Davis & Elkins Students:

I hope this email finds you well.

Admittedly, the past few days have been a bit of a struggle on campus.  That said, we chose D&E Strong as the theme for this academic year for a reason.  With the Davis & Elkins College Guide for Returning to Campus serving as the foundation for campus operations in the midst of the global pandemic, the health and safety of our community remains our top priority.  Unfortunately, a number of students recently ventured into Elkins to local bars, contracting COVID-19 in the process.  They gathered in a group so large that it exceeded state guidelines, without the space to physically distance, were not wearing masks, etc.

In an email to you on Monday, President Wood reiterated the importance of the D&E community’s commitment to health and safety.  We take this seriously, especially since the stakes for everyone’s health and safety are so high.  In that message, he emphasized that confirmed conduct violations would be dealt with through the student conduct process and could result in consequences.

There are numerous sanctions that may be applied based on the severity of the infraction.  These range from an official written warning for a minor infraction to expulsion from the College for something egregious, and others in-between.  The privilege of participating in co-curricular activities beyond the classroom may also be denied.

Applying disciplinary sanctions is not something the Office of Student Life takes lightly, but we will do what is necessary to protect the health and wellbeing of the campus community.  Since August, we have seen that the vast majority of students, faculty, and staff are fully committed to doing what is required to safeguard one another.  We are asking you to continue following D&E’s COVID-19 safety protocols and policies, developed with such mutual respect in mind.

We need everyone to be on board with masks, physical distancing, mandatory surveillance testing, and our other preventive measures, and with re-imagining social life in creative ways that are consistent with those measures.  This is a challenge for each of us, but we do not shy away from challenges at Davis & Elkins College.

In closing, the Friday Message/Update tomorrow will be loaded with important information, please stay tuned.

We must do all in our power to protect one another.  We are D&E Strong!

Sincerely,

Scott D. Goddard 
Vice President for Student Affairs
Office: 304-637-1352 | Cell: 304-642-1352
Liberal Arts Hall, Suite 102
100 Campus Drive, Elkins, WV 26241