Message from the President: School of Health Studies and Fall 2020

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Dear Berkeley Community, 

I am pleased to report that the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) in New Jersey has granted Berkeley College a waiver to conduct required laboratory sessions for winter and spring semester students in the School of Health Studies. These sessions will take place at the Woodland Park campus beginning on Monday, June 29, 2020, through Tuesday, September 8, 2020. 

A number of health and safety protocols have been developed in compliance with guidance from OSHE, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the New Jersey Department of Health. These plans will be published on the Berkeley College website and will serve as a starting point for the College’s reopening plans for our other campuses. 

Fall 2020 Semester 

As the state governments of New York and New Jersey gradually roll out their multi-phased reopening processes, Berkeley College continues to prepare for a Fall 2020 return. 

Since May, the Berkeley College Coronavirus Task Force has been meeting to discuss and plan Berkeley’s reopening process. These plans include three tentative phases that will take several weeks to fully implement before the fall semester begins on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. More information about the re-entry process and protocols will be distributed later this month. As always, the top priority remains the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff members. 

Understanding that our plans are contingent upon each state meeting the health and safety metrics outlined by their respective governor, all Berkeley College campuses, with the exception of White Plains, will run a combination of online and hybrid courses for the Fall 2020 semester. Hybrid courses offer an online experience that is complemented by hands-on learning at a Berkeley College campus. 

All courses at the White Plains campus will run in an online instructional modality for the entire Fall 2020 semester. The campus will be open for staff as outlined in the final re-entry plan, similar to all other campuses. A small number of students, including Global Alliance program students, will remain in the White Plains Sussex residential housing. The Cottage Place residence building will be vacated by the end of June. No new students will be admitted to residential housing for the fall semester. This decision will be evaluated on a semester by semester basis. 

Fall 2020 Registration is Open

Registration for the Fall 2020 semester is now open. Newly enrolled students should reach out to their Admissions Associates for further details regarding registration and orientation information. Continuing Berkeley College students should see their Academic Advisors or complete registration through Self-Service via the Engage portal.

As Berkeley’s re-entry plans remain fluid and subject to change based upon government directives, know that I will keep you updated as more of these plans are confirmed. Please continue to visit https://berkeleycollege.edu/coronavirus for the latest information. 

I look forward to seeing many of you soon. 

Sincerely,

Michael J. Smith
President of Berkeley College