Important Jan Term Updates

In response to the significant increases of COVID cases across the country, the college has made the difficult decision to shift the format of our Jan term courses. All classes will still begin on Tuesday, January 4, as previously scheduled, however, the format of courses previously scheduled on campus will shift to online only.

Covid rates

Over the last several days, significant increases in Covid cases have been reported across the nation. While it has been difficult to determine the rates in Maryland over the past two weeks due to the Maryland Department of Health’s reporting system being down, Maryland has now reported a current positivity rate of 10.27%, which mirrors levels from earlier in the pandemic in May 2020. Carroll County officials indicate they are seeing a sharp rise in county numbers as well, and Carroll Hospital has announced that it is operating at maximum capacity.

About the Omicron variant

The CDC is working with state and local public health officials to monitor the spread of Omicron, which is now the dominant Covid strain in the U.S. New research is emerging each day, but it has been reported that this strain can spread much more rapidly, which has contributed significantly to the number of breakthrough cases for those who are vaccinated but who have not yet had their booster shots.

We ask that you continue to take precautions and use good judgment during the holidays. Wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and get your booster vaccine as soon as you are eligible. More information about booster requirements will be sent to campus shortly

In light of the information above, we have made the difficult decision to shift the format of our Jan term courses. All classes will still begin on Tuesday, January 4, as previously scheduled, however, the format of courses previously scheduled on campus will shift to online only.

My Design classes will still meet from 10 a.m.-12 noon Eastern Standard Time each day, as originally planned. The only difference is that classes will be held on Microsoft Teams. All field trips and CEO sponsored events will be moved into a virtual format. If you are an international student who is living in a time zone that would make class meetings impossible, please reach out to academiclife@mcdaniel.edu
Other classes previously scheduled on campus: Courses that can reasonably shift to an online format will do so, but there may be classes that need to be canceled. If you are registered for a course which shifts to an online format, you should expect to meet online during the original time code for the course each day, unless your professor tells you otherwise. If your course is cancelled, you will receive an email from the Registrar's Office within the next 48 hours. You may register for a different Jan Term class via Self-Service.
Travel Jan Term trips: Study tours are still going as planned. Your instructor will reach out to you directly if there are any updates.
Independent Studies: Independent studies will still be offered online or, if not possible, will be canceled. Your professor should be in contact with any additional information about your independent study.
Internships: Internships may still proceed off campus. You may elect to reach out to your site supervisor to confirm any in-person expectations still in place.

f you are a senior still needing to fulfill a January Term requirement, but no remaining classes will work for you, please contact Academic Life (academiclife@mcdaniel.edu).

For any interested students, the counseling services staff will be available for virtual sessions over Jan Term for students who reside in Maryland. Unfortunately, state licensing guidelines prohibit a therapist from providing counseling services to individuals outside the state. All questions about counseling services may be directed to the Wellness Center after January 4th at 410-857-2243 or by emailing wellness@mcdaniel.edu.

Jan Term residential experience

There will be a limited number of students permitted to reside on campus during Jan Term. Students who are permitted to return to campus housing during Jan Term will be contacted separately with details about their revised return dates. Please know that the college will not be approving additional requests to live on campus. Any questions regarding Jan Term housing should be directed toreslife@mcdaniel.edu.

We recognize the inconvenience of having to adjust your Jan Term plans and are sorry to all who have been impacted. We are confident that this is the best choice to keep members of our community safe and to ensure a successful in-person, residential spring semester.

Thank you for your continued flexibility and understanding.

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