Pictured Above: USF has postponed their spring break until April 12-18, 2021.
Courtesy of Cassidy Schuck
By Alyssa England
Once again, the COVID-19 pandemic has collided with USF’s academic calendar.
Spring Break, which was originally scheduled for March 15-21, has been moved to April 12-18. From April 19 to May 6, courses will be delivered remotely. Spring final exams, currently scheduled for May 1-6, will also be remote.
In adjusting its calendar, the university is seeking to minimize student, faculty, and staff exposure to COVID. The fear is that students who leave camopus for spring break might be exposed to the virus elsewhere and spread it when they return.
That’s why USF adjusted its fall calendar so that in-person classes end after the Thanksgiving break.
The first and last days of the spring semester, Jan. 11 and May 6, respectively, remain unchanged in the university’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
On Sept. 17, The Alligator, the student-run campus newspaper at the University of Florida (UF), reported the cancellation of the university’s 2021 spring break and the one-week extension of their winter break. Rumors about Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) canceling its 2021 spring break began circling soon thereafter.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, FAMU’s provost and vice president for academic affairs Maurice Edington said “…It looks like there will be no spring break at our campus.”
On Sept. 30, Florida State University (FSU) and Florida International University (FIU) canceled their 2021 spring breaks. FAMU shortly followed, announcing its cancellation of spring break on Oct. 1.
By Oct. 2, UF, FAMU, FSU, FIU, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Gulf Coast University, the University of Miami and the University of North Florida had canceled their 2021 spring breaks.
Although spring breaks were canceled across the state, alternative solutions differed by university.
UF and UM extended their 2020-2021 winter break by one week, causing the spring 2021 semester to start one week later than originally scheduled.
UM is also offering two “Wellness Wednesdays” throughout the semester to allow students a break from course instruction.
FAMU and FSU are starting their spring semester as originally scheduled and ending one week earlier than originally planned.
USF’s academic calendar has changed to reflect the revised spring 2021 semester.
