Shortly before returning to campus, many students were notified that one or more of their upcoming classes had been canceled.

Professor of History and Associate Dean for Curriculum Dallas Denery discussed the circumstances that led to this situation.

“Seven faculty members needed to go on various sorts of emergency leaves. This all happened the week before classes began,” Denery wrote in an email to the Orient. “As a result of these leaves we lost ten courses. Each faculty member was offering two courses. Four courses were covered and/or replaced with a different course, and ten courses were canceled. The courses ranged in size from three students to about 35.”

Denery emphasized how unique and unprecedented the current situation is.

“The number of classes canceled this semester due to medical and family leaves is much higher than [it has been] in any other semester since I have been associate dean,” Denery wrote. “Normally, even two emergency leaves would be a lot.”

Denery also explained the decision process behind the College canceling a class versus having another professor taking it over.

“In some cases, these faculty were offering highly specialized courses that no one else in the department or even the area could teach. In a case like that, we have no choice but to cancel the course,” Denery wrote.

Interim Director of Environmental Studies Eileen Sylvan Johnson, whose department was hit especially hard by the cancellations, discussed how faculty have been responding.

“The decision to cancel classes rests primarily with the dean’s office. We were fortunate that one of our [Environmental Studies] faculty members, Professor Kate Olson, was able to step in to teach a core Environmental Studies class … so we were able to offer [it] this semester,” Johnson said. “We have been responding to our students to help them navigate any adjustments that are needed, and our faculty have also graciously allowed additional students in classes above the class enrollment caps.”

Mico Carpiniello ’29 expressed disappointment that his Middle Eastern music ensemble was canceled.

“It was canceled one of the last days of break, so I didn’t have a ton of time to pivot. I’m thinking about taking a different music class or some other ensembles, but [it is] a little disappointing because that was the one I was most excited for,” Carpiniello said.

Registrar Martina Duncan expressed her gratitude for the Bowdoin community’s response.

“Emergency changes to the course schedule are very complicated and difficult for the whole campus,” Duncan said. “I have seen, however, in these complex circumstances, how hard the whole Bowdoin community works to find ways to support each other, and I am very grateful for that.”