March 12, 2020

Dear Bennington Parents:

This is a challenging time for all of us as the threat of coronavirus continues to unfold around the globe. I have heard from many of you and understand that your children may feel especially far away right now.  

We still do not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19 on campus or in our campus community. You may have heard that, out of an abundance of caution, we currently have one student who was evaluated and tested for the virus late Tuesday night and is currently in isolation. We anticipate a negative result and will keep you apprised of any developments.

Please know that there is no higher priority for us than the well-being of our students, and that every decision we make is informed by this commitment. That means not only continuously reassessing our policies and procedures to minimize the campus’s exposure to the virus, but also working to ensure that they are on track to meet their academic goals. I anticipate that the next few days and weeks will require additional adaptive measures to protect the health of this community, but can assure you that any changes to course schedules and locations will not compromise students' opportunity to finish the term. Above all, we want to minimize the risk to our entire campus community’s health and safety. 

The Bennington College Coronavirus Task Force and I are monitoring the situation closely and reviewing College policies as new information becomes available. We welcome your questions as they arise, so please do not hesitate to contact us. And rest assured that we will keep you apprised of all relevant information as quickly as possible.

Over the past several days we have been collecting and responding to questions from you and your students. We have compiled these into a FAQ, which I am sharing with you now. 

In crisis and in calm, you have entrusted your loved ones to Bennington for these formative years, and we remain unwavering in our commitment to their well-being and safety.