Dean College, in reversal, will hold fall semester online

Photo | Grant Welker Dean College in Franklin

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Dean College in Franklin has changed plans for the fall semester, electing to hold all classes and activities online for the fall semester as the coronavirus pandemic has worsened across the country over the summer.

Dean initially said it would hold classes on campus starting Sept. 1 but will move classes online following Thanksgiving break. Finals would be held online.

But citing worsening conditions across the country — 7-day averages of new daily cases have exceeded 50,000 through the month of July — led Dean to reverse course. The college is consulting with medical and public health officials.

"This decision was made with our firm belief that the safety of our entire community cannot and will not be compromised," Dean President Paula Rooney wrote in a message online to the campus community. "Though we are confident this decision is the right one, we profoundly share in everyone’s disappointment as we were all looking forward to the return of our students to campus this fall.

"This decision was by far the most difficult in my 47-year career in higher education," Rooney, the Dean president for 25 years, said.

Dean's fall semester is now scheduled to run from Sept. 9 to Dec. 17, when finals end. Rooney said the college still hopes to bring students back to campus for the spring semester.

Dean had previously announced it would not hold fall sports, a decision also made by College of the Holy Cross in Worcester and others.