Students from rural towns often expect Williamstown to feel familiar. Three first-years from rural towns spoke to the Record about the similarities — and differences — they've observed since arriving on campus.

Ten faculty members will retire this year. The Record asked them to share wisdom with the College before they leave.

The College has announced that seven faculty members are retiring during this academic year: Professors Ben Benedict, Jerry Caprio ’72, Helga Druxes, Laurie Heatherington, Paul Park, Duane Bailey, and Scott Wong.

Student card access to all residential buildings was restored on Oct. 8. The College had originally revoked universal card access in the wake of students concerns about drink tampering, but administrators found that the access restrictions had not made a significant difference in party activity.

As colleges nationwide reopen for the fall semester, some peer institutions have implemented public health restrictions notably stricter than the College’s COVID-19 rules. Others have had to change their policies in response to sharp upticks in student COVID cases.

The College partnered with Northern Berkshire Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Berkshire Health Systems, and the Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative to run an on-campus vaccination clinic on May 12, which came after the College was unable to offer vaccines on campus for the first few weeks after eligibility had opened to all adults in Massachusetts.

In fall 2021, all EphVentures orientation trips for first-years were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Orientation was held entirely remotely instead. In light of the College’s plans to relax COVID restrictions for the fall, Williams Outdoor Orientation for Living as First-Years (WOOLF), the most popular EphVenture program, is slated to occur as normal for the Class of 2025.

The owners of the now-closed Sweet Brook Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Williamstown reached a settlement last month of $110,000 with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts after repeated allegations of failure to care for residents.

In November of last year, the College began construction of the Williams College community garden, located on the field behind Poker Flats. Now, at the end of March, after five months, the construction process has finished, and students, staff, and faculty who signed up have been assigned plots to begin planting. 

One month ago, the Record spoke with six formerly remote first-years about their fears, expectations, and hopes about stepping onto campus for the first time. Since then, they’ve adjusted to the rhythm of college life, embracing both the expected and the unexpected as they found how they fit into the College community. 

Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration Matt Sheehy will leave the College to take the position of Chief Financial Officer at Deerfield Academy, a boarding school in Massachusetts, beginning Aug. 1, Vice President for Finance and Administration Fred Puddester announced in the March 31 Daily Messages. 

On March 17, Gov. Baker announced that all Massachusetts residents over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine beginning on April 19. The College has not yet determined whether it will be able to serve as a vaccination site, but it is in discussion with local health services providers, President Mandel told the Record.

As of March 11, K-12 educators, K-12 school staff, and child care workers have become eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in Massachusetts.

The Record spoke with six formerly remote first-years, who, despite coming from locations around the world, shared similar hopes and expectations for a spring semester that ends with a fuller sense of their connection to the College community.

The College began welcoming students back to campus on Feb. 10 after a prolonged winter break. As of Feb. 16, 1,723 students are enrolled on campus for the spring semester. Seven students tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, and two more tested positive afterward. Twenty additional students, whose initial COVID tests were negative, have moved to quarantine housing because they came into close contact with students who tested positive.