POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Vassar College today announced that for the spring 2021 semester, it will move forward in allowing pre-approved, supervised off-campus student travel for organized activities (LINK to College Press Release). The Department of Athletics and Physical Education is one of the many groups affected by the new opportunities and as such, is pleased to announce that its spring sport teams will be returning to limited competition for the Spring 2021 semester.

The announcement comes as the Liberty League has confirmed it is moving ahead with conference competition and championships for the same time period.  A decision was announced by the league's Presidents Council this afternoon (LINK).  A decision from the United Volleyball Conference, of which Vassar's men's volleyball program is a member, is forthcoming.

"I am incredibly excited for and proud of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff," said Director of Athletics and Physical Education, Michelle Walsh.  "Our spring sport student-athletes already lost a season to the pandemic, which makes the fact that they will be able to play, albeit in a limited fashion, tremendously meaningful."

Walsh noted that the Vassar Athletics department has been preparing a strict return-to-play plan in the hopes that spring athletics would proceed. The plan calls for surveillance testing of all student-athletes as well as additional testing prior to competition; significantly, all testing for student-athletes, coaches, and other staff will meet or exceed NCAA recommendations. Teams will also follow strict guidelines for travel and competition, which will include no overnight travel, no indoor dining while away from campus, and wearing masks while competing and traveling.  Additionally a new lower-density plan for bus travel has been developed.

"As we have done throughout the course of the pandemic, the Athletics department will proceed with care and caution as we move into this next phase; in so doing, we will continue to prioritize the health and well-being of the entire campus community," said Walsh.

The College's new policy will see pre-approved, supervised off-campus travel be an opportunity for a number of groups across campus. In addition to Athletics, this news will affect field research, volunteerism, trips to local parks and natural areas, walking tours of Poughkeepsie and surrounding areas and more. Approval will be under the discretion of the newly created Off-Campus Travel Review Committee formed by the College and is expected to begin no earlier than March 22nd.

"These off-campus activities, including athletics, field research and volunteer opportunities, are important components of the student experience," said Vassar President Elizabeth H. Bradley. "They contribute to positive mental health and forge important connections with the local community. We will have extensive health and safety protocols in place for students who participate in such off-campus activities."

Schedules for Vassar's spring sports, which include baseball, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's rowing, men's and women's rugby, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field and men's volleyball, will be available in the coming weeks on each team's schedule page via vassarathletics.com.

Because of the need to avoid overnight travel and to compete against opponents who agree to shared safety standards and protocols, the spring 2021 schedule will not be identical to a pre-pandemic schedule. However, Vassar is committed to maximizing opportunities for its student-athletes and will immediately begin developing as robust a schedule as possible for each of its teams.

Vassar's decision and the department's return-to-play plan continues to be informed by guidance and recommendations put forth by public health and governing bodies including the Centers for Disease Control, the New York State Department of Health, Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

President Bradley noted "With respect to Athletics, we are confident that the rules we have put in place—in conjunction with the policies established by the Liberty League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)—will ensure the safety of both our student-athletes and the Vassar community."

Due to college health and safety protocols, spectators will not be permitted to attend games at Vassar until further notice. This will include students, faculty and staff on the Vassar campus. The Department's Athletic Communications Office will work to livestream games, whenever possible throughout the semester, and links will be available on team schedule pages through the athletics website.

Vassar will continue to monitor developments and health guidelines and make any necessary adjustments to this plan. Given the uncertain and ever-changing nature of the pandemic, flexibility in regard to athletic operations in general, is essential. At this time, no decision has been made regarding a return to competition this spring for the fall and winter teams. 

A full copy of the department's return to competition guidelines will be posted on our website in the coming weeks.  Comments from an open forum with the Director of Athletics, student-athletes, and parents of student-athletes on Monday, March 1st are available here (LINK).