Adjusting to COVID-19, University Announces Revised Fall Schedule

Cedarville University has announced plans to adjust its fall academic schedule in order to build flexibility into the calendar and minimize exposure of the campus community to a potential late fall spike of COVID-19, which has been suggested as a possibility by public health experts.

The Cedarville faculty leadership team has provided input to the university’s leaders on changes to the 2020-21 academic schedule. University leaders have reviewed this guidance and the proposed calendar plans of other major universities to ensure Cedarville is following best practices.

Cedarville’s priorities for updating the fall calendar include ensuring the same number of instructional days/minutes so the academic experience is equivalent, providing for the community events and experiences that the campus family enjoys, reducing travel costs for students and building in flexibility in light of COVID-19 uncertainties.

The university announced on June 9 that students will move into residence halls August 14-16 during a re-imagined Getting Started Weekend.

“We are streamlining the whole process,” said Brian Burns, Cedarville’s director of campus experience. “Instead of waiting in line in the fieldhouse for 45 minutes, a current student will meet the new student and parents while they’re still in their car in line. We will get them their key and student identification and give them GPS directions to their residence hall. They only have to get out of their car once, and that’s to unpack.”

The first day of classes will be August 17. The yearly Fall Bible Conference will still be held August 17-20, with appropriate health adjustments according to the guidance at the time.

The university will hold classes on Labor Day and will not observe fall break, which was slated for October 15-18. Instead, classes will be held on those dates.

Final exams will begin on Thursday, November 19, and finish on Tuesday, November 24, two days before Thanksgiving. Christmas break will begin November 25, and students will return to campus for spring semester on January 5.

The traditional Campus Christmas celebration, when the Stevens Student Center is decorated for the holidays, will be held in November this year.

The university’s D.C. Semester has been canceled for fall 2020 due to challenges associated with COVID-19. Students planning to register for the D.C. Semester are being encouraged to work with their advisors to register for fall classes on campus and contact Residence Life to sign up for campus housing.

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,380 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.