Mills Matters A Semester Unlike Any Other: The 2020–21 School Year Meets the Pandemic Health, the College’s student health
At this point, it’s old hat to describe
With most courses online and
anything that’s happened in 2020 as
residence halls reopening with pre-
service, will provide health services for
“unprecedented.” And yet, the semes-
determined lower capacities to assure
students on campus and can still offer
ter that kicked off at Mills College on
social distancing, a handful of new
remote healthcare to those in Alameda,
August 26 is one that has no precedent
and returning students began to arrive
Contra Costa, and San Francisco
in our 168 years, even through two
on campus August 22. After President
Counties, while another medical group
World Wars and another pandemic:
Hillman’s email, the number of hous-
will virtually serve students out of the
classes conducted with very few stu-
ing contracts dropped as more residents
area. The Division of Student Life is still
dents physically present on campus.
opted to conduct their studies remotely;
planning a broad selection of activities,
about 200 opted for on-campus hous-
albeit over Zoom.
After a summer of investigating ways to hold socially distanced classes on
ing versus the usual 500. “For some
National news stories over the sum-
campus, President Elizabeth L. Hillman
students, this is the only home they
mer questioned whether many college
made the announcement on July 27
have,” said Dean of Student Life Chicora
students, especially first-years, would
that Mills would stick to a mostly vir-
Martin in an August 20 virtual town
opt to take a year off rather than
tual schedule due to a surge in COVID-
hall for faculty and staff. As a result,
learn online or return to campuses
19 cases in the region. Only about 15
five residence spaces—White, Ross,
with imposed restrictions and lim-
courses—in lab science, studio art, and
Larsen, Ege, and Mary Morse—have
ited activities. Even with scaled-down
dance—are meeting in person this fall,
been shuttered for the time being.
expectations at Mills, the numbers
all with appropriate social distancing,
Bon Appetit, which provides meal
look promising—especially for the
disinfection practices, and face masks
service at Mills, is similarly scaling
pre-existing online MA program, with
per coronavirus guidelines issued by
back, with food available only at the
126% higher enrollment than last year.
the State of California mid-August.
Tea Shop and Suzie’s Cafe this semes-
In June, the Board of Trustees approved
(The dance classes will take place on
ter, complete with markers on the floor
a move to keep tuition and fees at the
the tennis courts!)
and touchless card readers. Vera Whole
same level they were in 2019-2020, and the College is also making iPads
“The College is more than the sum of its classes.”–Chinyere Oparah
available for distance learning at a 50% discount, which has proven quite popular. In the meantime, most faculty and staff members continue to work remotely to limit the number of people on campus. Those who do come to Mills must fill out a health check on the MillsGo mobile app and show their results to personnel at the front gate. While the campus did not have any incidents of COVID-19 for
MERILEE MCCORMICK
the first several months of sheltering in place, over the summer, two employees received positive diagnoses. Both situations were handled with the proper isolation and contact-tracing protocols, and no further cases have been reported. Visit mills.edu/covid-19 for updates throughout the semester. 4
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