Category: Latest Updates

We are writing to you today as most of you are preparing to return to St. Louis for the start of the spring semester on Monday, January 25.

We know there are many questions about the vaccine: Who is eligible, how – and importantly when – they will receive it, and how our public health guidelines might be affected as individuals are getting vaccinated. Here is what we know now.

We want to make you aware of a few changes in testing for COVID-19.

After careful consideration, we have decided to make the following changes to the academic calendar for the spring semester.

As we approach the final weeks of the fall semester, it is now time to turn our attention to spring, and what the next semester will look like at Washington University.

With the current increase of COVID-19 cases on campus and in the St. Louis region, we want to inform you that we are preparing to implement new dining guidelines, beginning next week.

Because of the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission due to personal interactions around the holiday, undergraduate students who choose to travel more than 60 miles outside of the St. Louis region will not be allowed to return to campus for the remainder of the fall semester.

We are now heading into what could be a pivotal time period, and perhaps now more than ever, we must remain nimble and be prepared to shift our strategy.

For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time to get together with our loved ones and give thanks for the many good things in our lives, even in these difficult times. This year will need to be different in order for us to keep our families and community safe.

While we continue to monitor our financial situation closely, at this time we believe we are in a strong enough position to move forward with some positive steps to restore employee benefits.

As you are aware, we have had to make some difficult decisions since this spring in response to COVID-19, many of which have had a direct impact on our faculty and staff. These steps were taken based on the information we had at the time, and now that we’re getting a clearer picture of our financial situation, we are cautiously optimistic that our outlook is improving.

For those of you who are on campus or in St. Louis, we strongly recommend you to stay here and spend the Thanksgiving holiday with us. Limiting travel outside of the region is an important way to keep our community safe and reduce the potential for transmission of COVID-19.

To students: As outlined in our August 31 announcement regarding COVID-19 testing, after the initial round of testing at the start of the semester, all undergraduate students living in the St. Louis region will be required to complete a university-provided COVID-19 test every two weeks for the duration of the fall semester. This surveillance testing will begin on September 28.

Though this semester is nothing close to typical, there’s still something to be said for the excitement and anticipation that has filled our campuses once again.

You are receiving this message because you will be required to complete a COVID-19 test provided by the university at the start of the semester.

At Habif Health & Wellness Center, we care about the health of all of our students. We have been working all summer to prepare for you to return to campus.

With many students set to begin returning to St. Louis this week, we are writing to share some important reminders and several updates related to our plans for COVID-19 testing.

Get answers to your COVID-19 questions at a special “Ask the Doctors” town hall for the Danforth Campus community at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26.

Our team here has been hard at work since spring and we are now in the final stages of our preparations for the beginning of the fall semester for the rest of our students, for whom classes will resume on Monday, September 14. As that date draws near, we wanted to provide you with an update on our planning.

There are a number of things that you will need to know – and do – to help prepare for the fall semester.

With the start of the fall semester fast approaching, there are a number of steps we will need you to take to help make sure we all are prepared for a safe start to this academic year.

For the last several months, we have been squarely focused on planning for the fall semester and the steps we will take to bring our students, faculty, and staff back to the Danforth Campus as safely as possible for teaching, learning, research, and community. We are writing to you today to share our plan for fall.

We are grateful for your moral support and encouragement in light of the significant challenges and sacrifices our students face. WashU is a stronger university because we are in this together.

Dear new Washington University students and families, As we have shared previously, we are so thrilled that you have chosen Washington University and we want to again extend our welcome to you, as our newest members of the Bear Family!  Without a doubt, your first year at WashU will be historic and memorable. You will […]

Dear returning upper-division students and families, I hope all of you are safe and well. We have heard from many of you this summer – we very much appreciate the many ideas and suggestions, and the words of encouragement from so many, as we strive to face together the big challenges before us this fall. […]

For those who are now on campus, whether for short periods of time or for full days, there are a number of important steps we all must take to help keep our community safe and healthy.

The Board of Trustees has approved a temporary suspension of the university contribution to the employee 403(b) retirement savings plan for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Although many aspects of our planning are continuing to evolve, it is clear that nearly every course will have an online presence. This will enable us to offer remote instruction to students who choose not to return to campus in person or become subject to quarantine at some point during the semester, and to pivot seamlessly should public health considerations require a return to alternate operations.

In order for us to have a successful fall semester, all of us will need to work together. As part of the college experience, WashU students have always spent their first fall semester making new friends, exploring the campus, learning new ideas and experiencing the many events and activities provided. These things will still happen this fall, but in order for us to have a successful semester life on campus will be different.

You are the backbone of this institution, and we could not have succeeded this spring without you. And succeed we did.

In order to be consistent with the duration of the Stay at Home orders in place in local jurisdictions, we are extending the university’s alternate operations period until April 22.

We here in the United States have a small window of opportunity to slow the spread of COVID-19. All of us in the medical community now urge you to follow the CDC guidelines for social distancing.