Author
Blake Wood
Publish Date

The following update to the University of Illinois Springfield Spring Semester 2021 schedule, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was emailed to the UIS community on Nov. 4, 2020.

UIS Community: 
On Friday, Chancellor Whitney approved recommendations for the Spring 2021 semester from the Campus Senate Executive Committee. These recommendations include: 

  • Conducting all classes remotely during the first two weeks of the semester (January 19-29). 
  • Adapting the five days of Spring Recess to distribute them across multiple weeks of the semester, resulting in the following five non-instructional days:
    • Tuesday, March 2 and Wednesday, March 3
    • Monday, April 26
    • Thursday, May 6 and Friday, May 7 (Reading Days) 

Non-instructional days are defined as days when no classes are held either in person or remotely, and no examinations or assignments of any kind (papers, projects, quizzes, etc.) are due. This includes the two Reading Days at the end of the semester, meaning that final projects, papers or exams cannot be due on Reading Days. 
These recommendations seek to prioritize the health and safety of the campus and surrounding communities to the greatest extent possible, by limiting opportunities for off-campus travel while providing non-instructional days that correspond with peak periods of student demands for counseling and stress release. 
Thank you to the many individuals who contributed to the extensive conversations surrounding the Spring 2021 semester. 
Dennis Dennis R. Papini Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost University of Illinois at Springfield