We thank you and your families for your patience as we work through the evolving details of our Fall 2021 reopening plan for Lesley students.
Lesley will reopen its campuses for classes, activities, and residential living in Fall 2021.
Contact Dean Nathaniel Mays at nmays@lesley.edu.
We've outlined our overarching plan here, and within emails that we sent to all current and prospective Lesley students.
The first day of classes for the 15-week semester is Wednesday, September 8, 2021.
Fall Term 1 starts Tuesday, September 7, 2021.
Fall Term 2 starts Monday, November 1, 2021.
Details regarding fall orientations are coming soon. Check these links for new information as it becomes available.
All students with campus access will be required to sign a Return to Campus Community Compact. Students must sign the Fall 2021 Community Compact, which contains health and safety requirements for campus activities, by August 15, 2021.
All students who will be living in University housing and all students traveling from outside the U.S. are required to present proof of a negative PCR test for COVID-19 taken no more than 72 hours prior to their arrival on campus, and to be re-tested on campus within 3-5 days after arriving. A positive test result will require the student to quarantine in University housing or stay at home.
We do not plan to conduct regular surveillance testing, but we will require any student with COVID-19 symptoms or a known close exposure to be tested and to quarantine or stay at home until they can present a negative PCR test for COVID-19 or in the event of a positive test result. Students should report any symptoms, known close exposures, and test results to Health Services.
All Lesley students and employees will be required to wear a face mask when indoors in the presence of other people even if physically distanced. Masks are required on Lesley’s shuttle service and on public transit as well as in some off-campus locations.
Unvaccinated students and employees are strongly advised to also wear a face mask outdoors where physical distancing is not possible.
Students should bring a supply of appropriate face coverings and carry a mask with them at all times. Bandanas and neck gaiters are not acceptable face coverings.
We will limit access to most campus buildings to current Lesley students and employees and pre-approved vendors. The no-visitors policy includes family members (apart from during their scheduled times on move-in days) and other guests from outside of the Lesley community. Student Accounts, Enrollment, and Campus Security will allow visitors, and the ground floor retail areas of University Hall will be open to the public.
All members of the University community will need to use their Lesley ID for card-tap access to campus buildings. Carrying your Lesley ID card at all times will be important, as buildings will be locked. Please do not unlock or hold doors open for anyone who does not have a Lesley ID card.
Follow these instructions if you do not yet have a Lesley ID card or need to replace a lost card.
Most classrooms and indoor spaces will operate at pre-pandemic capacity without requirements for physical distancing. However, all events will be limited to current Lesley students and employees, and attendance at indoor events will be capped at 30 people.
We will follow our normal cleaning routines and schedules for classrooms and other common spaces. We ask that everyone be attentive to cleaning up after themselves if they use a common space to work or eat. Practicing good hand hygiene is advised. Hand sanitizer will be available.
All Lesley students will be required to submit proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or to have an approved medical or religious exemption in order to participate in any on-campus experience this Fall.
Over 95% of our faculty and staff are or will be vaccinated before coming to campus. In addition, we will require vaccination for employees in certain positions subject to approved medical and religious exemptions.
We will require that all students who will be on campus this Fall get the flu shot. Once this year’s flu shots become available, we will provide information and help for obtaining a shot. Being protected against the flu is especially important this year because flu and COVID-19 symptoms can be similar.
We are making significant technology improvements to over 50 classrooms on our Porter Campus and on South Campus (formerly known as Brattle Campus) to enable HyFlex instruction. Most undergraduate courses will have an in-person component, and class sections will meet on Porter (in University Hall and the Lunder Arts Center) or on South (in Sherrill, Washburn and Burnham Halls).
The classrooms on Doble will not be used this year, but Doble will still offer student housing and dining (White Hall cafeteria and Ava’s Kitchen). The Fitness Center, the Residential Life Office, and the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Justice Office as well as Academic Support, Disability Services, Campus Safety, and other services will remain available on Doble. Our Interactive Directory of Services is available online 24/7.
Transportation
Our shuttle service will offer transportation between the 3 campuses. Masks are required on our shuttles.
As part of our mobility and sustainability planning, in September, we will begin to charge a flat daily rate for parking. We encourage non-resident students to use public transit to commute to campus and everyone to walk or bike between campuses, weather and ability permitting.
We are offering housing on our South Campus (formerly known as Brattle Campus), Doble Campus, and local hotels.
All students living in University housing are required to present proof of a negative PCR test for COVID-19 taken no more than 72 hours prior to their arrival on campus, and to be re-tested on campus within 3-5 days after arriving. A positive test result will require the student to quarantine in University housing or stay at home.
We will be offering dining services at White Hall, Washburn Commons, and other grill and café stations across campuses.
In Fall 2020, we launched a Transfer Student Success Office embedded with our advising teams in our Coordinated Student Success area in the Provost’s Office.
Associate Provost Jennifer Serowick and her team are ready to assist transfer students with everything from transfer credits, questions about student life and academics, understanding financial aid or billing, and finding the supports you need at Lesley.
During a global pandemic whose trajectory is uncertain, even limited use of campus facilities carries some risks that each individual must weigh carefully.
Lesley students who have been accorded the privilege of campus access are responsible for protecting each other’s health and well-being and must hold each other accountable.
The Community Standards of Conduct will apply to students regardless of whether they are living at home, off-campus, or in a local hotel room.
We will offer in-person, hybrid, and remote placements in the Fall. Students can make their own decisions about how and where they participate.
Read more about our internship and field placements for Fall 2021.
Find details for Fall 2021 plans for your specific school or program within Lesley University, as well as answers to frequently asked questions as they become available.
The government has confirmed that the guidance from 2020 will remain in effect for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Learn more about the Fall 2021 plan for F-1 international students.
Given the pandemic’s global impact and ongoing international travel restrictions, we have made the difficult decision to not approve all Fall 2021 international travel.
This includes study abroad, exchange programs, and faculty-led programs scheduled through December 2021. Programs planned for January 2021 and the upcoming Spring 2022 semester will be reviewed in the Summer of 2021.
Please email iss@lesley.edu if you have any questions.