An announcement was sent to the campus community by President Jack Shannon and Dr. Paul Haught, Vice President for Academics, on December 18 stating that the start of the Spring 2021 semester would be delayed by two weeks to Saturday, January 30. This delay was approved by the University administration and Board of Trustees. “With the well-being of our Lasallian community as always being paramount,” the statement said, “we believe this change in the schedule will allow for a safer return to campus.”
CBU had earlier announced changes to the Spring 2021 semester which included the cancellation of Spring Break. The new delay will also require changes in the academic calendar for the entire semester, including an extension of classes for two weeks until May 17 with final exams to promptly follow, from May 19 through May 24, 2021. The 2021 Commencement ceremony will correspondingly be postponed two weeks to Saturday, May 29. The ceremony is scheduled to be held in the Renasant Convention Center in a space providing ample room for safe social distancing. This ceremony will honor both the Class of 2020 (which was forced to forgo its ceremony this year due to the pandemic) and the Class 2021. More details about this special day will be provided soon.
Other dates during the semester — such as add/drop, course withdrawal, account settlement, and other academic/financial deadlines — will also be adjusted and communicated to the campus community. CBU’s Physician Assistant program will not be impacted by this delay and will continue on the calendar currently in place for that program. At this time, the postponed start to Spring 2021 will not impact the recently approved calendars for Summer or Fall 2021. These schedules will be posted soon.
In addition to the delay in the semester’s starting date, CBU also will require all students who plan to be on campus for any reason during the Spring 2021 term to provide verification that they have received the current flu vaccine. Students will be receiving additional information about submitting this verification or requesting an exemption for religious or medical reasons via email, in a letter mailed to their homes, and at cbu.edu/fluvaccine. Students who will be fully remote during Spring 2021 will not be required to submit verification of their flu vaccine. Residential students will also be required to provide verification of a negative COVID-19 test result taken within seven (7) days prior to their return to campus in January. International students returning to the U.S. will be required to complete a seven-day quarantine.
“2020 has no doubt been a very difficult and challenging year for our Lasallian community,” President Shannon and Dr. Haught said in closing the announcement. “[A]nd while we have hope for the promise of future safety, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to each other. We must keep each other safe by wearing our masks whenever we are interacting with anyone outside our household, by practicing social distancing at all recommended times, and by limiting personal travel and social gatherings as much as possible. Although it is certainly a personal sacrifice to do all these very necessary things, it is through your daily actions that we demonstrate our care, concern and respect for each other.”
The full content of the announcement to the CBU community can be found at www.cbu.edu/coronavirus.