Dear Students,

This has been a week of beautiful spring weather, and many students are spending time outside. I encourage you to make the most of this weather. Please remember, however, that you must still wear a mask and engage in social distancing while outdoors, including on our beautiful Quad.

CARPs in Campion, Newman East, and Bowman
In consultation with our medical professionals, we continue to implement modified Campus Assessment and Restriction Periods (CARPs) in residence halls where we see a concerning number of—or connection among—cases.

• Campion and Newman East: During this week’s testing and CARP for all residents of Campion and Newman East, we have identified 7 Campion residents and 11 Newman East residents who tested positive. Given this information and following guidance from the Baltimore City Health Department, we are extending the CARP through 6 a.m. Monday, March 22. Iggy’s will remain entirely grab-and-go during this time. All Campion and Newman East residents will be tested again next week.
• Thea Bowman Hall: In the past week, 9 residents of Bowman have tested positive. Those cases—and the connections between them—call for urgent action to stop the spread. Effective today, March 12, at 8 p.m., we will implement a CARP for Bowman Hall. We will conduct testing of the residents on Saturday, March 13, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. That CARP will continue through 6 a.m. on Monday, March 22.

We certainly prefer not to have to put students in a CARP and limit their activity. We recognize, however, that we need to put these measures in place for the health and safety of our community. All we want is to lift restrictions and return to a more normal situation. We have come so far, and we really can see an end in sight. We just need to stay the course and support one another along the way.

All Classes Temporarily Online
Because so many of our students are not attending in-person classes during these CARP periods, we are moving all undergraduate classes online. In-person classes will resume on Monday, March 22. Although we prefer to offer classes in-person, we recognize that we can offer a better educational experience with the class fully online when this number of students are participating remotely. Natural and applied science labs may be held.
Masses and other events that are scheduled to be in-person will continue in person.

Easter/Spring Break
We had already planned a CARP and testing of all undergraduate students taking in-person classes for the week after Easter. All classes and events will be held online until everyone has been tested and results have been assessed. All meals will be grab-and-go beginning on Easter Sunday evening. We expect to end the CARP during the weekend of April 10. We will communicate the end date and time that week. We are also planning to test all students the week of April 12 to give us the best baseline for the rest of the semester.

Maryland guidelines call for people traveling outside the state to quarantine for 10 days or test negative for COVID-19 after their return. If students travel outside Maryland during Easter/Spring Break, they will not need to quarantine for a full 10 days as long as they have a negative COVID-19 test from Loyola.

Remote Learning for Fall 2021
We are looking forward to a Fall 2021 semester that will offer more in-person instruction and experiences. Recognizing that some students will still have reasons to choose to stay remote, we are determining criteria for students who want to take all courses remotely in the fall. The criteria will include medical situations that would compromise a student’s ability to successfully live and work on campus. 

As was the case for this spring, undergraduate-student approval for fully remote learning will be facilitated by the office of undergraduate and graduate studies, and graduate-student approval will be handled by DPOs for each program. More details about both the criteria and registration process for remote learning will be forthcoming.

Maryland COVID-19 Restrictions
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is changing some COVID-19 restrictions at 5 p.m. today, including lifting restrictions on capacities for outdoor and indoor dining. Students, please be vigilant and continue to wear your masks—and avoid dining in restaurants and bars. You need to be concerned not just about your own health but limiting the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

Although the governor has expanded the capacity for large outdoor and indoor venues to 50% capacity, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has said that the City is keeping restrictions in place for now. We continue to seek clarity and pursue multiple scenarios for our Commencement celebrations. I look forward to sharing more information with you soon.

Conclusion
You don’t have to go far this weekend for some excitement for our whole community, as our men’s basketball team takes on Colgate University in the Patriot League Championship at noon on Sunday, March 14. This is the farthest men’s basketball has ever gone in the Patriot League playoffs. Coach Tavaras Hardy might not want me to say it out loud, but we are one step away from making the NCAA Tournament. 

The game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network, and we will have a socially distanced watch party for students during the game in the third-floor common space in the Student Center. Students do not need to register, but space is limited, and you will need to show your Campus Clear green pass. I hope you cheer on our Greyhounds from wherever you are.

Please wear your masks, engage in social distancing, make good decisions, and Go Hounds!

Sincerely,
Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J.
President