Dear IU student,
Over the past several days, we have seen several schools — including the University of Notre Dame, Michigan State University and the University of North Carolina — abruptly shut down in-person classes over outbreaks of COVID-19.
We are also aware of recent parties and large gatherings hosted by IU students that have violated county regulations and put our campus communities at risk. Thousands of IU community members, including many of your peers, have worked countless hours to ensure the safe return to on-campus learning.
Since the earliest days of the pandemic, you have told us that you want and value in-person, on-campus learning. Our faculty have told us they want to see you as well — and want you to have the educational experiences you deserve. That means you must follow the behaviors and actions that you agreed to by signing the Student Commitment Form, which all students must review and sign before returning to campus.
If too many of you fail to comply, our decision will be simple: We will reverse course as other universities have done and go back to all-virtual instruction, which we know you don’t want and which we have all worked so hard to avoid.
We know that we are embarking upon a fall semester like no other at IU. We recognize the sacrifices you, and all of us, have made and will continue to make.
How you choose to act matters — and it matters greatly. Right now, there are people on social media posting about how irresponsible students are going to force us all back online. They think it is inevitable. Prove them wrong.
Michael A. McRobbie
President