The University of Michigan has revised its 2020-21 academic calendars for the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses due to challenges posed by COVID-19.
The Board of Regents voted Sept. 17 to approve the three updated academic calendars, which were designed to reduce the amount of back-and-forth travel for students during the pandemic.
The revised calendars still ensure the university adheres to the federal definition of a credit hour along with minimum standards for providing direct faculty instruction to students.
For the Ann Arbor campus, there will be no fall study break and the last day of in-person classes for the fall semester will be Nov. 20. After a nine-day Thanksgiving break, classes will resume remotely Nov. 30 and continue until Dec. 8, with final exams running Dec. 10-18.
There will not be a December commencement ceremony, and those graduates will be invited to participate in spring ceremonies as they normally are.
For the winter term, classes will begin Jan. 19, following the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Jan. 18. The later start will allow time to implement any needed public health protocols before students return to campus. Spring recess also will be eliminated, and final exams will run April 22-29.
Shifts to the UM-Dearborn academic calendar include an extended Thanksgiving break Nov. 23-29. Students will not return to campus following the break as all courses and exams will be conducted remotely through the end of the semester.
The campus will begin winter classes Jan. 13 in order to provide campus community members additional time to self-isolate if they traveled during the winter break. The revision also eliminates the spring recess, and final exams will run April 22-28.
As for the UM-Flint campus, there will be no fall study break and an increased nine-day Thanksgiving break, with classes resuming remotely Nov. 30 and continuing until Dec. 11, with final exams Dec. 14-19.
For the winter term, classes will begin Jan. 19, and spring recess will be eliminated. Final exams will take place April 22-28.
The three revised calendars have been reviewed and approved by the appropriate faculty and administrative groups, and meet the established campus guidelines for developing the academic calendar.
