I am excited to start welcoming you to campus over the next few weeks. We have been working since students left campus in March to prepare your rooms and classrooms for the safest possible fall semester. We remain hopeful that we will be able to complete the semester in person, but we are also making plans for the possibility that classes may need to be remote. I have received several questions about plans for leaving campus and the winter break, so I am sharing information to assist you with your planning.
As shared previously, our current academic calendar is for on-campus learning to end November 20 with students returning home on November 21 and resuming classes remotely for the remainder of the semester. Students and families should have a plan in place, though, for how students would get home or to another location in the event that the College has to end on-campus learning prior to the end of the semester. If the campus needs to close, we will work with students as they make appropriate travel plans and continue their academic work remotely.
Students should plan to take all of their belongings when they leave campus on November 21. For students who are not able to complete academic work remotely, housing will be available on campus between November 22 and December 11 (the end of finals); students electing to remain will not receive the 10% housing discount provided to students for fall. Students will need to complete an application to remain on campus by September 30, plan to be consolidated into one building, and agree to stay on campus for the duration of the semester. In particular, to protect the safety of our campus, students staying through to December 11 must stay on campus through Thanksgiving Break as well. Limited funding may be available to support students through Gator Success Grants, the CARES Act and other resources. Please click here to get more information and to submit an application for a Gator Success Grant or CARES Act funding.
Between December 12 and January 18 — when there are no classes in session — residence halls will be closed, and there will be no student housing on campus. Limited funding may be available to support students through Gator Success Grants, the CARES Act and other resources. Please click here to get more information and to submit an application for a Gator Success Grant or CARES Act funding.
From January 18 through February 19 (the “January” one-course module), housing will be available on campus for students who are not able to work remotely; students that are on campus during this time will not receive the 10% housing discount provided to students for spring. Students will need to complete an application to remain on campus, plan to be consolidated into one building, and agree to stay on campus for the duration of Module 1 (January term) between January 18 and February 19. Limited funding may be available to support students through Gator Success Grants and the CARES Act. Please click here to get more information and to submit an application for a Gator Success Grant or CARES Act funding.
Move-in for spring will begin around February 15 in anticipation of the start of classes on February 22. Please note that this may need to be adapted to again accommodate testing, quarantine and staggered move-in dates. This will be evaluated as we get closer to February. Unless you are approved to be here for the January–February Module, please do not plan to arrive back to campus before February 15 at the earliest.
We hope having this information early will assist you in planning for a successful year. I look forward to seeing you in person very soon.
April Thompson
Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students