To senior administrators and campus leadership,

No one could have predicted the extent of the cultural disruption and devastation the COVID-19 crisis would leave in its wake, or, for that matter, its specific effect on college students and campus life. It goes without saying that ramifications of the virus have impacted families, communities, and almost every aspect of the working day for faculty, staff, and of course, students.

While all community members have undoubtedly been effected by these changes, the BA Class of 2020 has had to endure a particular sequence of bitter realities. The spread of the virus has forced many seniors to leave Simon's Rock--an institution that has served as a home and safe haven for many--much earlier than expected.

Further, the potential delay or cancellation of a commencement for a class that has never had the opportunity to walk across a stage in High School is only an added blow to an already tumultuous and painful academic year. We must acknowledge that this moment is a historic one. Since its inception in the 1960's, no class at Simon's Rock has had to persist through a global pandemic and juggle the rigorous academic expectations that our community is so proud of with the equally demanding burdens of social distancing, quarantine, fear, and death.

The Alumni Community thanks you for the swift action Senior Leadership and Administrators took in response to the first request for an extension organized by the Senior Class. However, through conversations with student leaders as well as feedback via social media and other platforms, its become apparent that the senior class needs more time. We are collaborating with the Senior Class of 2020 to ask that you please further extend the deadline for final drafts of Senior thesis. In these unprecedented times, we ask for unprecedented accommodations in recognition of the struggles this class is undergoing.

As alumni who have completed the thesis process and the academic requirements to receive a degree from Simon's Rock, we know better than most that even with an extended deadline, completing a year long project amidthese conditions is a task beyond what we were asked to accomplish, so it would be inequitable to expect that their academic experience be put in jeopardy due to factors they had no control over. We eagerly await your decision.

Respectfully,

The Alumni of Simon's Rock