Information about COVID-19

Students who are currently not in residence on campus will not be allowed to live on campus this summer. Students who were approved to stay on campus this spring may remain in residence through May 6, 2020. Residence Life is working directly with students who are currently in residence on potential alternative housing for the summer. Seniors who are currently approved and living on campus are permitted to stay until May 18 at no additional charge. Questions should be directed to residence life.

Remote summer internships as well as research experiences hosted by Mount Holyoke departments may be approved through the regular Lynk process.  We also recognize that there are ongoing various social distancing requirements and disruptions to travel, both internationally and within individual countries. As a result, many employers have cancelled their internship programs, or put them on hold for a decision later in the spring. Others have moved on-site internships to remote models. Please contact the CDC for any questions or concerns you might have.

While remote internships have been discouraged in the past, this summer we are strongly encouraging them.  

Many internships have been already moved to a remote format.  If you have been offered an internship that has not yet been moved to a remote format, we recommend asking your employers if remote might be possible. We have developed this guide for communicating with your employer for your reference, along with an accompanying remote internship guide for employers.

For those who have not yet secured an internship, MHConnect partners across campus are now actively asking alumnae and other employers to build new remote internships.  These opportunities will be posted in Handshake as they become available.

Because they can be completed at home, remote internships will be eligible for a Lynk award of $3,000 regardless of whether they are domestic or international, and will not be eligible for any travel adjustments or cost-of-living adjustments.

While we still strongly recommend that students pursue internships of 240 hours or more, we recognize that some employers may not be prepared to move their entire internship program online, but may be able to design a shorter project that could be worked remotely.  We also recognize that many internships may be delayed until later in the summer, thereby making it difficult for students to secure a summer internship of 240 hours or more. Therefore, for the Lynk 2020 program year only, we will accept Lynk proposals of 120 hours.

Contact the CDC at cdc@mtholyoke.edu.

In-person, on-campus internship and research experiences are suspended through at least June 15, 2020. Graduate programs will be held online for the entire summer.

While the situation with the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted many things, our commitment to academic and inclusive excellence and to students' educational journey and experience remains intact. The College will host a full academic year in 2020-2021 and we hope to resume our normal on-campus instruction as soon as possible. Nonetheless, in the event that COVID-19 continues to disrupt in-person, on-campus instruction, we are exploring a variety of rich and exciting alternative models, including virtual experiences, changes to the academic calendar and focused cohort experiences for new and returning students. We anticipate having further details about our approach in early June.

Due to this semester's exigent circumstances, you will have an option, after your letter grades are posted at the end of the semester but only until June 30, 2020, to elect the Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) grading option in one or all of your Spring 2020  courses.

• Students who elect the CR/NC option will have their letter grade replaced on their transcript with a "CR" if they had a letter grade of D- or higher or with an "NC" if they had failed the course. Neither the "CR" nor the "NC" would affect the student's grade point average. 
• Spring 2020 courses with a passing letter grade or a "CR" will be allowed to count towards major, minor, and distribution requirements. 
• Electing CR/NC grading in spring 2020 courses will not count towards the limit of courses in which a student can elect the usual more-restrictive Ungraded Option in other semesters. 
• Letter grades for spring 2020, which a student does not elect by June 30 to replace with CR/NC grading will, as usual, factor into the student's grade point average. 
• The exact procedures for students to elect CR/NC grading will be published by the registrar before spring 2020 grades are published at the end of this term. This CR/NC option will replace the usual more-restrictive Ungraded Option for the spring 2020 term.

For Five College Courses: The CR/NC option may be elected in Five College courses that Mount Holyoke students are taking this semester. All of the other schools are expected to submit to Mount Holyoke regular letter grades (A, A-...F) for Mount Holyoke students taking their courses, and then Mount Holyoke students will need to use the MHC CR/NC procedures to elect the CR/NC option if they want to replace any of their letter grades in Five College courses with a GPA-neutral CR or NC, by the June 30 deadline. Any letter grades in Five College courses which a Mount Holyoke student does not elect to replace with CR/NC grading by June 30 will, as usual, remain visible on the MHC transcript and will factor into the MHC GPA.

The last day of classes will be Tuesday, April 28. Exam period will begin at 2:00 pm on Friday, May 1 and will end at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, May 5. (Seniors’ end date for exams and deadline for completing all finals and papers will be the same as for other students this semester.) 

Seniors’ grades will be due from faculty at 11:00 pm on May 11. Non-senior grades will be due from faculty as originally scheduled at 11:00 pm on May 19.

June 30 (Tuesday) will be the last day for undergraduates, if they wish, to elect the CR/NC option to replace one or more Spring 2020 letter grades with CR (or NC as appropriate).

Mount Holyoke students taking Five College courses should read the “How will grading work for the spring 2020 semester?” FAQ entry for details on their grading this semester. In short, they should expect to receive letter grades in their Five College courses unless, after seeing those letter grades, they elect, by June 30 and through the same procedures to be used for MHC courses, the Mount Holyoke CR/NC grading option to replace those Five College letter grades (affecting the GPA) with GPA-neutral “CR” or “NC”. Mount Holyoke students do not, for spring 2020, use other campus’ processes to elect their pass/fail grading options (such as the UMass pass/fail, Amherst’s flexible grading option, etc.). 

Please bookmark https://lits.mtholyoke.edu/ as that will be the central information hub for technology questions and support for online learning.

Some students have expressed concerns about being outside of the United States for extended periods of time as relates to their visa status and potential difficulties acquiring a new one.

Please be aware that as long as you are still fully-enrolled and completing your coursework, Mount Holyoke College will keep you in Active student status regardless of where you are located. For this reason, we know of no current visa restrictions that should prevent any MHC student who is fully enrolled from returning home and reentering in the fall using your current F-1 stamp so long as it is still valid. This is similar to if you had been on a study abroad program.

Unfortunately, entry into the US is always at the discretion of border officials,  so we can never guarantee it. We also cannot anticipate what health-related travel restrictions may be in place in the coming months. Please contact Bri Rhodes or Jenny Medina in the McCulloch Center if you have any questions.

Student employment questions should be forwarded to the Student Employment Team at student-employment@mtholyoke.edu.

All campus buildings are closed to visitors until further notice. Staff who must access buildings for essential on-campus operations will be given appropriate credentials to enter the buildings. All teaching spaces including laboratories, performance spaces and classrooms are closed to all students.

LITS will be sending out an email to students about Library resources that will be available online and a survey about connectivity. If you have any questions after receiving the email from LITS, please email helpdesk@mtholyoke.edu.

The Community Center will be open daily. Blanchard Hall will be open from 11 am – 7 pm for resident students, essential staff and faculty. The Dining Commons has transitioned to takeout food only in accordance with guidance from the Governor of Massachusetts. The dining hours and menus are posted here.

It is with great sadness that we have concluded that we cannot come together in May to celebrate Commencement. In this video message from President Sonya Stephens, she says "I promise you, you will get to celebrate your achievements some time in the future." 

Once the College confirms when we can hold a celebration for the Class of 2020, we will reach out.

When the College can come together to celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2020, all students — undergraduate, Frances Perkins Scholars and graduate students — will get their scarves, whether they are blue lions for undergraduates, teal owls for graduates or purple phoenixes for Frances Perkins Scholars.

Yes. The College will make sure graduates get their diplomas.

For questions about Reunion, please visit the Reunion page on the Alumnae Association website.

Mount Holyoke has suspended its regular and championship seasons for varsity and club sport spring and split season sports as well as the nontraditional seasons for our fall varsity teams.

Kendall is now closed. If you were unable to clean out your locker before you left, don't worry, it will be here when you get back.

On March 27, Congress passed the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, including a provision that directs $12.5 billion in federal aid to colleges and universities, including Mount Holyoke College. 

Like other colleges and universities, we are evaluating recent guidance from the Department of Education, and will share our plans regarding the stimulus funds as soon as possible.

All students in College housing for the Spring 2020 semester who moved off campus by March 20, 2020 received a 45% reduction of semester room and board fees. This was posted as a $3,450 account credit. Credits related to room and board fees were posted to the student’s accounts at the end of March.

The Student Refund Request form is now available on my.mtholyoke.edu under Course Registration and Bill Payment. Log in to my.mtholyoke, select Course Registration & Bill Payment from the self-service menu on the left side of the screen, and choose Student Refund Request.

Students who have a credit balance may request a refund using this form. Refund processing will begin April 10. Once processing begins, please allow two weeks to receive your refund if you requested a check or a deposit to your bank. Mailing checks to international addresses may take longer.

Please note that if you do not complete the form, the credit balance will remain on your account to be applied to future charges or, if you are a senior, the credit balance will be sent to your home address before June 30.

Please contact Student Financial Services at sfs@mtholyoke.edu for questions about your student account or your refund request.

Many students utilize payment plans — those students will receive outreach directly from Student Financial Services in advance of the next payment due date.

Yes. The following restrictions are in place through May 31:

• All College-sponsored nonessential domestic travel to destinations more than 100 miles from campus is suspended. Essential activities are, generally, those that are critical to business continuation. Nonessential business activities may include, but are not limited to, travel for professional conferences and meetings, research presentations and curricular or cocurricular activities. 
• No College-sponsored group travel outside of a 100-mile radius of campus is permitted. For this purpose, groups are defined as five people or more. Athletics competitions with special permission are currently exempt from this travel restriction.
• Any travel that is being booked for dates after May 31 requires advance approval by a Vice President or the President.

Yes. All College-sponsored international travel is suspended through May 31, regardless of the destination.

Any travel that is being booked for dates after May 31 requires advance approval by a Vice President or the President.

We understand that members of the community are facing cancellations of conferences and events, and may be wondering about travel costs. The College will cover the cost of travel that has already been booked and will now need to be canceled. Please make every effort to get any available travel credits, travel vouchers and refunds that are possible. Travel vouchers should be used for future College business and may be utilized if/when events are rescheduled. Please submit travel expenses, less any refunds received, to Accounts Payable with a note describing that the cancelation is related to the travel restrictions due to COVID-19. If you have a question or need support, please call x3043 or x2901.

Yes.  See details under the section Support Resources Available to Students section.

Any student with concerns about respiratory infection should call 413-538-2242. We will then be able to determine the appropriate level of care.

Under the direction of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the following individuals may be tested

• Anyone with known contact with a positive or presumptive test for COVID-19
• Anyone who has symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath AND has travelled to an area designated as level 2, 3 or 4 by the CDC.

Call Health Services at 413-538-2242 to speak with a staff member regarding symptoms and possible risk for COVID-19 or other respiratory illness.

The transmission of COVID-19 is similar to that of other viral illnesses. We recommend taking preventive actions every day to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds — especially after you cough and sneeze and before you eat. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 
• If you are sick, avoid contact with others (in classes, group meetings, work settings, common areas, etc.). 
• Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or sleeve or with a tissue, and throw the tissue in the trash. 
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are frequently touched, including laptops and mobile devices. LITS recommends using damp antimicrobial wipes, such as Clorox wipes, alcohol wipes, generic wipes, to disinfect your phone, laptop, mouse, keyboard, and tablet. To prevent liquid from getting into devices wring out the wipe before you clean.

Understanding recent recommendations

On April 3, 2020 the U.S. Center for Disease Control issued a voluntary recommendation for the use of cloth face coverings to supplement other prevention strategies to slow the community transmission of COVID-19.

Important elements:

• Use of cloth face coverings is voluntary
• Cloth face coverings are recommended to be used when physical distance is difficult to maintain. For example: public spaces such as grocery stores, pharmacies and riding in multiple passenger vehicles
• Physical distance of six feet is considered to be the primary way to decrease community transmission. Handwashing for 20 seconds, particularly after use of high touch areas, and covering coughs and sneezes remain important strategies
• Cloth face coverings are designed to prevent transmission by the person wearing the covering, but does not prevent infection from others
• Surgical/procedure and N95 masks continue to be in short supply and should be reserved for use by healthcare workers and emergency responders

Please see information from CDC regarding the proper wearing of cloth face covers and how to make your own.

The Fimbel Lab staff and division of student life will distribute do-it-yourself sewing kits to students beginning on April 15 and we are seeking donations from alumnae and the larger Mount Holyoke community. Distribution to students and staff living and working on campus will occur on a rolling basis as coverings are received; more information to follow.

We are accepting cloth facial covering donations via local drop off and via US postal service. In person: no-contact drop off on the loading dock of the Science Center from 9 am to 1 pm, Monday to Friday. The driveway to the loading dock is on Park Street, across from Everett Rd.  (For GPS address, people should use 8 Park St. and look for the loading dock diagonally across the street from 8 Park). Please send an ETA of your dropped off donation to Lori Smith. Via mail: ship to Environmental Health & Safety, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley MA  01075. The label should say “Face Covering for MHC.” Please include a note with your name and or return address so we may thank you for your donation. Questions regarding donations should be directed to Lori Smith.

If you are creating face coverings to donate, please follow the CDC instructions for making them.

Donated coverings will be laundered prior to distribution. Individuals should change or wash facial coverings if they become moist. Launder the cloth face coverings regularly using regular hand washing detergents and techniques or machine wash. Coverings should be machine or air dried.

We must not translate fear of COVID-19 into xenophobia, stereotypes and distrust of one another, or into targeted bias against people of any racial or ethnic group, particularly those most affected by this outbreak. 

We must resist misinformation and challenge incidents of bias, responding to both with  inquiry, integrity, and compassion. We are deeply concerned for those that may be experiencing bias and we encourage you to report any challenges that you face the Division of Student Life (Latrina Denson), the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives (Bri Rhodes) and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (Kijua Sanders-McMurtry) so we can directly address these issues.

The College has established an Emergency Student Relief Fund to assist students with unanticipated expenses. Students who would like to apply for funds should fill out this form.

Thank you so much for wanting to help our students during this rapidly evolving situation. Right now, the best way to help our students affected by the outbreak is by a donation to the Emergency Student Relief (COVID-19) fund. As we move forward, we will publish other ways to help our students as we grapple with this outbreak.

• Counseling Service: (413) 538-2037
• Health Services: (413) 538-2242
• Residential Life: (413) 538-2088
• Religious and Spiritual Life: (413) 538-2054
• Community and Inclusion: (413) 538-2551
• Academic Deans: (413) 538-3610
• AccessAbility: (413) 538-2634
• Ombudsperson: (413) 538-2413
• 24/7 Care and Support Line: Call the Counseling Services main number (413) 538-2037 and follow the prompts to speak with a clinician. There may be a brief wait while your call is routed.

Information regarding remote support from AccessAbility Services is forthcoming pending the resolution of academic models for courses. Students can expect similar services moved to a remote platform (e.g. Zoom appointments).

All 30-minute advising appointments are being held remotely, either over the phone or through Google Meet. You will be able to select which option you prefer when you request an appointment in Handshake.

Recruiting events will also be held virtually going forward. Many employers and graduate schools were already adding these events to their recruitment efforts. Details will be announced as events are scheduled.

• Tuesday: 9 am - 1 pm
• Friday: 9 am - 1 pm

Auxiliary services will be open at these times for mail/package pick-up, shipping supplies and help with shipping.

If your package arrives after you have left campus, it will be forwarded according to the College’s Forwarding Policy.

We are in close communication with colleagues, state legislators and legal representation about ethical best practices and the legality of service options that can be provided remotely. Please continue to check the Counseling Service website for updates as we anticipate that our offerings may continue to evolve.

Currently, we encourage ANY Mount Holyoke student to contact us with questions and concerns. Although the expectation is that students who have not been approved to say on campus will pursue treatment in their new location, we want to be as helpful as possible with that transition. For students that are off campus, we are offering same day consultative phone appointments to assist with questions about medication, accessing services in their area of residence, course withdrawals/extensions, medical leave or other administrative questions. Contact the Counseling Service by phone (413-538-2037) or via email (every effort will be made to respond within 1-2 business days).

For students on campus, we will be in touch directly to alert you to offerings and to help you navigate our services in the best way possible. Currently though, please do not hesitate to call M-F between the hours 8:30-4:30 for a same day phone appt for anything you may need or if you are in distress. After hours and on weekends, you can call our 24/7 care line at 413-538-2037 to receive support.

Additional sources of support available to all students include:

• The Counseling Service website at www.mtholyoke.edu/counseling
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español 1-888-628-9454; Options for Deaf and Hard of Hearing 1-800-799-4889)
• ULifeline - online resource center for information regarding emotional health
• The Trevor Project (support for LGBTQ+ folx) at 1-866-488-7386 or text "START" to 678678
• The Steve Fund (crisis text line for students of color: text "STEVE" to 741741)
• The Jed Foundation Crisis Text Line (text "START" to 741741)

The Dining Commons will be open through May 6, 2020, with limited hours: Breakfast 7:15-9 am, Lunch 11:30 am-1:30 pm, Dinner 5-7 pm.

• Effective immediately the Dining Commons staff are taking added safety measures within the Dining Commons. Only MHC Students, Faculty & Staff will be allowed into the Dining Commons. No travel mugs (outside containers) will be allowed. Staff will plate all food items for you.

Cochary Pub & Kitchen is closed until further notice. 

Grab & Go is closed until further notice. 

Frances Perk is closed until further notice.

Ramaḍān accommodations are available.

Health Services is open daily 9 am – 1 pm .

• The Health Services on-call clinician is available 24/7 at (413) 538-2242.
• All current MHC residents can use MyHealthConnection to send messages to their primary campus provider or nurse triage with questions regarding prescriptions and non-urgent questions. These will be reviewed regularly with a response within 24 hours.
• Health Services will be available by phone or MyHealthConnection to fill some prescriptions via electronic record and assist with other case management issues.

If you forgot to clear out your Kendall locker, don't worry.  Items will be there when you get back.

Visit the LITS website for:

• Building Hours
• Information on how to “Keep Learning!” remotely.

Send LITS questions to the HelpDesk@mtholyoke.edu and from there staff will route you to the right person.

McCulloch Center staff are working remotely until at least April 7. 

Please use Pathways to set up remote appointments.

See the FAQ section on Academics and “What about international students?”

All Cultural Centers are closed for the remainder of the Spring semester.

If you submitted a Bias Incident/Community Insensitivity report we will be in contact with you soon to continue the process. The submission process will remain open for incidents that occurred on campus prior to March 20 and for incidents that happen on campus through the end of the semester. Contact Latrina Denson.

Chaplains and advisors will remain available for online appointments through Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Facetime. Please contact a chaplain/advisor if seeking an appointment. See ORSL Staff.

Religious and Spiritual Life at Mount Holyoke College is offering alternative programming and resources via remote access or through the Religious & Spiritual Life Facebook Group. 

The Office of Religious & Spiritual Life is soliciting prayers, duas, poojas, etc for those affected by COVID-19. We will read them each week at our Interfaith Lunch program. We will also share intentions anonymously through our digital channels. Please know that we are holding all in our hearts at this time.

Religious spaces

• The Eliot House is closed until further notice.
• Abbey Interfaith Sanctuary Prayer and Abbey Memorial space will be closed until further notice due to social distancing recommendations.
• Prayer space is available in Moasis (313 Blanchard Hall).

Staff will remain available for online appointments through Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Facetime. Please contact a staff member directly if seeking an appointment.  See Student Involvement staff.

Additional information will be forthcoming to student groups and student leaders in regards to student organization re-recognition, online training opportunities, and more.

Shuttles are now running to CVS and Big Y every Wednesday from 3-6 pm. Shuttles will leave from the Blanchard Bus Stop and make a loop to both locations for the three hours.

You may be wondering how best to practice safe social distancing and still stay connected to others. We encourage you to review this list of  Be Well Tips and Resources.