DePauw Stories

DePauw University plans to hold in-person classes on its Greencastle campus starting in August, it announced today.

In a letter emailed to students and faculty and staff members, university leaders said significant health and safety precautions would be implemented to protect the DePauw community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The beauty and location of our campus are something many people appreciate, and those attributes also provide advantages to us as we seek to return our students to their academic setting,” said Dave Berque, interim vice president for academic affairs. “Our small class sizes, large campus footprint and our new health and wellness center provide us with the flexibility we need to resume on-campus classes. We realize that the COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly changing and we will remain nimble so that we can adjust our fall plans as needed, with a focus on health and safety.” 

To ensure the safety of students and others, the university has been considering – and will continue to review – its class schedule, offering some remote and hybrid classes; the schedule for planned breaks; modest calendar adjustments; and housing. DePauw has eased its requirement that all students live on campus, enabling students who cannot return to study remotely. The university will expect students who return to campus to adhere to safety precautions and will follow state and national guidelines for gatherings, athletics and events.  

In a related matter, DePauw will offer a new, virtual course – “Leadership and the Liberal Arts: In Crisis and Calm” – in the fall term and has secured commitments from prominent leaders to be guest lecturers. They are:

• Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

• DePauw President-elect Lori White.

• Brad Stevens, a 1999 DePauw graduate and head coach of the Boston Celtics.

• Jim Alling, a 1983 DePauw graduate and former chief executive officer of TOMS®.

• Jon Fortt, a 1998 DePauw graduate and CNBC co-anchor of “Squawk Alley.”

• Jeff Harmening, a 1989 DePauw graduate and chief executive officer of General Mills.

• Erin O’Brien, a 1996 DePauw graduate and a Mayo Clinic rhinologist and surgeon.

• James Stewart, a 1973 DePauw graduate, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist and author of nine books.

• Elisa Villanueva Beard, a 1998 DePauw graduate and chief executive officer of Teach for America. 

With support from DePauw’s Sanger Leadership Initiative, each student who completes the course will be eligible for a $1,000 Sanger Leadership Opportunity Grantto be applied toward an off-campus study, winter term, May term, research experience or internship during subsequent years at DePauw. 

“As the entire world looks for leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, DePauw is following its own tradition of developing leaders the world needs by offering our students access to these impressive world leaders,” Berque said. 

 The course will be available to remote and on-campus students, with priority given to first-year students and remaining slots offered to rising sophomores and juniors. 

 Faculty and staff members are expected to return to campus in phases no earlier than June 1.