Together Again: What to Expect Upon Arrival

Sign directing community members on Babson's Wellesley campus
Listen

The long-awaited fall semester is here. Babson College is ready.

“We spent the spring and summer months preparing for this very moment, taking every essential precaution necessary to bring, and do our best to keep, our campus community together,” said President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD. “We’re eager to get Babson back in action, to convene our community on campus and around the world, and to continue our steadfast innovation and entrepreneurial leadership—neither of which was slowed or interrupted by the pandemic.”

As students arrive on campus or prepare for the fall semester, the College is sharing and reiterating its community safeguard measures and plan for testing, reporting, and tracing—all key to help mitigate the risks and spread of COVID-19 on campus.

“We need you to take care of yourselves and each other. To be successful in maintaining an in-person campus experience, we must be steadfast in prioritizing our health and safety by complying with new protocols and policies,” said Vice President of Learner Success and Dean of Campus Life Lawrence P. Ward in an email to students.

“I fully expect that our community will adhere to established rules and protocols; that we will demonstrate personal responsibility, respect one another; and be part of a collective effort to keep our community well,” he wrote.

Quarantining and Initial Testing

Babson community members physically on campus must adhere to new testing and quarantine policies, which include a two-test process for both students and employees before in-person classes commence.

Residential Students

In addition to a 14-day quarantine prior to arrival, students must undergo two preliminary on-campus COVID-19 tests. The first test must be completed within 24 hours of returning to campus, and students will receive their results within 24-48 hours.

Until they receive their first negative result, students must quarantine on campus in their assigned residence room, use only their assigned household bathroom, and leave only to get grab n’ go food or attend to approved on-campus errands, including laptop and course material pickup.

Anyone accompanying students and assisting with move-in must complete Babson’s visitor registration form prior to arrival. Individuals from Massachusetts, any state identified as lower risk, or those who plan to immediately leave the state following the drop-off (no overnight stay) are exempt from the Massachusetts Travel Order. All others must meet state requirements.

Off-campus Students

Students residing off campus must schedule two Babson-administered COVID-19 tests the week of August 24. Both tests must be completed at least three days before their first in-person class.

Students must quarantine at their off-campus residence while awaiting their first result and remain off campus until classes begin.

The first week of undergraduate classes (August 24–28) will take place online to allow for community-wide testing. Hybrid undergraduate and graduate classes will begin the week of August 31.

Daily Symptom Reporting

Employees working on campus are required to complete daily symptom reporting. All students, regardless of whether they plan to come to campus, will be required to also report their symptoms daily.

In all instances, instant feedback is given on symptom reporting. Individuals’ status for the day is either determined to be “clear/green” or “restricted/red.” If declared “restricted,” students will be instructed on next steps.

Using these tools, students and employees also can schedule COVID-19 tests, obtain test results, input contact tracing information, and receive contact tracing notifications.

Contact Tracing

Babson community members who test positive must participate in contact tracing efforts. Babson’s contact tracing team has completed the Johns Hopkins Contact Tracing Course and will assist local boards of health in notifying students who test positive, and their identified close contacts.

Under the guidance of public health experts, a “close-contact individual” is defined as anyone (including a person wearing a mask) who has been within 6 feet of a COVID-19 positive individual for more than 15 minutes within two days prior to a positive test result or symptom onset.

Students identified as a close-contact individual will be contacted by Babson Health Services, a nurse practitioner, or their local Board of Health. Employees will be notified by a nurse practitioner, or a local board of health.

Similar efforts to promote safety are being applied at Babson’s Boston and Miami campuses in accordance with local and building regulations, and public health guidelines. We will continue to update the Babson Together website with information specific to our Hubs.

Posted in Community

More from  »

Latest Stories

a row of electricity meters
The Price of Power: What’s Driving Rising Electricity Rates? Electricity rates have been steadily increasing. Ryan Davies, a Babson professor of finance, unpacks the many reasons for that, including the massive data centers popping up across the country.
By
John Crawford
Senior Journalist
John Crawford
A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.
September 30, 2025

Posted in Insights

The Babson community and mascot celebrate at the Roger Babson statue last year
No. 2 Again: Wall Street Journal Ranks Babson the No. 2 Best College for the Second Year in a Row For the second year in a row, The Wall Street Journal ranked Babson as the No. 2 Best College in the United States, lauding the College for its impressive student outcomes.
By
Eric Beato
Editor / Writer
Eric Beato
Eric Beato is the Editor of Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. A native of Chicago and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Eric has worked as an editor and writer at newspapers across the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and Boston Herald. Eric joined Babson College in 2019 after working as the communications director for a private educational travel company and as the managing editor of six regional sports publications.
September 29, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Insights, Outcomes

First row (left to right): Laura Bautista ’29, Ezel Bhatty ’29, Sydney Fojas ’29; Second row (left to right): Lucas Lebrija ’29, Tia Malhotra ’29, Remy Witt ’29
Class of 2029 Blank Leadership Scholars Bring Excitement to Campus The Class of 2029 Blank Leadership Scholars arrive at Babson equipped with entrepreneurial spirit and social impact experience, from launching nonprofits and tech solutions to championing environmental education.
By
Melissa Savignano
Writer
Melissa Savignano
Melissa Savignano, a content marketing manager at Babson College, has worked in higher education for almost a decade, where she tells authentic, compelling campus and community stories. Before Babson, she managed communications for Boston University’s largest college, the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. She previously worked in client relations, helping brands of various sizes launch content marketing strategies and storytelling initiatives. When not at work, you will find her in the city of Boston, probably at the movie theater.
September 25, 2025

Posted in Community