Fall Term Update for All Students
July 15, 2020
Dear Students,
Over the past several weeks, the Deans’ Office – along with our faculty advisory committee and in ongoing consultation with students – has continued to work on plans for delivering our Tuck MBA experience in the fall 2020 term. We last updated all T’22s in May, and in late June we shared with all T’21s some highlights about our exploration of hybrid learning.
Standing by our guiding principles for this new academic year– in particular, our commitment to information sharing and transparency – we write today to share another update on preparations for fall-term instruction and programming.
To reaffirm: All fall term programming and instruction will commence on time. Fall term for first-year students will begin with Tuck Launch on Monday, August 10. Fall term for second-year students will begin on Tuesday, September 8.
At this time, we expect that the fall term will blend in-person, hybrid, and online experiences. Among the in-person experiences we will endeavor to offer will be multiple in-person sections of our longstanding Ethics in Action course, delivered consistent with public health protocols. This course, offered across the fall term, will be open to both first-year and second-year students, and it fulfills Tuck’s Ethics and Social Responsibility requirement. All international students who are on campus during the fall term will be able to take the in-person offering of this course. Study groups, a required and integral part of Tuck’s first-year MBA curriculum, will also gather in-person this fall for group discussions and assignment preparation.
As previously shared with T’21s, to support hybrid instruction in our Tuck classrooms and related spaces, the School is currently making the necessary investments in technology and in public-health supports. Hybrid classes and events will be an inevitable step in our phased and gradual return to our distinct in-person learning community, as will COVID-19 testing and contact tracing.
We must all acknowledge that pandemic conditions and public-health challenges are likely to continue this fall. Consistent with public-health guidance, we at Tuck will endeavor to offer as many in-person engagements as we can. But we do anticipate that online instruction will remain integral to the success of the fall term.
Do know that Tuck will continue to work closely with any students who are delayed in joining us on campus due to visas, travel restrictions, health conditions related to or impacted by COVID-19, or other extenuating circumstances. And we will continue to honor and support the health needs and decisions of each individual community member—students, faculty, and staff.
Our School’s ability to deliver on this blended fall term as outlined above rests upon each of us. We all must commit to exercising great caution, respect, and understanding toward one another’s personal circumstances and decisions. Perhaps unlike any other time in Tuck’s history, each of our individual actions have the ability to shape our entire community. Every one of us will need to do our part – and we deans are confident that together we can.
As the fall term approaches, we will continue to share further community updates as warranted. In the meantime, if you have any questions please reach out to the MBA Program Office.
Please keep healthy and safe. We look forward to starting our fall term together soon.
Matt, Joe, Sally, and Brian
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.