Sophie Wolmer '23

The college has announced a number of retirements from and promotions to prominent positions at the college. Jim Brassord, Jackie Alvarez, and Interim CEIO Allen Hart are phasing out of their roles. Darien McFadden will replace Alvarez, and Angie Tissi-Gassoway has filled Hart’s position.

ACPD will adopt a comfort dog before the beginning of the spring semester in an attempt to improve mental health and the department’s relationship with students. Though they appreciate the sentiment, students are wary that it does not actually respond to demands surrounding campus safety.

On Oct. 11, the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) Senate issued a response to a series of hateful emails sent to Black student groups at UMass Amherst. The message criticized the college for its insufficient response to the incident.

A cold that students have termed the “Amherst flu” has spread across campus. Due to the many symptoms influenza shares with Covid-19, however, students have been wary to seek care from the Health Center out of fear of being quarantined.

In the week of Sept. 8 to Sept. 14, UMass Amherst reported 371 positive Covid tests. The outbreak prompted Amherst College Chief of Police John Carter to send an email calling on the community to adhere to the college’s safety restrictions.

On Sept. 11, the administration announced updated Covid protocols, including a limited return of indoor dining and an expansion of travel boundaries. While the changes were less far-reaching than some would have hoped, students generally found the update to be what they expected.

In an effort to deter Covid-19 at the start of Spring 2020, Valentine Dining Hall (Val) transitioned from self-serve, buffet style to to-go meals, which has presented immense challenges for students with dietary restrictions and student athletes.

The Information Technology (IT) Department has undergone a mass staffing exodus in the past year. Former Associate Chief Information Officer and Director of Support Services Luis Hernández Muñiz left the department in February, and was followed by five of his employees.

Amid concerns surrounding the Delta variant of Covid-19, the college announced on Tuesday that it has tightened its public health rules for the first two and a half weeks of the fall semester. The announcement has generated backlash among students who say the new rules are too restrictive.