HAMBURG, N.Y. – Hilbert College is planning for a return to in-person classes for the fall semester, beginning as scheduled on August 31 for undergraduate students. Among the modifications is the cancellation of fall break, ending face-to-face classes on November 24, and transitioning to online learning for the remainder of the semester.
Throughout the semester, all student support services, offices, residence halls, and dining services will remain open for student use.
“Our Franciscan educational model is what distinguishes Hilbert, and our community is working throughout the summer to preserve this during these challenging times,” Hilbert President Dr. Michael S. Brophy said in a letter to the campus community. “We will continue to place a premium on the mentor-based model that is central to the character formation experience that each Hilbert student enjoys. In addition, we will employ technological solutions that support our balanced approach to health and education.”
The following are the details of Hilbert’s plan:
Classes and Academic Calendar
- Fall 2020 undergraduate classes will be conducted face-to-face on campus beginning on August 31 and ending on November 24. Fall Break, originally scheduled for October 12-13, will be cancelled. All undergraduate classes will then move online for the remainder of the semester, ending on December 18. As is the case every fall, a small number of courses will be taught entirely online.
- Graduate classes will continue as planned with further information to come.
Campus Health and Safety
- All Hilbert College community members and guests will be required to wear a mask when on campus. A consideration of necessary exceptions will be reviewed over the summer with more guidance to follow from the Comeback Task Force.
- Once we all return, each community member will check-in online whenever they plan to return campus, re: their self-reported health and wellness. This will mean a daily check-in for most in our community.
- When needed, alternative learning arrangements will be made for all students via technology.
- Employees who are especially vulnerable to the virus can discuss alternative work arrangements with their supervisors.
- All guests to campus will need to register with designated offices (specific details will be announced).
- All campus signage will clearly indicate how our facilities need to be utilized during the pandemic.
- There will be a gradual phase-in over the summer that enables the College to return all employees to their campus offices by August 17th at 8 am. More info on this will follow in July.
- The College will devote the resources needed to identify and contain the virus in all settings, working in tandem with local and regional health agencies. We will set the highest bar in complying with all state and federal guidelines.
Student Life
- Residence Halls will be open. Information on move-in for students will be provided as soon as it is available.
- The library and academic services will be open and available remotely and in-person.
- Our residential students and student athletes will be required to complete special training focused on preserving health and safety in the residence halls and athletic facilities.
- New Student Orientation will be provided online, starting the week of July 20. Welcome Week will begin the weekend of August 29 - 30. Hilbert will offer virtual events and experiences with new students throughout the summer. More details will be forthcoming from the New Student Orientation Committee in the weeks ahead.
“We are especially grateful to the Comeback Task Force and all those who are working this summer to prepare for this extraordinary opportunity we have to demonstrate our care for others through the charism shared with us by the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Joseph,” Dr. Brophy said.
Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 800 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs in criminal justice administration and public administration, including a track in health administration.