Dec. 22 Message to Undergraduates: Knowing Where You Are

To Our Undergraduates:

Congratulations on completing a fall semester unlike any we have ever experienced at Case Western Reserve. Whether you participated remotely from locations around the world or in person on campus, you all encountered new challenges involving academics, extracurriculars and, most importantly, your health and well-being. 

Thank you for everything that you did to take care of yourself and support classmates throughout the past four months.

As part of our preparations for next year, we are identifying ways to enhance your university experience, regardless of where you live. An essential aspect of that effort is knowing your residence during the spring semester. Among the reasons:

  • Assessment: Faculty need this information to be able to comply with the Spring 2021 interim measure regarding administration of quizzes, tests and other assessments for students in distant time zones.
  • Instruction: The geographic locations of students in a particular class can assist faculty in determining how best to meet student needs for in-person, blended and remote courses (for example, whether out-of-classroom experiences or group projects are possible).
  • Financial: Spring student fees and financial aid awards differ based on where students live. 
  • COVID-19 Response: Contact tracing and other measures designed to reduce infection risks often depend on knowing quickly where a student lives. When such information is absent or outdated, notifications can be delayed or, in some cases, missed altogether.
  • Urgent or Emergency Communications: Whether the issue is a water leak in a campus building or an especially severe weather event abroad, university staff can assist students more effectively when they have accurate residential information in hand.

Please make sure to update your spring semester residential information in the Student Information System no later than Jan. 4, 2021. This step benefits you, your classmates, and the entire campus community.

Ben Vinson III
Provost and Executive Vice President

Lou Stark
Vice President for Student Affairs