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Fall Term Update

Greetings from Carleton,

We know there are two big questions on many minds, but especially those of first-year students and their families:

  1. What will the fall term look like at Carleton regarding COVID precautions?
  2. Will I be required to get a COVID vaccine?

We wanted you to be among the first to hear about Carleton’s recently announced fall framework regarding both of these important questions.

Fall Term Update

We are happy to announce that we’ll be returning to a much more “normal” college experience come September. What does this mean?

  • Courses will be taught in person in almost all circumstances. We will likely keep using some of the technology-enabled innovations we embraced this past year as they add to our learning environment.
  • We will return to our normal daily class schedule. 
  • Classrooms, labs, studios, and rehearsal spaces will return to normal or near-normal occupancy levels. 
  • Visiting speakers, class field trips, and in-person community-based projects will also resume in the fall. 
  • Residence room occupancies will return to pre-pandemic levels, and student activities are expected to resume as usual, with possible modifications to audience sizes. 
  • We hope to return to a full athletic schedule in the fall; final decisions about league play will be made by college leadership, considering NCAA, MIAC, and public health guidelines.
  • We’ll continue to implement a COVID-19 testing regime based on recommendations from our health experts. Likewise, some quarantine and isolation space will continue to be reserved. 

We will take time to reevaluate the need for a campus community “covenant” and will revise expectations to align with broader public health protocols.

Vaccine Requirements

In order to make our fall approach possible and to create a protected and effective learning environment, we intend to require everyone in the Carleton community, including students, faculty, and staff, to get a COVID-19 vaccine before fall term begins. We encourage all admitted students to obtain a vaccine as soon as possible so they are ready for fall at Carleton.

For international students, any vaccine approved by the World Health Organization will be acceptable for arrival to Carleton. We also expect to make vaccines available upon arrival to campus for those who aren’t able to access a vaccine in their home country. We’ll communicate further details as we have them.

We will also continue to require the flu vaccine for our community, although the timeline for requirements will differ based on seasonal flu vaccine availability.

For both the COVID-19 and flu vaccine, we will consider and manage requests for exemptions from these vaccination requirements in accordance with applicable state and federal law.

With a fully vaccinated campus population, we do not anticipate requiring the wearing of masks this fall unless state or federal regulations dictate otherwise. 

There will be more information to come on our vaccination requirements, including deadlines, how to report when you’ve been vaccinated, and more in the coming weeks.

The college’s full statement can be found on our website.

A note for parents & guardians 

We will be in touch with more information, specifically as it relates to plans for New Student Week and what move-in protocols will be. At this time, we anticipate reopening the campus to visitors at some point this summer, with the potential for some restrictions as vaccination rates on campus and in the community rise. 

Questions?

This initial framework will continue to evolve in the coming weeks. So, know that we’ll keep finalizing details and logistics of our fall plan in the weeks ahead and we’ll be sure to keep you updated. In the meantime, you can reach out to us with direct questions at admissions@carleton.edu. Frequently-asked questions will be added to the COVID-19 website in the coming weeks and shared through existing pandemic communications channels as appropriate. 

June Information Sessions

These two sessions will also be a helpful opportunity to get answers about both fall plans and vaccinations:

  • Parent webinar for Class of 2025: Monday, June 14 at 6 p.m. (Central time)
  • Student webinar for Class of 2025: Tuesday, June 15 at 6:45 p.m. (Central time)
  • More information, including invite links, for both of these sessions will come in May.

I know this news likely does raise a lot of questions. Yet personally, I know it also brings a sense of excitement and hope after a hard, grief-filled year. We will keep doing all we can to protect the health and safety of our community while delivering a top-tier educational experience for all of our students this fall.

We can’t wait to see you at the Frisbee toss during New Student Week!

Stay well,

Art Signature

Art D. Rodriguez ’96

Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid