the responsibility lies with the workers themselves. Protection from COVID-19 is not something that the college, as an institution, can guarantee without the help of the entire college community. Safety requires everyone to comply with the new rules such as testing, symptom monitoring, hygiene, and social distancing. If an employee does not comply with these rules and protocols they will not be permitted to work.
- In addition to safety standards for maintaining social distancing, hygiene protocols, cleaning, and disinfecting, the college has implemented a required training for Coronavirus (COVID-19) Prevention in the Workplace by Safety Skills. Safety Skills uses your work email/Google login, so it should automatically log you in. If you have any trouble logging in, contact the OIT help desk. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Christina Sanborn, Executive Director for Facilities Operations.
- All Williams faculty, staff, and students returning to campus are expected to sign a Community Health Commitment that affirms their understanding of procedures and policies, as well as their commitment to the Williams community. This is an important step in affirming our shared responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of our community.
Updated: 1/12/2021
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Williams will continue to work with local, regional, and state authorities to support our student, faculty, and staff access to COVID vaccines as they become available.
Updated: 2/8/2021
Working Through COVID
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Information for immunocompromised employees, families with school-age children, Blue Cross Blue Shield members, and vendors and contractors on topics ranging from leave and time reporting scenarios to managing remote employees can be found in the Human Resources COVID-19 Guide under “Working at the College During the Pandemic.”
Updated: 1/14/2021
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Any employee who travels outside of Massachusetts for any reason is required to follow state requirements for testing and quarantine.
Business travel (including professional development) is currently prohibited. However, as information evolves, our policies will be updated to reflect state guidelines and CDC recommendations and will be communicated accordingly.
Updated 1.7.21
Updated: 1/7/2021
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- Staff who can do their work remotely should plan to do so through the end of the Spring 2021 semester. Remote work reduces the demands on our colleagues in Facilities, who have taken on additional duties because of COVID cleaning and safety protocols.
- Review these tips for setting up your home office.
- Consistent with the telecommuting policy, the college is not responsible for expenses associated with working at home, such as heat, electricity, internet service provider subscription, phone, etc.Individuals should work with their manager on the use and purchase of basic office supplies typical in office supply closets. OIT has assisted many staff already in setting up their office computers at home. The college can not provide two computers for employees.
Updated: 1/5/2021
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