Announcement of Two “Wellness Days” in Spring 2021 Semester
From Dr. Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer
As you know, in the fall we announced that the spring 2021 academic calendar would be adjusted to start one week later than normal (on Monday, January 25, 2021) and would not include a spring break recess. While these adjustments were made to reduce our community’s risk of exposure to COVID-19, we also understand that the removal of spring break creates a semester without many opportunities for students and faculty to take much-needed breaks from their academic work.
In order to provide students and faculty with additional opportunities throughout the semester to truly unplug and relax, the University will institute two “Wellness Days” in the spring 2021 semester: Thursday, March 18, 2021 and Wednesday, March 31, 2021. On these days, no classes may be held, no class work may be due, and no exams may be held. Please note that graduate schools with their own calendars (Medicine, Dental, Law, Public Health, and Social Work) and select programs with specifically articulated clinical schedules (Sargent, Wheelock) may choose to designate two alternative dates that work better for their calendars, rather than following the University’s scheduled Wellness Days. These days do not apply to online-only courses that run for seven weeks. Please contact your dean’s office if you have questions about how this impacts your program.
These Wellness Days, in addition to regularly-scheduled holidays for Presidents’ Day and Patriots’ Day, will provide a break in the academic calendar every 4-6 weeks throughout the spring semester. We hope that this gives you the opportunity to focus on your personal restorative needs – whether that be exercising, sleeping, tackling life-maintenance tasks, or catching up on work – as we all navigate this challenging time. The Wellness Project will offer students optional physically distanced opportunities to restore themselves on each of these days.
I understand that this calendar adjustment will require some faculty to adjust syllabi and potentially remove some planned content from their courses. While I regret this inconvenience, I hope that we can all embrace these Wellness Days as opportunities to recharge. Therefore, I ask that faculty refrain from overloading other class days with additional work to make up for these two days off – such would defeat the purpose of this effort.
Thank you all once again for your continued patience and flexibility throughout this time, and best wishes for a fulfilling and successful semester.
Announcement of Two Wellness Days in Spring 2021 Semester – 1.13.21