BRUNSWICK — Bowdoin College, which closed its campus in mid-March in response the COVID-19 pandemic, will allow first-year students on campus when the next school year starts. The school will be relying on online learning, canceling varsity sports and requiring stringent testing for the virus.
College President Clayton Rose released the plan for the fall semester in a letter to students and staff Monday. New first-year students and transfer students will be on campus in the fall, as well as students who would have difficulty with online learning from home. Students staying on campus will have single bedrooms and eat staggered meals at the college dining hall to keep group sizes down.
A small number of senior honors students who need access to the campus to complete pre-approved projects will also be allowed to return, Rose said. No student is required to be on campus, which will be closed to the public.
All other students will be kept off-campus and take their classes online.
Bowdoin typically has 1,850 students on campus, including about 500 first-year students, said Bowdoin spokesman Doug Cook.
“This year, we may have students who choose to defer their enrollment or ask for a temporary leave, but the number of those requests is not yet clear,” he said.
Students will be required to wear face coverings and practice physical distancing and regular hygiene. Everyone on campus will be tested for coronavirus at least twice a week, as well as 14 days before arriving on campus and again upon arrival.
All other students will remain off campus for the fall semester and take their courses online. Classes start Sept. 2 and end with exams Dec. 21. All students will leave campus ahead of Thanksgiving and finish the term online.
The college has also nixed fall and winter varsity sports during the fall semester since not all students will be on campus.
Rose said he hopes seniors, juniors and sophomores can return to campus for the spring semester and with some opportunities to participate in sports. The college expects the first-year and transfer students to study remotely in the spring.
The pandemic has taken a financial toll on Bowdoin College. Cook said the college expects to lose $8 million in combined revenue and COVID-19-related expenses. Cook said the amount of revenue lost next year depends on Bowdoin’s overall enrollment, which the college can’t yet calculate. However, Rose said last month the college could lose more than $20 million in revenue next school year.
“We anticipate ending the (current) year balanced due to cost-saving measures, which include a hiring freeze,” Cook said.
To help cushion the blow, Bowdoin was allocated $1.12 million through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
“Bowdoin is fortunate to have strong financial resources to cover much of the deficit, but we will also have to implement several cost-cutting measures for the coming academic year, with those making the most contributing the most,” Rose said, adding he’s cut his own salary by more than 20%.
According to Rose, there will be no staff furloughs. Senior officers will see a 10% salary reduction and the salaries for most faculty and administrative staff will be frozen. Starting in September the college will halve its retirement contributions to all employees during the academic year.
Hourly staff will see a “modest” increase in wages and the college will increase the minimum hourly wage to $14 effective July 1.
“I recognize that these financial measures are difficult and will have consequences for employees and their families at a time when many of you are working harder than ever,” Rose said.
The Portland Press Herald reported that tuition will remain unchanged at nearly $28,000 for the semester.
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