Faced with another semester online, a lost year of athletics eligibility, and a dearth of social interaction, some students who took classes in the fall opted to take the spring off.
A Harvard College Open Data Project report published in December predicted that the freshman and sophomore classes would shrink 3 and 5 percent, respectively, in the spring semester compared to the fall. The College has yet to release official spring enrollment data.
Sarah Mrad â24, who spent her first semester of college at home in Lebanon, said she decided to take a leave following months marked by limited social interaction.
âI really did enjoy my classes, and I did feel like I learned as much as I would in a non-remote setting. However, the classes were the only thing that I could enjoy,â Mrad said.
Amid skyrocketing nationwide case counts of Covid-19, Harvard administrators announced Monday that the College is cautiously moving forward with welcoming increased numbers of students back to campus for the spring semester.
In December, Harvard College announced that it would expand on-campus living to prioritize seniors, juniors who were enrolled in fall 2020, and students with learning environment needs.
Writing to all University affiliates Monday morning, University President Lawrence S. Bacow cited “record high numbers of cases worldwide and in the United States” as cause for caution and increased flexibility for spring plans.
“Those plans depend on the status of the pandemic and may need to change if the situation continues to deteriorate,” Bacow wrote. “Each School has developed contingency plans and will be in touch with more specific information as spring term approaches.