Important changes in spring semester calendar
From: President <President@manchester.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 2:31 PM
To: FWStudents <FWStudents@manchester.edu>; NMStudents <NMStudents@manchester.edu>; All Colleagues <AllColleagues@manchester.edu>
Subject: Important changes in spring semester calendar
Please read this message in its entirety so that you are aware of how calendar adjustments affect you.
Dear Students and Colleagues,
Based on all the information available to us today, it is clear that COVID-19 will continue to be a challenge well into 2021. As a result, we are adjusting our spring semester schedule to mitigate the influx and spread of COVID-19.
The most significant adjustment is that we will not have a traditional one-week spring break this year. Instead, we will spread those five break days over the semester. The start of the spring semester remains unchanged: Feb. 1 for pharmacy and Feb. 2 for our undergraduate, MAT and PGx programs. Finals week remains May 18-21 for programs on both campuses.
Our hope is that less travel – particularly out-of-state travel that often happens during spring break – will help reduce the risk of students and colleagues being exposed to COVID-19 and bringing it back to the MU community. Most other independent colleges and universities in Indiana are taking a similar approach.
I’m truly sorry that we’ve had to make this change. I know that spring break is important for all of us and I know that this change will be disappointing. The pandemic is persisting much longer than many of us expected and we continue to adapt so that we can get through this together.
I also understand that our mental health is as important as our physical health. That is why our revised spring schedule distributes days off across the semester and, in two cases, builds longer weekends.
Following is how spring break days will be distributed on our two campuses. There is overlap, but they are not identical.
No classes on the Fort Wayne campus:
- Tuesday, March 2
- Wednesday, March 3
- Thursday, March 4
- Friday, April 2 (Good Friday holiday)
- Monday, April 5
- Friday, May 7
No classes on the North Manchester campus:
- Wednesday, March 3
- Thursday, March 4
- Tuesday, March 23
- Friday, April 2 (Good Friday holiday)
- Monday, April 5
- Friday, May 7
In addition to these break days, we are exploring the possibility of some extra outdoor activities or events to help students unwind and have some fun in the spring.
At the end of the day, we want to:
- Keep everyone in our community as healthy as we possibly can, and
- Provide the safe in-person completion of spring semester, including a residential experience for our undergraduates.
Given the rather sobering predictions about the pandemic this winter, we will continue masking, social distancing and de-densifying our campuses. Vaccines and treatments are being developed, but they likely won’t be available in time to alter the course of the pandemic this spring.
Again, I am sorry to have made this change. At the same time, I am grateful that we are able to make choices that help keep our University community safe and healthy. I appreciate your understanding.
Dave
Dave McFadden
President
Manchester University
260-982-5050