EAST LANSING, Mich. — In a letter to the university community, Michigan State University's president gave details on how the school would handle the spring semester, which includes the cancelation of spring break and more in-person courses.
"This year has been unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and I’m proud of the hard work our faculty, staff and students have put in to make the best of a Spartan education during this pandemic," wrote President Samuel L. Stanley.
The spring semester will start as scheduled on Jan. 11 and the campus will have approximately 2,500 additional single-occupancy spaces available for students who want or need to live on campus.
Instead of a traditional spring break, MSU will have three midweek days without classes spread throughout the semester to provide breaks for the students.
MSU will also offer more in-person classes, focusing on courses that students need in order to graduate on time. In the fall, only about 40 in-person classes were offered, but that number will rise to roughly 400 classes in the spring.
Most classes still will be offered online only. Two weeks before the fall semester the university made the decision to switch to primarily remote learning and asked students to remain home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Undergraduate instruction will end April 23 and finals week will be held one week earlier than previously scheduled to allow for a weeklong period for graduation ceremonies. Graduate and professional programs may have different calendars and schedules, and more information will be released in the coming days.
As part of the university's COVID-19 testing program, students living on campus and undergraduate students coming to campus for the spring are required to participate in the COVID-19 Early Detection Program.
MSU students were also asked by the Ingham County Health Department to self-quarantine early on in the fall semester when cases climbed.
"The fall has shown us that our systems and protocols set up for on-campus housing have proven effective and successful, and we are confident we can return more students to our residence halls," Stanley said in the letter.
"Many Spartans continue to express a desire to live on campus. Residential and Hospitality Services has developed a request process that will be offered soon, with a priority on Spartans needing additional assistance to be academically successful, those who have an in-person or hybrid class and first-year students. All students currently living on campus will remain in their current rooms."
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