Covid-19 State of the School update, End of Semester Wrap-up

School of Dentistry Students, 

Good afternoon. As promised, we wanted to provide some updates to you this week as we look ahead to the end of May and the beginning of Summer Term 2020. As you know, this week will wrap up final exams for didactic courses for Winter Term 2020. The weeks of May 11th and May 18th are break weeks for students and faculty. Summer Term 2020 begins on Tuesday May 26th, and this is also our anticipated return to on-campus operations- although not all students will return at the same time.

As you make plans during the next couple of weeks, please be advised that at this point we intend to resume operations on-campus on Tuesday May 26th, however student and faculty schedules will look very different. As we await final guidance on social distancing requirements, we anticipate limitations on the number of individuals on-site each day. Schedules for faculty, staff, and students in all educational programs are forthcoming. Please keep an eye on your emails for updates over the May break weeks as we finalize plans for on-campus operations. 

As stated in email communications last month, Summer Term 2020 didactic courses will be delivered remotely. This will allow faculty and students as much flexibility during the workday as possible to accommodate social distancing limitations and maximize student, patient, and employee safety. The School of Dentistry will enact a screening protocol to ensure the safety of all individuals on campus each day. As a result, we do not anticipate that students will need to return to the Detroit-area 14 days in advance of on-campus operations. 
I wish you the best as you wrap up your final requirements and exams of the Winter Term. Please enjoy your time off and reach out if you have questions or concerns.

Thank you. 

Mert N. Aksu, DDS, JD, MHSA Diplomate, American Board of Dental Public Health Professor and Dean