Abraham Lincoln statue on Carthage College?s campus.
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Dear Students,

I am writing to provide an important update about the beginning of the fall semester. As I wrote to you yesterday, we are excited to welcome you to campus. Believe me: We have been eagerly anticipating your arrival for five months now, and there is nothing we want more than to see your faces — masked but smiling! — on Campus Drive.

However, the situation in Kenosha continues to evolve, and events beyond the College’s control have required us to reconsider our plans for New Student Arrival and Move-in this weekend.

While our campus remains safe and distant from the activities you are hearing and reading about in the news, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to delay student arrival and residential move-in for most students by one week. 

  • Student-athletes and select groups of students will continue to move in this week as previously scheduled. Nearly 300 students are already on campus. They are safe. We are confident our campus will continue to be safe.
  • New Student Arrival will be pushed back one week to Sept. 4, 5, and 6. This will occur on the same hourly/room assignment schedule as had been planned.
  • Returning Student Arrival will also move back one week to Sept. 11, 12, and 13. This will occur on the same hourly/room assignment schedule as had been planned.
  • Classes will still begin remotely on Wednesday, Sept. 2, as originally planned. However, we are extending the remote learning period by one week to accommodate the new arrival and move-in schedule. In-person classes will now begin Monday, Sept. 14.
  • All residential students will receive a prorated refund on room and board fees based on their new arrival date. Your refund will appear in your account in the coming weeks.
  • New students will receive an update Thursday regarding changes to New Student Orientation.

We will be updating the arrival schedule on our website this afternoon with the new move-in dates, but you may assume that your time is now one week later. You can also read more information on our FAQ page.

We are making this decision for several reasons. First: Again, while our campus is safe, we want to be responsive to our students and families who have expressed concerns about traveling to Kenosha due to ongoing protests in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake and in light of Governor Evers’ emergency order. 

Second: We want to do everything we can to make your return to campus as positive as possible during already trying circumstances. We want to be able to welcome you with the same excitement we know you’re bringing to your fall semester. At the same time, this is an exceptionally difficult time for our city and neighbors, and we want to be sensitive to that.   

We fully recognize that this change comes with little advance notice and causes great inconvenience. We know that you have made plans based on your original arrival and move-in date and time. Our faraway students have made travel arrangements, and parents and families have requested time away from their jobs. For this reason, we are accommodating students who must keep their arrival date if circumstances require. Please complete the appropriate form below, and we will work with you to accommodate your needs.

It certainly has been one change after another, and there is more uncertainty in our world right now than any of us would ever want. Please know that all of us at Carthage remain committed to your safety, and to providing you with an exceptional academic and campus experience this year. 

Sincerely, 

Kimberlie L. Goldsberry, PhD
Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students