Good afternoon MMA Students, (also sent to MMA Faculty & Staff)<\/p>\n
I hope that you and your families are well and that, as the remote instruction portion of the semester concludes, you are wrapping things up and preparing for your next opportunities.<\/p>\n
I want to update you on some developments from here:<\/p>\n
Completion of spring-term classes and the start of summer programs <\/strong>\u2013 As you may be aware, on Tuesday, Governor Mills extended the \u201cstay at home\u201d order through the end of May.\u00a0 We have been investigating several options for completing some hands-on spring courses and starting summer programs and, now that we know the limitations for the next few weeks, we will be formalizing how we plan to move forward. Details will be communicated in the near future.<\/p>\n Please understand the scope of the coordination and approval process that must be completed before we can move forward, including working with several external agencies, state government, the U.S. Coast Guard, the State and National CDCs, and MARAD.\u00a0 We understand your interest in plans that are in development and will let you know of actionable plans as soon as they are ready to share. Our intent is to provide pathways for you to complete your courses with as little delay as possible.<\/p>\n Training Cruises on the State of Maine<\/em> and the Bowdoin<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 We still intend to conduct cruises this summer, with a tentative June 29th<\/u> start date, but the schedule and scope of these cruises are still being determined. If you were registered for cruise on the TSSOM<\/em> or Bowdoin<\/em> this summer, you will receive a survey in the next few days. Please complete that survey as soon as you can.\u00a0 Note that making these cruises happen will require significant actions by all participants, support from outside agencies, and all planning is in the context of an ever-changing landscape. We will be keeping you apprised as we move forward. Please do not yet make any travel arrangements to return to campus until we give you a firm date to return.<\/em><\/p>\n The 2020-2021 Academic Year<\/strong> \u2013 We intend to return to campus this fall for face-to-face instruction. We understand that this is the preferred way to learn for most people and that our \u201chands-on\u201d programs work best with this mode of instruction. Like everything else I\u2019ve discussed with you this spring, we will be modifying our situation and plans to reflect the state of the pandemic, but we are currently looking forward to having classes on campus again in the fall.<\/p>\n Logistics <\/strong>\u2013 We understand that each of you has a unique situation that you\u2019re dealing with right now and we will try to accommodate any challenges that you face to help you succeed.\u00a0 We still plan to give you at least two weeks\u2019 notice of when we can return to campus to complete in-person assessments and at least one month\u2019s notice before the start of a cruise. In either case, you will have the option to decline participation in this summer\u2019s sessions and we will work with you to complete those requirements in the fall of 2020 through the summer of 2021.<\/p>\n Thank you again for your willingness to work with us during this challenging time.\u00a0 As always, please let us know if there is anything we can do to make this process work better or help you in any way. I wish you success as you wrap up this spring\u2019s studies and good health for you and your family.<\/p>\n Prof. Cot\u00e9<\/p>\n CAPT Mark Cot\u00e9, USN(Ret) PE
\nActing Provost\/Academic Dean
\nProfessor of Engineering
\n215 Leavitt Hall or 212 BIW
\nMaine Maritime Academy
\n(207)326-2485 or 2102<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"