No spring break, online first week for spring semester

Sarah Szilagy, Sam Raudins
Fri, 11 Sep 2020 14:09:26 +0000
Area, Campus, Coronavirus, Housing, Instagram Page, Local, National, News, coronavirus, covid response, covid testing ohio state, COVID-19, covid-19 testing ohio state, hybrid classes ohio state, in-person classes ohio state, no spring break ohio state, ohio state coronavirus changes, ohio state covid 19, ohio state covid-19 response, ohio state isolation, ohio state quarantine, online classes ohio state, quarantine and isolation ohio state, surveillance testing ohio state, testing ohio state

Ohio State will have no spring break and the first week of spring semester classes will be online to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the university announced Friday. Credit: Sophia Tobias | For the Lantern

Ohio State will have no spring break in the spring in order to limit travel-related exposure to COVID-19, the university announced Friday.

In a universitywide email, Executive Vice President and Provost Bruce McPheron said this schedule adjustment is one of several changes to the spring semester due to COVID-19.?

Instead of a spring break, there will be two “instructional breaks” Feb. 9 and March 31.?

McPheron also said that the first week of classes for spring semester, Jan. 11-15, will be online so the university community can quarantine before any in-person sessions.

Classes will end April 21 with reading day on April 22 and final exams April 23-29, according to the email. Final exams were originally scheduled for April 28-May 4. Commencement will be May 9 in “a format to be determined based on safety guidelines in place in the spring.”?

McPheron said that the university community should expect a similar approach to spring semester as was taken to fall semester as a default, including testing, contact tracing and personal behaviors, but decisions will depend on the “evolution of COVID-19 science” and commitment to the safety measures in place.?