Earlier this morning, Georgetown University administrators announced that in-person classes will resume, effective immediately, in Walsh 392. The announcement, though seemingly an arbitrary reversal of previous decisions, was actually made with serious consideration for the health and safety of our community.

President DeGioia wrote in the announcement, “We are continuing to monitor the situation and will assess whether we are able to welcome more students back to Walsh in the coming weeks. We recognize that this decision may be difficult for many students to accept, because there are so many wonderful classrooms in Walsh. We want our students, especially the newest members of our campus community, to experience all of them as soon as it is safe.”

A source close to President DeGioia told The Heckler that Georgetown administrators had been considering reopening Walsh 392 for some time, but were waiting for Mayor Bowser to remove it from the DC list of high-risk areas. As this article went to print, Walsh 394 and 396 were still designated as high-risk locations, and students returning to Walsh 392 from these classrooms will be required to complete the 14-day quarantine, per the Mayor’s Order and the Phase Two Reopening Guidance. 

Provost Groves echoed DeGioia’s sentiments in a subsequent communication, adding in superfluous details, empty platitudes, and many more words.