Important Update on AUP's Covid-19 Response

THIS POST IS A REPUBLISHED VERSION OF AN EMAIL COMMUNICATION SENT BY AUP PRESIDENT CELESTE M. SCHENCK ON MARCH 11, 2020, ABOUT COVID-19 AND AUP'S RESPONSE. IT IS PART OF OUR SAFETY & SECURITY BLOG THAT ROUNDS UP ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

Yesterday evening I introduced one of our distinguished alumni, who gave a career talk to a group of AUP students. Our Student Life and Learning Commons on the Seine was full of activity – students engaged in conversation in the AMEX, some studying in the library, others attending evening lectures. It was a night like any other on our busy campus, which, in the 10 days since we returned from spring break, has been a haven for our students, faculty and staff, providing a sense of continuity, normalcy and clarity to our community, helping all of us weather the onslaught of information regarding Covid-19.

France has not yet announced the passage to Stage 3 in the response to the epidemic, and virtually all schools and universities in Paris remain open as of today. We have continued to follow the guidelines of the French Ministry of Health and the WHO, while also listening to our students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, board members, partners and friends. Today our response to Covid-19 is evolving with the changing global picture. Kindly read this email carefully.

First, the University will remain open and classes will continue to be taught on campus for the foreseeable future. We believe the French government is providing clear, science-based information to the public. The French health care system, one of the best in the world, makes health care available to all, ensuring a broad, systematic response to a public health crisis such as Covid-19. For students who choose to remain in Paris, AUP will continue to provide classes, as well as student life and academic support services.

At the same time, we recognize that some students would prefer to be away from campus, some in their apartments in Paris, some with their families, and we are prepared to support any student who chooses this option. Faculty have been preparing for the possibility of remote participation in classes and are currently implementing the necessary processes. Students wishing to leave campus must fill out this web form to advise us of their decision and to receive instructions and information about leaving and completing their coursework remotely. We will also make this information available on the Covid-19 web page in the hours to come.

Classes will take place as scheduled on Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13. To complete our preparations, there will be no classes on Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17. Classes on campus and remote learning options will resume on Wednesday, March 18.

May I assure you that all AUP students – wherever they are in the world – will have an opportunity to finish the semester with the support of their dedicated teachers who are even now devising new ways to deliver the remainder of the curriculum to our global explorers and to assess students’ mastery of course materials in creative ways. Professors will support students who are off campus through a combination of directed studies, independent projects, remote learning and supplementary materials. I have every confidence that the AUP community will come together to tackle this great, broad, challenging collaborative learning experience that schools all over the world are facing, because learning at AUP is personal and deeply important to us.

May I thank each of you – students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, board members – for your forbearance during a time of such uncertainty and challenge, and for your level-headedness, your support and encouragement, and your willingness to adhere to our suggestions and necessary policies. Please reach out if you have any questions or require support of any kind. Students should reach out to staff in the Office of Student Development (studentdevelopmentaup.edu) and parents should continue to contact Parent Relations (parentsaup.edu) with questions. Our teams in Paris and the US will be happy to help. We are committed to helping every family make the right choice, and to accompanying each of our students through to the end of this unprecedentedly challenging semester.

We will be reaching out to you in the hours and days to come, so please check your inbox regularly.