Dear Spelman community,

Several members of the community recently received notice that some faculty members have opted to teach the first week of classes virtually, which undoubtedly caused grave concern. The College has heard from countless parents and students.

We write today to let you know that Spelman College remains open for in-person learning and instruction.

The health and safety of the community remains a top priority as we restore the residential college experience this year for our stellar faculty and students.

In response to faculty concerns, expanded guidance has been posted on Spelman.edu for students, faculty, and staff.

This summer, the College worked diligently, along with the Atlanta University Center Consortium, to create a set of health and safety protocols to help limit the risk of exposure to the coronavirus on campus. With guidance from the medical community, the Fulton County Public Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have successfully implemented mandatory vaccinations, along with a mandatory masking policy and periodic testing mandates, to obtain the lowest possible risk to the campus community.

To help the College continue to monitor how the delta variant impacts COVID-19 transmissibility, we are currently exploring the feasibility of self-administered tests that can be conducted weekly for vaccinated, as well as unvaccinated members of the community.

We will continue to work closely with faculty to implement campus safety protocols and monitor the state of community spread in the city of Atlanta and Fulton County, while closely following ongoing medical guidance.

Best regards,