Important Update to Alumni from Dean Slaughter
A message from Dean Matthew J. Slaughter
March 19, 2020
Dear Tuck Alumni,
As you are aware, events surrounding the COVID-19 situation are unfolding rapidly. I write today to inform you of some recent important decisions we have made to continue to help safeguard the health of the entire Tuck community while still striving to fulfill our academic mission.
In recent days, following new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, Dartmouth College limited all in-person gatherings to no more than 10 people. The college also reported this week its first presumptive positive case of COVID-19. Based on the expected trajectory of the disease, more in the Dartmouth community are likely to become infected over time.
In light of these and other developments, we made the decision to move all MBA courses to remote-only learning for the entire spring term, with no option for students to attend class in person. To the extent possible, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities for our MBA students will also be delivered remotely during this time.
We have also cancelled all Tuck-sponsored alumni events through May 9, including Tuck Alumni Chapter offerings, and will reassess these decisions on an ongoing basis. In the meantime, we are continuing the relaunch of our Tuck Alumni Lifelong Learning virtual programs with a strong lineup of online offerings that you can access from anywhere in the world.
These were not easy decisions, nor were they ones that we wanted to make. However, it is imperative that we at Tuck do our part in public-health efforts to slow the spread of this virus.
The COVID-19 pandemic is unfolding in ways none of us could have envisioned. The coming weeks will likely bring further uncertainty, both here at Tuck and across the globe. But if there is one thing I know for certain, it is our ability as a community to rise to a challenge.
The challenges we face go beyond student learning, to what will likely be a difficult employment environment for MBA students seeking internships and jobs, and to the unexpected costs we will incur as we navigate this crisis. Your continued support—both of our students and our school—will be critical as we take on these and other challenges in the weeks and months to come.
It is clear that we will be creating and living a new and different Tuck experience in the term ahead for everyone. These changes extend to how our community connects with each other and to the knowledge Tuck creates and imparts. Knowing our community, however, I am confident we will continue to deliver a personal, connected, and transformative Tuck experience—to students and alumni alike.
Matthew J. Slaughter
Dean of the Tuck School of Business
Dartmouth has formed a high-level task force to plan for and manage possible disruptions related to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, monitor federal and state recommendations, implement guidance, and communicate with our community.