November 2, 2020
Dear Boston College Students:
I write to provide an update as we prepare for the end of the fall semester.
To begin, I want to inform you that Vice President for Student Affairs Joy Moore has taken a leave of absence to care for her husband, Rob, who recently underwent surgery for brain cancer. As you know, she is a vital member of the BC community, and I ask that you keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.
In the interim, Fr. Leahy has asked me to serve as acting vice president for student affairs. I know that I will need the help of all on campus, and I request your understanding and cooperation. In particular, I ask all students to remain vigilant as we continue to respond to the reality of COVID-19 on campus and in our world. The vast majority of our community has responded well, and it is critical that we continue to do the following:
- Wear masks in public places at all times
- Practice physical distancing
- Avoid large gatherings
- Conduct daily symptoms monitoring via the BC Check app
- Come in for testing whenever contacted by University Health Services
All undergraduate students agreed to abide by our community expectations when they signed the Eagles Care Pledge in August. Please note that students are expected to monitor their emails for important information, including notices to appear for COVID-19 testing. Students who fail to respond to testing notices face disciplinary sanctions ranging from holds placed on their accounts to suspension.
I also would like to remind those students who received the Thanksgiving Travel Registration Form to complete their form by November 13. As you know, students have been given the option of returning to their home state for Thanksgiving and completing the remainder of the semester and their final exams remotely, or remaining at Boston College or within the state of Massachusetts and completing the semester on campus. Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that some students may be thinking about traveling outside of Massachusetts for the Thanksgiving break, while indicating otherwise on their Travel Registration Form. Those found to be in violation of their stated intentions will be subject to Student Conduct sanctions, which could include loss of University housing and suspension from the University.
In the coming weeks, Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley and I will provide details about return dates and testing requirements for the spring semester, which will begin on January 28.
In the meantime, I hope your experience at Boston College continues to be positive and productive, despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic. I wish you the very best as you prepare for the remaining weeks of the semester.
Sincerely,
Michael Lochhead
Executive Vice President
