Continuity plan for instruction in the week following spring break 2021

Dr. Gene Bourgeois, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs | March 4, 2021

Sent to Faculty, Staff and Students


I hope everyone is doing well and that the spring semester is progressing well.  In preparation for spring break and the resumption of classes on Monday, March 22, 2021, the following guidance is provided.

As we plan for spring break, I call upon our university community to sustain their commitment to the COVID-19 mitigation policies in place that have ensured our safety and well-being in the past.  The CDC recommends against travel.  If you travel, please follow our health and safety guidelines for mitigating COVID-19 transmission and consult the CDC guidelines for traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Please consult the March 3, 2021 memo from Dr. Emilio Carranco, the university’s Chief Medical Officer, regarding the health and safety implications of spring break, as well as President Trauth’s message dated March 3, 2021 for current guidance about our health and safety precautions.  Both messages are attached.

Regarding instruction in the week following spring break, it is important to note that instruction will resume via the instructional modality assigned to the course in the beginning of the semester in the formal schedule of classes.  Instruction will not pivot to all virtual/remote instruction in the week following spring break.  Faculty may, on a case-by-case basis, move classes to virtual/remote delivery for the week after spring break if they feel compelled to do so while considering the learning outcomes and student success factors for those classes.  These changes are made in consultation with department chairs/school directors.

If the instructional modality will be changed the week after spring break, faculty must ensure that they communicate with students via email  no later than Thursday, March 11, 2021.  In courses where the instructional modality will be changed the week after spring break, faculty must remind students via email on or before Friday, March 19, 2021. 

Thank you for your patience as we continue to find the best solutions to help keep our Bobcat community safe and ensure that students progress toward attaining their educational goals.