Dear Franklin Community,
In this community update, we are including a preview of the projected changes in the federal guidelines as well as information about Academic Travel, University Day, and the upcoming Swiss accreditation visit.
On Wednesday, March 10, the federal government released a preview of potential changes that will begin next week providing the number of new cases remain stable until then. The changes include the opening up of restaurant terraces, groups of 15 people may visit museums and cultural venues, private indoor events with 10 people, and the very exciting possibility of up to 15 people in university classrooms with masks and social distancing in larger rooms. We will update you next week with the confirmed details, but there is definitely something to look forward to as we get ready for academic travel.
As we move closer to Academic Travel, we want to remind you all that we are working hard with your professors to ensure a safe and enriching academic experience. As those of you traveling know, you will be tested for COVID-19 on March 24, 25, or 26, 2021. Stay tuned for details in your Academic Travel class. As a reminder, testing is obligatory for all students on Academic Travel both prior to and upon your return from travel. Testing is intended to ensure your safety, the safety of the travel group, and the wellbeing of our community at large. If you haven’t done so already, please fill out the Academic Travel release and health form here by March 19, 2021.
Questions? Talk to your Academic Travel professor and be sure to come to the SGA meeting on Wednesday, March 17!
University Day will take place on Thursday, March 25, 2021, in conjunction with our Annual Day of Giving. This year our Swiss accreditation visit will take place on University Day. We thank all the faculty, staff, and students who have agreed to meet with the expert team for their willingness to participate. For those not directly involved in the expert team visit, you will have Thursday Academic Travel classes and you may have testing that day. We also wanted to give you a chance to get ready to leave for Academic Travel beginning on March 26! To celebrate University day, we invite you, the entire university community, to participate in the presentation by the MSIM students on leadership strategies for a changing planet at 6pm. Keep your eyes open for details and an invitation in the coming week.
Finally, in case you have forgotten, please wear a mask whenever you are indoors and outside where you cannot social distance, social distance and wash your hands! And a reminder about mask protocol: your mask must cover your nose and mouth! Wash your cloth masks every day and change the disposable ones regularly! We need your active support to help our whole community stop the spread of the virus.