March 9, 2020 UPDATE

To the Dartmouth community,

As winter term comes to a close, we find ourselves dealing with increasingly complex challenges presented by the spread of the novel coronavirus. As we work to manage and mitigate risks associated with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, our No. 1 priority is the health and safety of our community.

While the provost, as chief operating officer for our campus, is the primary decision-maker on operational matters, all operational decisions regarding our response to COVID-19 are being made in consultation with campus leadership and in partnership with federal, state, and local officials. Each decision is based on guidance from the CDC and state and local health professionals, as well as the task force of experts we've assembled at Dartmouth, which is co-led by Dr. Lisa Adams and Josh Keniston. They will continue to update the Dartmouth community frequently as the situation evolves, and the provost will also continue to provide updates when there are important developments related to campus operations.

Please understand that the situation with COVID-19 is fluid, fast moving and complex, particularly given that Dartmouth is running a residential operation with significant travel by community members across the globe.

Moments like these are trying for all of us, but it is critical that we come together to support decisions that are in the best interests of the campus at large.

We truly appreciate the great lengths to which all of you—students, faculty, and staff alike—have gone to be flexible and adaptive, from following rapidly evolving guidance and taking extra precautionary measures, to making special accommodations for those in need. Your cooperation has been paramount to our ability to manage emergent issues quickly and responsibly, and we're grateful for your support.

We hope we will all continue to demonstrate compassion and empathy toward one another and avoid rumors and speculation with respect to COVID-19 by staying well-educated and informed by qualified health professionals. We urge you to stay tuned to your email for important updates from Dartmouth's COVID-19 Task Force. You can also find the latest updates from Dartmouth on COVID-19 at any time at dartmouth.edu/covid19.

Thank you for your support and understanding at this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Philip J. Hanlon '77, president

Joseph Helble, provost