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Williams: 120 Students Moved to Remote Status in Wake of Party

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The president of Williams College on Sunday confirmed that 120 students are transitioning to remote study in the wake of a Feb. 26 incident at a residence hall.
 
"Last weekend's party unleashed tremendous feeling," Maud Mandel wrote in an email to the college community. "It shook many campus and community members' sense of safety. It resulted in painful consequences for students who acknowledged their involvement. And it is requiring that we say temporary goodbyes to people we care about. Some individuals have reached out to tell me how mad they feel, including about my decisions."
 
The college's actions have included an investigation by its Campus Safety and Security Department into a Friday night party that reportedly drew 80 to 100 people to Wood House in contradiction to the school's COVID-19 protocols.
 
Before they could come on campus for the fall and spring semesters this year, Williams students had to sign a "Community Health Commitment" letter. The last line of the letter, printed in bold type, reads, "you agree that you will comply with the college's public health rules and protective measures, and that any failure to comply may be subject to sanction or discipline in accordance with college policies."
 
Being told to leave campus to study remotely is not the equivalent of a suspension and does not affect a student's academic standing, a college spokesperson said on Sunday afternoon.
 
However, there may be a difference in how the incident is reflected in a student's permanent record depending on whether they admit participation or are discovered through the college's investigation to have participated in the party.
 
"For students who came forward and accepted the consequence, the incident and transition won't show up on their permanent records," Williams Director of Media Relations Gregory Shook said. "There's no disciplinary note on their conduct record. And our academic transcripts don't indicate whether a student studied on campus or remotely.
 
"If a student didn't come forward and we later find out through other means that they were involved, they'll be transitioned to remote and will also go through the disciplinary process. Depending on the outcome, they very likely could be subject to further consequences, but that would be determined through our process."
 
Mandel in her letter thanked the students who have come forward and taken responsibility for their participation in the Wood House party.
 
She also noted that the college has seen low rates of COVID-19 infection since the start of its extensive testing program — mandatory for students and staff who are on campus — in August.
 
In the last seven days, those tests have turned up two positive results out of 3,588 tests administered, a positivity rate of 0.06 percent. Since Aug. 17, the college has administered 70,622 tests and turned up 39 positives (21 students, 18 faculty and staff) for the same positivity rate, 0.06 percent.
 
Mandel urged those who are angry about the Feb. 26 incident, which prompted the college to slow its plans to relax some campus restrictions, to show grace and compassion.
 
"[O]n social media some of you have descended into derision, stereotyping and stigmatization," Mandel wrote. "This must stop. The college has already imposed consequences. It is gratuitous and cruel to pile on."

Tags: covid,   Williams College,   

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Mount Greylock School Committee Votes Slight Increase to Proposed Assessments

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to slightly increase the assessment to the district's member towns from the figures in the draft budget presented by the administration.
 
The School Committee opted to lower the use of Mount Greylock's reserve account by $70,000 and, instead, increase by that amount the share of the fiscal year 2025 operating budget shared proportionally by Lanesborough and Williamstown taxpayers.
 
The budget prepared by the administration and presented to the School Committee at its annual public hearing on Thursday included $665,000 from the district's Excess and Deficiency account, the equivalent of a municipal free cash balance, an accrual of lower-than-anticipated expenses and higher-than-anticipated revenue in any given year.
 
That represented a 90 percent jump from the $350,000 allocated from E&D for fiscal year 2024, which ends on June 30. And, coupled with more robust use of the district's tuition revenue account (7 percent more in FY25) and School Choice revenue (3 percent more), the draw down on E&D is seen as a stopgap measure to mitigate a spike in FY25 expenses and an unsustainable budgeting strategy long term, administrators say.
 
The budget passed by the School Committee on Thursday continues to rely more heavily on reserves than in years past, but to a lesser extent than originally proposed.
 
Specifically, the budget the panel approved includes a total assessment to Williamstown of $13,775,336 (including capital and operating costs) and a total assessment to Lanesborough of $6,425,373.
 
As a percentage increase from the FY24 assessments, that translates to a 3.90 percent increase to Williamstown and a 3.38 percent increase to Lanesborough.
 
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