Vincennes University is preparing for the return of students to its campuses in August for face-to-face instruction with appropriate social distancing guidelines and safety measures in place.
Changes to the University’s academic calendar for the 2020 Fall Semester and 2021 Spring Semester were shared during a call-in meeting of the Board of Trustees on June 17.
Face-to-face instruction for the fall semester will end before Thanksgiving and the start of the spring semester will be delayed to safeguard students, faculty, staff, and the community from COVID-19. The start and end dates for the 2020-21 academic year remain the same, but there is a long pause in face-to-face instruction at mid-year.
“VU is doing everything we can to continue to provide our students with the highest quality academic and student experience while also doing our best to protect the health and safety of everyone in our community,” VU President Chuck Johnson said.
In-person and online classes for the fall semester will start on Monday, Aug. 17. The last day of face-to-face instruction is Tuesday, Nov. 24. After Thanksgiving, remaining instruction and exams will be delivered online or remotely through the last day of the semester on Friday, Dec. 11.
The start of the 2021 Spring Semester is postponed one week and the first two weeks of instruction will be delivered in an online/remote environment. The first day of the spring semester is Tuesday, Jan. 19. Face-to-face instruction begins on Monday, Feb. 1. Final exams will be delivered through the traditional format with the final day of the semester on Friday, May 7.
Traditional breaks, like fall break and spring break, along with some University holidays, have been shifted to accommodate the new schedule. Fall break is postponed from Oct. 12-13 to Nov. 30-Dec. 1. There will be no mid-semester spring break, but the mid-year break between semesters will be extended by a week.
Plans to open residence halls were also shared. Halls are scheduled to reopen with reduced capacity and with protocols in place that promote proper social distancing and safety. Details of that plan will be released in July.
VU remains fully committed to its students and its mission.