Campus Conversation: What to Expect for Spring 2021

Yesterday's Campus Conversation answered some of the community's most pressing questions, explaining how the University will move toward a higher density campus next semester, which courses are given priority for face to face, the grading system and more. 

• Spring 2021 will be a hybrid semester with an increased presence on campus compared to this fall. 400 class sections will be either fully or partially face to face in the spring. 
• Classes that will have a face-to-face component are split into three tiers: courses that require face-to-face meetings in order to achieve their learning outcomes; freshmen, graduation projects and thesis courses; and examination periods. Course schedules for Winter 2021 and Spring 2021 indicate how each class will meet and can be found here.
• Graduation ceremonies will be held in the spring for Spring 2020, January 2021 and Spring 2021 graduates. The dates of these ceremonies have not been decided yet. 
• Students must coordinate with their schools to arrange physical access to the library. Athletic facilities will be open to more students as physical presence on campus increases. 
• The Provost previously announced to the SU that the grading system will remain the same for this semester. However, discussions are taking place this week between the SU and the Senate. 
• Staff remote work policies are contingent on individual departments and offices and how they see fit. It is likely that staff physical presence - which is already high - will increase as the University adopts a higher density model. 
• Lab fees will remain, as they are used to keep labs supplied and to pay for software that allows faculty to conduct virtual lab sessions. 
• As the University allows more people on campus, and the cases in Egypt are rising, there will be an increase in testing availability on campus.