In a letter to students, faculty and staff, WSU President Kirk Schulz and Provost and Executive Vice President Elizabeth Chilton announced systemwide changes to the Spring 2021 academic calendar and shared that the University’s campuses will continue to offer education primarily at a distance in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the change, spring semester will start Jan. 19, which is about a week later than originally planned. Also, instead of a weeklong spring break in March, the University is setting aside three weekdays throughout the semester when classes will not be taught. The added weekday academic breaks are set for Feb. 25, March 17, and April 13. A class holiday will also take place on Presidents’ Day, Feb. 15.
“We understand that this change is likely to cause disruptions and create challenges for a significant portion of our community,” Schulz and Chilton wrote in an email distributed Thursday systemwide. “But it is essential that we continue to do everything we can to reduce the spread of COVID‑19 in order to return to the in‑person WSU experience we all desire. These measures will help us get there.”
The pair also shared that plans for testing students, faculty and staff will be announced in November. Decisions about campus housing for WSU Pullman students will be announced Nov. 2.
Course schedules for all WSU campuses will be available online. The full message from Schulz and Chilton also can be found online.
