October 2020
Dear Students and Parents,
We all felt it…
A sense of relief was beginning to well up for a few weeks during late summer as we witnessed a decline in positive Covid-19 cases across the nation. It provided us all hope that we have turned the corner on this pandemic. Unfortunately, it seems to have provided a false sense of confidence for many. The sense that we are in the clear and that we could let down our guard. As trends have played out over the past few weeks, nothing could be further from the truth.
As we see in the news, coronavirus continues to present significant and varied challenges to our health, welfare, and our economy. It is challenging all of us.
Back in July, I made the decision that our Fall 2020 semester would be virtual. It was a hard decision but one that I made with your health and safety at the forefront of my mind. I know that you miss the campus and our community. I miss it too. Given the circumstances, we created the Virtual Campus to keep you connected to the community, to events, as well as resources to help you with coursework or your professional development. I know many of you are working part-time jobs in addition to the academic demands, but I do hope you take time to relax, socialize, and attend the events offered in the Virtual Campus.
While I have been meeting weekly with a team and planning different types of scenarios for an on-campus experience, I have watched universities — both in Connecticut and around the country– switch to remote learning as COVID cases pop up on their campuses. It is clear that no college, despite their best efforts, has been able to eliminate the virus from entering its campus. More now than ever, I am grateful for our strong history of teaching students remotely, unlike most colleges and universities across the nation. Reading your feedback from the recent survey looks like you agree. You have shared that you are completing assignments, comfortable with the technology, connecting with your professors or resources as necessary, and building relationships with your peers. This gives me great pride to read your responses. It doesn’t replace being on campus during ordinary times, but these are not ordinary times!
As much as I want to bring you back to campus, to cheer on our athletic teams, socialize and experience something more typical to what you envisioned, this pandemic is real and has real consequences. It is not yet going away. New cases have increased across the country, including in our home state of Connecticut. This is likely to be the case, particularly during the winter months, and will continue until there is a widely distributed vaccine. As we have seen across the nation’s colleges and universities, regular testing and contact tracing is not enough, particularly when so many students live off-campus. Let’s be honest, the campus experience you are used to or have anticipated is no longer viable during this pandemic. Allowing students on campus would not only breach your safety and that of our faculty and staff, you would not be coming back to a campus environment anything close to resembling ‘normal.’ Your health and safety continues to be my priority. I am announcing that Post University will continue with virtual instruction for the Spring semester that begins January 2021. This is not the decision I wanted to make but that am comfortable making because it puts you first.
In the coming weeks, students will be making course selections for next semester. We are again offering a tuition reduction for our traditional campus-based undergraduate students of $6,500, which is a 56% reduction for the Spring 2021 semester, as like this past semester you can take as many courses as you academically qualify for and there are no fees. We feel a sense of obligation to help the many families impacted by this pandemic. The significant tuition reduction for both the fall and spring semester will go a long way towards reducing the cost of your higher education journey….We’re in this together!
Despite the challenges of Covid-19, our academic year has seen unprecedented growth at the University. I am proud of our faculty, and associates for their resilience, engagement, and commitment to making it personal for you.
I am enormously proud of you for rising to the challenges and showing grit in what is an unprecedented time in your educational journey as a Post Eagle. Please continue to take good care, be safe and stay well.
Warmest personal regards,
John L. Hopkins
CEO & President