February 10, 2022
Dear Students,
We are writing to update you on our plans to reopen cross-campus dining at the five undergraduate colleges. We appreciate your patience and support as we manage the challenges posed by COVID-19 and the recent surge driven by the Omicron variant.
We are pleased to report that our case rates are declining, and we are able to make plans to reinstate cross-campus dining. In doing so, we are taking into consideration the following: our efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 and the operational challenges that each College is managing in the dining halls.
We are pleased to announce a phased re-start of cross campus dining:
- Beginning on Saturday, February 26, Pomona, CMC, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú, and Pitzer will open cross-campus dining with brunch and dinner for the weekends and dinners only on weekdays. HMC will open only for brunch on the weekends at this time.
- Cafés are also open for cross-campus dining, but food trucks are not. Students must follow the policies of the host campus.
We understand that students across the 5Cs want cross-campus dining for breakfast and lunch during the week. Knowing that lunchtime places the greatest demands on our dining halls, we believe it is prudent to begin 5C dining with dinner mealtimes (and with brunch on the weekends) to ensure that our dining halls are able to continue to meet high standards of service.
During spring break—March 14–18—we will reassess our COVID-19 positivity rates and address any operational issues with the goal of opening cross-campus dining more fully, to possibly include breakfast and lunch, when students return from spring break. Throughout the semester, the Student Deans Committee and College Treasurers will continue their assessment of reviewing both positivity rates and adherence to COVID policies across the colleges.
The above points relate to student dining only; faculty and staff will continue to follow the dining rules determined by their home campus. Malott Commons dining rooms will be open to 50% capacity.
We are also pleased to announce that 5C parties may also begin on Saturday, February 26, with the following guidelines:
- No more than one party per campus for the remainder of the semester;
- Students and student groups must abide by the event request and registration processes of their home campus;
- No parties will be permitted between March 17 and March 27 in recognition of student travel during spring break and the need to monitor positive cases upon return to campus; and
- Parties will be limited to 5C or 7C attendees only with no outside visitors.
Additionally, all common spaces such as SCORE and the Student Union are open. Surgical masks or higher are required at all times in common spaces. Students are encouraged to social distance when possible. Food and drinks are not permitted.
Lastly, on February 26, the College will lift the restriction of 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú-only students in our residential halls. Students from the other Claremont Colleges are welcome in our resident halls; however, non-7C guests are still restricted from visiting College residential halls.
We hope that this approach to 5C dining, events, and guests puts us on a path to resume the vibrant social life that is so key to the Claremont consortium experience.
In Community,
Adriana di Bartolo-Beckman
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Dean Calvo
Vice President for Business Affairs and Treasurer