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COVID-19 FAQ for Students and Parents

Buffalo, New York – June 17, 2020 – At D’Youville, we understand students and their parents throughout the country are experiencing significant concern regarding COVID-19, their communities reopening, and the return to on-campus college life. We at D’Youville have remained ahead of the higher education curve in our response efforts.

We formed work groups and strategies early, dating back to the beginning of February, before many were even considering the full impact. We were the first among our peers to move to remote learning, move labs online, train and equip faculty, and transition student services and activities to digital formats. We also continued to care for approximately 80 students in our residence halls throughout the completion of the Spring 2020 semester, without incident.

Our top priority — the health and safety of our campus community — guided every choice we made, while continuing the best-in-class education and student experiences D’Youville is known for. It has not been easy nor without bumps along the way; however, we are proud of the efforts our faculty, staff, students, and D’Youville families have exerted over many months of uncertainty.

Now, we begin looking forward to the time we can come back together. Institutions of higher education in New York State will reopen in Phase Four of “New York Forward” — Governor Andrew Cuomo’s region-by-region state reopening plan. We encourage you to learn all you can about “New York Forward,” Phase Four reopening, and regional success metrics at

D’Youville is responsible to develop, submit, and garner approval for an extensive plan we are calling “D’Youville: Ready to Restart” — a reimagined health and safety plan developed through an internal, collaborative self-study of services and programs. Or plan is based on extensive questions from the Council for Independent Colleges and Universities and is in alignment with state and health organizations’ public health guidelines. We are also consulting closely with the Erie County Commissioner of Health, local experts, our elected officials at all levels of government, and the Western New York Consortium of Higher Education.

In the accompanying document, you will find a wealth of information extracted from that plan regarding requirements for returning to campus, what D’Youville is doing to create a safe environment, as well as your role in protecting yourself and contributing to the maintenance of a healthy community. You will also learn the steps that will be taken should issues arise.

Should you want more information, I encourage you to funnel your questions regarding restarting D’Youville to Dr. Jason MacLeod, associate vice president of operations and administration.

As D’Youville’s president, the mother of a recently graduated college student, and a person on a college campus with concern for her own health and safety and those around her — I assure you, my team and I have turned over every stone and considered every scenario to ensure a safe and seamless process. Should any issues arise, we pledge to communicate with you and to protect the lives of those in our care. Thank you for putting your trust in us as we tend to your education and future as a D’Youville student and one day, a proud graduate.

Most sincerely,

Dr. Lorrie Clemo

President