The summer of 2021 will begin to see incremental steps out of pandemic mode. The following summarizes key employee and visitor activity on campus.

Important Employee Notes

• Employee Enrichment Week will offer onsite sessions during the week of June 7, including the B Well 5K on Thursday, June 10. Look for more information soon.
• Commons will progressively return to indoor dining this summer. Physical distancing will be required, and you can expect to see fewer seats in Commons. More information will be provided after Commencement.
• We welcome our emeriti faculty and retirees back to campus. Keycard access will be restored to Ladd Library and academic buildings during business hours.

Summer Visitors, Residents, and Programs on Campus

As with the summer of 2020, activity on campus will be limited, though there are several key programs to highlight:

• Admission tours of campus will begin in June to ensure that prospective students and their families have an opportunity to see all that Bates has to offer.
• Students whose work requires them to be on campus—local internships, on-campus employment, research, and similar—will be housed in Chu and Kalperis Halls throughout the summer.
• The Bates Dance Festival is innovating in the pandemic, with modified classes and performances. Please see the website for information, and welcome the dancers in July.
• Limited sports day camps will be in session.
• There will be no overnight camps for minors for any activity.

Please feel free to greet visitors with a smile and offer to help them find their destination if they need assistance. However, I ask you to refrain from our hallmark “hold the door,” as we will not permit uninvited visitors into buildings, and hosts are required to escort their guests into and out of college buildings.

Publicly-Facing College Spaces

• The Bates College Art Museum will be open for limited-admission viewings of exhibits. Please see the website for ticketing and information.
• The Bates College Store and Post & Print will open to retail customers starting June 1 with masks required and limited capacity. Please check their websites for specifics.

As indicated in an earlier message, construction activity will occur around Dana Chemistry Hall and elsewhere on campus, which coupled with the activity above, will make for a busy summer. I look forward to seeing you around campus!