March 13, 2020

Dear Members of the Goodwin University Magnet Schools Community,

We are in the midst of unprecedented global circumstances due to the evolving nature of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). We have seen an increased presence across the United States and in Connecticut. It is a time of great uncertainty for all of us. The health, wellbeing, and safety of our students, faculty, and staff, as well as members of our extended community, are always our first priority.

The Goodwin University COVID-19 Task Force meets daily as we follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the East Hartford Health Department. Our goal is to protect our community while minimizing disruption to teaching and learning to the extent possible. I am writing today to share key decisions for the coming weeks. These have been difficult decisions to make and we do so with the safety of our community at the forefront.

Students, Teaching & Learning

• Effective Friday, March 13, 2020, at 3PM, students are not allowed on campus and CTRA will be closed with no access to the building indefinitely. We will reevaluate in two weeks. We will provide additional information as conditions warrant.

For our Goodwin Early College Scholars:

By end of day on Monday, March 16, 2020, all faculty members will be in contact with their students with directions relative to how their class will be administered.

• Academic Leadership & Faculty are working tirelessly to transition all classes to online and/or remote delivery to begin as early as March 16, 2020, and no later than March 23, 2020. CTRA scholars in the Goodwin Early College Program will need to keep up with their courses online during this time.
• Scholars who are currently enrolled in fully online courses will continue without interruption.
• Over the next week, the University faculty will be developing alternative learning options for students who do not have the ability to engage in online learning.

We will continue to monitor the situation with the hope that we can return to our regular schedule as quickly as possible. Scholars and families should continue to monitor their email for information from the high school and the university and for instructions from their educators about the specifics of any online learning opportunities.

Meetings, events, campus

All CTRA and Goodwin campus events, including student club activities are being canceled or postponed. This includes our scheduled Scholar-Led Conferences this coming week. We are asking faculty and staff to postpone all non-essential travel and outside in-person meetings and to limit inside in-person meetings. Please use technology as much as possible. Most activities will be curtailed to encourage social distancing.

Next Steps
I am sensitive to the strain that this situation has created. We each carry numerous responsibilities--for our students, our colleagues, our families and friends, our communities, and ourselves. I am grateful for all that each of you do and for your willingness to care for each other and all of our global citizens in these challenging times.

As a follow-up to the letter we sent last week, we are now directing you to a COVID-19 dedicated webpage that includes information about the virus, ways to protect yourself, actions you should take as a community member, and a link to Goodwin’s Travel and Exposure Disclosure Policy. This webpage will be updated continually, and I urge you to check back frequently. Within the next week, we will be sending further detailed communications advising the Goodwin community on how campus operations may be further impacted.

The university senior leadership is meeting daily and remains in constant contact with our COVID-19 Taskforce and will provide regular updates as conditions warrant.

I am sure there are many unanswered questions and we want to assure you that we are doing our best to address them and share new information in a timely way. Please continue to monitor your emails and check our COVID-19 webpage for updates.

As a community, let us always be aware of the needs of others and never hesitate to reach out and lend a hand or a listening ear. Let us be compassionate and caring with our words and actions towards others. We pride ourselves in being a welcoming, caring and compassionate community of learning. There has never been a more opportune time to turn our words into actions.

I thank you for your resilience, patience, and compassion for one another as we navigate these turbulent times.

Sincerely,

Craig Drezek
Superintendent
Goodwin University Magnet Schools