SPCS class plans for spring 2021 to follow model of fall 2020

The School of Professional & Continuing Studies will follow the successful model of fall 2020 in scheduling spring 2021 classes, aligned with the University’s priority of maintaining safe, meaningful learning environments for the community. These plans are summarized below.

All SPCS classes for degree-seeking students will follow a modified academic calendar for the spring. The semester will start on Tuesday, January 19, one week later than original scheduled, and end as scheduled on Saturday, May 1. To accommodate this delayed start to the semester, there will be no spring break.

Spring 2021 SPCS degree-program classes, which include those offered to educators for professional development, will be offered in online or hybrid formats that limit classroom-based meetings. Standard face-to-face classes that meet weekly in classrooms will not be offered for the spring.

SPCS continues to follow the University’s lead in planning for the resumption of limited face-to-face instruction. The University is known for dynamic face-to-face instruction in small classes organized around robust discussion, group problem-solving, and personal faculty attention. The plans outlined above and detailed in recent messages from President Crutcher and Dean Wilson seek to prioritize the health and safety of the community while retaining the best of our instructional models.

Classroom experience

All in-person class sessions will be assigned to a classroom that allows for appropriate physical distancing. Some classes will need to be rescheduled to provide an appropriately sized room. To that end, the University will continue to use campus spaces that have traditionally been used for other purposes as academic classrooms.

For classes that have scheduled in-class meetings, the option of remote participation remains available. When possible, students seeking remote participation are encouraged to enroll in online classes. However, students may participate remotely in hybrid classes with in-class meetings by completing the request to study remotely for spring 2021.

Physical Distancing Framework

One key aspect of the University’s resilience planning is our physical distancing framework that provides staged requirements for all key aspects of campus life. Color-coded from red to green, the framework allows physical distancing protocols to be relaxed as the situation improves. The University is currently operating in the Orange stage of the framework.

Face coverings

Aligned with the Orange stage of the physical distancing framework, the University requires faculty, staff, students, contractors, and visitors on University property to wear a cloth face covering in University buildings, classrooms, common areas of residence halls, and in outdoor settings where physical distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

Spring class schedule

The spring schedule of SPCS degree program classes is now available for preview. Registration will open on Wednesday, November 18. To prepare for registration, current students should contact their advisors to plan a course of study.

Other SPCS classes and programs

Spring 2021 professional education and lifelong learning classes, which include Think Again and Osher Institute classes, will be offered remotely throughout the spring term. We will continue to update the SPCS COVID-19 response page to announce important changes.