Boston College Announces Changes Amid Pandemic

NEWTON, MA — Boston College is delaying the start of the spring semester by nine days and has canceled Spring Break and all study abroad programs, the school said this week. It also recently said anyone who leaves the state for Thanksgiving will have to forego in-person classes, because of the pandemic.

“While the course of the pandemic requires all of us to recognize that plans may change, our intention is to return for in-person instruction on campus beginning in late January and continuing through Commencement on May 24,” wrote Executive Vice President Michael Lochead and Provost and Dean David Quigley in a message to the school community this week.

The start of spring semester will now be Jan. 28. Spring break, which was originally set to happen the first week of March is out, and Easter Break is also shortened.

The school officials said the university plans to continue asymptomatic surveillance testing, contract tracing, quarantine, and isolation next semester. And as happened this year, they said the would require all students, faculty, and staff to be tested for the coronavirus before they return to class for the spring semester.

“Access to residence halls and other on-campus facilities and services will be tied to proof of COVID-19 testing, and students will be expected to quarantine in their rooms or off campus until their results are returned,” the email reads.

Since Monday there have been 4,103 community tests and of those only three undergraduates have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the school. Last week, between Oct. 19 and Oct. 25, there were 15 undergraduates who tested positive. Since the school began testing in August some 236 people have tested positive.

While many greater Boston colleges have avoided the coronavirus outbreaks that universities in other parts of the country have experienced, Boston College has scheduled more in-person classes and had called for less frequent surveillance testing for students, bringing it under the scrutiny of neighboring communities.

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said earlier this year she was "gravely" concerned about an outbreak at the school this summer and said the school should increase testing to weekly or twice-weekly. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has also expressed concern about the college's ability to control the spread of the virus. And Brookline town officials have pushed the college to be more communicative about plans to use Pine Manor College as a place for students to quarantine or isolate.

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how .