Dear Students,
As we approach what in a typical semester would be spring break, we see how hard you are working. We hope our planned Wellness Week (March 22-26) will allow you to take a step back from the bustle of the semester and focus on personal wellness. Many of our faculty have made adjustments to their courses for that week, and groups and organizations are planning various opportunities for self-care. You can read more about some of these plans here.
Please remember that we removed spring break from the calendar because we are asking students to avoid as much as possible travel outside the Bethlehem area during the semester. Avoiding travel is important to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID. Low case counts in the past few weeks have allowed us to gradually reduce campus restrictions and increase in-person activities. We are pleased with this progress and the positive effect it has on our entire community, and we are hopeful students will have even greater access to campus and social activities as the semester progresses. However, all that we have gained may be lost if we lose focus on doing the right things with regard to COVID.
Wellness Week is not a spring break, and it should not be treated as such. We ask that you limit your travel to emergency situations only. If you must travel, please be sure to follow our travel/return to campus protocol. We encourage you to find ways to relax, socialize safely, and enjoy time together while following all health and safety guidelines. Parties and other large gatherings—including those for St. Patrick’s Day—put us at risk of losing the ground we’ve gained. Please make your decisions wisely and with consideration of their broader impact on your fellow students and the campus community.
The week of March 22 marks the halfway point of another atypical semester. You should take pride in the efforts you’ve recently made to get us back on track after a spike in positive cases. We all want to continue on this path. In order to do so, though, we need the cooperation of every member of this community. Thank you for your commitment to yourselves, to each other, and to a successful remainder of the spring semester.
Nathan Urban
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ricardo Hall
Vice President of Student Affairs