Dear Falcons-
I wanted to reach out today with some important information and a few updates. I am very proud of the work we are doing within our campus community to reduce the spread of COVID-19. You can monitor the number of cases among our faculty, staff, and students by checking this dashboard each day. It is important to point out, however, that the trend locally and across the country is beginning to show an uptick in the number of cases and hospitalizations. These are two indicators we watch closely as we make decisions that impact the health and safety of our Falcon community and the larger community as well.
After careful consideration, the University has decided to eliminate Spring Break for 2021. We have adjusted the academic calendar, and the semester will now end one week earlier. You can see the new academic calendar which includes adjustments for final exams and commencement. My goal is to give you as much advanced notice as possible so that you can plan accordingly.
As we announced earlier this year, students will not be required to return to campus for classes after the Thanksgiving break. Instruction will continue virtually after the break until December 11th. Faculty will communicate with students directly regarding the instructional plan for after Thanksgiving.
Also, we will have only one graduation ceremony this academic year. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, May 1st. We are hopeful that we can have an in-person commencement ceremony by that time, honoring our Fall ’20 and Spring ’21 graduates. We will also try to provide a small break for our students at some point during the spring semester, if possible.
I know this will be disappointing for many of you, and I greatly appreciate all the sacrifices that have been necessary related to COVID-19. Foregoing spring break travel will help us minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread during the spring semester. I sincerely hope that next year will be back to normal for our campus. Thank you in advance for your understanding as we prioritize the health and safety of our Falcon family.
Falcons Up!
Sandy
