Spring Updates
This information is archived as of May 26, 2020, and is saved here for reference. See latest health information.
April 13, 2020
Dear Central family,
Spring is budding all around Central’s campus. I hope you found moments of joy this weekend celebrating the Easter holiday as best you could while social distancing with friends and family.
I am constantly reminded that even in the midst of this pandemic, we are surrounded by support from each other and the beauty of a hopeful spring.
Since the pandemic emerged, the senior leadership team and I have continued to make decisions based on the best information available at the time. I write today to share with you details of some new decisions as well as a few things to celebrate.
Fall International Study Updates
Because of minimal student interest alongside visa stipulations in Vienna, Granada and Mérida, we have decided to suspend our programs in these countries for the Fall 2020 semester. It is our hope that by the spring or summer of 2021 the pandemic will have abated via vaccine availability and international travel and study to these locations will be feasible again.
At this time, we still have a number of students interested in study in Bangor and London this fall. We will continue to plan to sponsor these programs until/unless we receive information that travel restrictions or decisions by our partner programs indicate otherwise.
Room and Board Refunds
We continue to diligently process the room and board credit information for each student. Details will roll out to students this week.
Central Cares Fund
Central has established the Central Cares Fund thanks to generous donors to Hoo-Rah Day (see below). The fund is intended to help students experiencing extreme hardship during the coronavirus pandemic. Students with need may use this application to request support.
Education Accreditation
We learned last week that our education department has received accreditation from the Department of Education to move forward with offering an early childhood designation. We are thrilled for the doors this opportunity opens for our future educators.
Hoo-Rah Day
Central held its fourth-annual Hoo-Rah Day on April 7. In total, the college raised a record $225,272 to support scholarships for students and to provide support for the Central Cares Fund. In addition, the online celebration garnered more than 70,000 social media impressions and over 5,000 hits to the college’s Hoo-Rah Day video. Rah! Rah! Whoo!
As a college community, the past month has been filled with what often has seemed like insurmountable challenges. Yet the sun has been shining and flowers are blooming. I’ve been proud of how each of you have helped and encouraged each other. I am confident we will come out stronger and more united on the other side.
Best,
Mark L. Putnam
President, Central College