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June Intensive to Proceed in Online-Only Format

Mark Richardson
The Very Rev. W. March Richardson, PhD

“I am writing, as promised, with an update about the format for our June Intensive academic session this summer,” wrote the Very Rev. W. Mark Richardson, PhD, president and dean, in an email to the CDSP community earlier today. “We will once again hold this term in an online-only format, out of necessary caution for the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and neighbors.”

The letter continued as follows:

Like many of you, my spirits have been buoyed by the news of the improving (though still high) rate of new infections and hospitalizations in California and nationwide, as well as the accelerating pace of the vaccine rollout. Nevertheless, we have good reason to believe that not everyone who would like to enroll in the June Intensive will have had the opportunity to be fully vaccinated in time to participate. Moreover, the CDC is still advising against unnecessary travel even for fully vaccinated persons. 

As public health authorities and many political leaders have continued to emphasize, we cannot afford to loosen protections against the spread of Covid-19 until it is truly safe to do so. That time has not yet come, and it is highly unlikely to have fully arrived even by June.

Please know that I am deeply grateful for this community’s flexibility and resilience as the need for pandemic precautions has drawn on. In particular, I know our low-residence students treasure their limited time on campus cultivating in-person relationships with instructors and classmates, something all of us are really missing right now in a way that grows stronger every day.   

I am still hopeful for the prospects of a return to something much closer to normal academic operations in the fall. Rest assured that we will continue to love our neighbors as ourselves by following the guidance of health experts. We will continue to keep you posted. 

Faithfully,

Mark