Vice President for Student Affairs Joy Moore sent a letter to Boston College students and parents on Monday with more details for the fall semester. The email stated that before returning to campus, all students will be asked to sign the Eagles Care Pledge, promising to adhere to the University’s COVID-19 policies and to care for themselves, others, and the community.
“COVID-19 remains a serious threat, and we are committed to doing everything we can to help mitigate its spread and keep the BC community as healthy and safe as possible,” Moore said in the email.
The letter is the third in a series of weekly updates the University announced it would send every Monday prior to the start of the fall semester.
The email encouraged students to pack lightly, bringing only essential items and avoiding bringing large pieces of furniture. It didn’t offer a reason behind the suggestion, but North Park University, which also instructed students to pack lightly, said bringing fewer items would be helpful should students be asked to return home and finish the semester remotely, and that it would allow for an easier move-in process. BC will be limiting the number of people allowed to help students move in, according to a letter sent to students last week.
Moore began the email by briefly addressing the social unrest across the country in response to systemic racism and police brutality, though she made no mention of the accusations of racism and censorship at BC that are currently spreading on social media.
“Much work needs to be done by each of us to move forward in a way that changes our world, so that people of all colors–particularly black and brown people–are treated equally and, most importantly, with dignity as fellow human beings,” she said in the email. “We look forward to engaging in that important work with you.”
All residential students will be required to sign an addendum to the housing agreement before moving in, according to the email.
Sophomores, juniors, and seniors will select a move-in time through MyResLife on the Agora Portal, and first-year students will be assigned a time according to their local, national, and international region, the email said. Move-in dates will be announced by July 1, according to the ResLife website.
The email said that students should limit travel and off-campus excursions during the fall semester, particularly out-of-state travel. The email did not discuss travel for BC’s sports teams, nor did it contain any specifics surrounding Thanksgiving Break, when students will have a three-day break from class in the middle of the semester.
BC will also limit the elevator capacity on campus to four people and prohibit non-BC visitors in the residence halls during the fall semester, though the email did not make any mention of BC students visiting other residence halls.
