Holy Cross reverses fall semester plans, goes online-only

Photo | Grant Welker College of the Holy Cross in Worcester

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By Grant Welker

College of the Holy Cross in Worcester has changed its plans for the fall semester, electing to go online-only and allow a very limited number of students to live on campus, the school's president said in a letter to the campus community Monday.

"While we all hoped that we would be able to welcome our community back to campus this fall, recent developments have made it clear that a shift to remote learning is now the only course that allows us to meet our varied responsibilities to our students, faculty, staff and local Worcester community," said Rev. Philip Boroughs, president of Holy Cross.

Holy Cross said in June it planned to have classes on campus until finishing the semester remotely after Thanksgiving. That plan included a mix of in-person and online courses, with classes held in larger spaces than normal to allow for safe distancing. Holy Cross, the only Division I athletics program in Central Massachusetts, later said it wouldn't hold fall athletics, a decision since been followed by every other Central Massachusetts college with an athletics program.

Boroughs said in his decision Monday the college was following state guidelines on quarantining and other measures that have become more strict as coronavirus cases across Massachusetts have ticked up in the past few weeks and the pandemic spread during the summer to far greater levels nationally than during the spring.

"As you can imagine, this has been an extremely difficult and heart-wrenching decision to make," Boroughs said. "We know that we are disappointing many, many members of our community who were making plans to return to campus and, for the members of the class of 2024, to come to campus for the first time to begin their college experience."

Holy Cross said it would allow just a limited number of students on campus, including international students who haven't been able to return home, those who have limited access to technology or internet connections at home, or require access to campus resources including laboratories or studio spaces to complete work required for graduation. The college didn't say how many students it expected to fall into those categories.

Most Central Massachusetts colleges are planning to hold at least some classes online, with reduced capacity for students living in on-campus dorms.

Dean College in Franklin has also changed plans for the fall, deciding to hold classes online only. Assumption University in Worcester said late Monday it would hold classes online for the first two weeks of the semester, with classes starting earlier than normal, on Aug. 17. Students will move in from Aug. 28-30 with face-to-face classes beginning on Aug. 31.