To: The Wellesley College Community From: Diana Chapman Walsh Date: September 11, 2001 -- 2:15 pm There is much that is not within our power to influence or understand at this time of crisis, but we can focus our energies on maintaining our small community as best we can. We have taken the following steps for today. Classes are cancelled today. Clapp library will remain open until midnight, the science library will be open until 9:00 p.m. and the art and music libraries will remain open until 4:30 p.m. Providing support to all students All heads of house are on duty. They are available to support students and to respond to questions from parents. Concerned faculty and staff are encouraged to visit the residence hall common rooms and dining halls to connect with students at any time. Meals will be available there. The counseling service will be open as usual and Robin Cook Nobles will be available this evening for individual and group counseling. Essential services (dining, custodial, police, communications, etc.) will remain uninterrupted. If non-Wellesley students are here on campus, they are welcome to stay. Please contact Michelle Lepore via email and she will make arrangements. Offering meeting places on campus for those who want to come together The residence life staff has made arrangements for gatherings in each residence hall. Information services has set up cable television in Pendleton 212, Jewett Auditorium, and Science Center 277. The religious and spiritual life team is holding prayers for peace every half hour. All worship spaces are open continuously. Facilitating communication between students and their families Long distance calls made from student phones today will be free of charge so that students from affected areas can seek to ascertain whether their families are safe. We will establish a central check point in the residence office for families who call into the college wanting to reach their daughters. Calls to the central line (283-1000) will be directed to Ellen Miller, who will contact the appropriate head of house so that students can be reached. After 4:30 p.m,. campus police will be available to direct these calls. We would like to try to know about any member of the community who may need special support. If you learn of someone whose family has been affected by this tragedy, please notify Jane Bachman in my office by email or phone (ext. 2237). Doing our best to communicate information as it comes to us We will continue to meet on a regular basis to monitor announcements by federal and state authorities and to issue statements as seems appropriate. Feel free to call my office if you have a question or concern. Melissa Hawkins in the Center for Work and Service is arranging transportation to Framingham for those who want to donate blood. She can be reached via email or voice mail. In addition, all of us need to do all we can to: Keep the campus as calm as possible; Support one another in our fear and grief; Avoid the tendency to speak or behave in ways that threaten or isolate any members of our community. Continue to suspend judgment about what has happened and who is at fault until we have better information. I am grateful to everyone who has remained on the campus to help us make sense of this distressing situation. For tomorrow, I anticipate, as of now, that the college will be open and classes will be held. Message to the community -- 10:25 a.m. To the Wellesley College Community: The information that is coming to light about the bombings in New York and Washington is still imperfect but it is clear that we are in a state of emergency. Classes will be canceled today as will all other official events. Students are encouraged not to leave the campus. Any travel is discouraged. Unless they have a compelling family reason to go home, staff are asked to stay here until we learn more. Travel seems unwise at the moment. We encourage all students to go to their residence halls to watch television and follow the unfolding events. Members of the Student Life Division will be in the residence halls. We encourage any faculty and staff who are able to join students in residence halls to do so. We are setting up systems for communication and support on the campus. When we have further information, we will communicate it. Return to President's home page Return to Announcements Return to Public Information home page   Office for Public Information Last Modified: September 11, 2001