Dear William Woods Community ~
As we mark the halfway point of the fall semester, I once again commend every student, faculty and staff member for the extraordinary commitment and discipline you have displayed since classes began on campus in August. It is only through your efforts that we have been able to reach this halfway point of the semester amidst a global pandemic while still holding in-person instruction, with exactly one active COVID-19 case among all students and staff at present.
We have demonstrated this fall that, here at William Woods, we can make this work. And now, it is time to begin turning our attention to the next big challenge on our agenda, which is the Spring 2021 Semester. We are adjusting the academic calendar for the spring to allow us to build upon what we have achieved during the current fall semester. Although our COVID cases have been encouragingly low since classes began in August, we know they could increase at any time. So to continue maintaining the health of our campus community, we once again will adopt a calendar that minimizes travel away from campus.
We will be delaying the start of classes in January and eliminating spring break in March. Classes for undergraduate students will begin on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, end on Friday, April 23, and be followed by final exams from Monday, April 26, through Friday, April 30. And although there will be no spring break this year, we will be working into the schedule a series of short mid-week activity days for students throughout the semester, to provide us all with some much-needed variety during the course of the busy semester. Information on those days will be forthcoming in the future.
Healthcare professionals long have cautioned that the winter months will provide a more accommodating environment for spreading the virus; so, we are well aware that our best laid plans can be altered at any time. But, while COVID-19 has proven to be a stubborn and unpredictable virus, it has not proven to outmatch the level of hard work, flexibility and sacrifice from our campus community in continuing to do what is necessary to maintain on campus, in-person instruction. You already have proven this over these last two months, and I have every expectation that it will continue throughout the spring semester.
I am honored to be your President!
