With the rollout of the 2026 to 2027 Student Handbook, Deerfield Academy updated its dress code to require academic dress year-round. In previous years, the Student Handbook allowed casual dress for January and February of the Winter term. Academic dress is described in the Student Handbook as “a blazer or sportscoat (with lapel) … an appropriate top layer … [and] an appropriate bottom layer.” Written restrictions are present or “clothing inconsistent with a formal academic a

Expanding on previous years’ changes, Deerfield modified its cell phone policy to require students to leave their phones in their dorms throughout the day. The change builds on a series of prior changes to the Academy’s phone policy. Dean of Students Heather Brown described the change as creating a “phone-free campus.” According to the student handbook, students’ phones must remain in the dorms at all times, with the exceptions being off-campus travel and independent exercis

COURTESY OF DEERFIELD COMMUNICATIONS Beginning in 2027, Deerfield Academy will transition to a full boarding school, requiring all future applicants to live on campus. The change comes over two centuries after Deerfield has remained open to day students since opening in 1799. The policy shift, explained Associate Head of School for Student Life Amie Creagh, aimed to “enfold the full student body into the vibrant residential life of the school.” According to Ms. Creagh, one p

Recently, the growing presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in society has prompted conversations about the use of this technology in education. Deerfield stands deliberate with its approach to AI. Last year, in his Fall Family Weekend remarks, Head of School John Austin highlighted Deerfield’s commitment to “time-tested teaching practices that deepen attention, enrich our capacity for slow thinking, and support the habits of disciplined inquiry.” Assistant Head of School

COURTESY OF DEERFIELD COMMUNICATIONS New York Times bestselling author and President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) Greg Lukianoff visited campus to give a talk at an all school meeting about his advocacy for free speech on college campuses. For two decades, Mr. Lukianoff has supported the First Amendment’s rights through his work on mob censorship, cancel culture, and the consequences of refraining from honest discourse. In his speech, he cove