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Home My WebLink About5-14-2020 Public Comment - J. Booth - Dates for 2020-2021 Academic year at MSUFrom:Chris Mehl To:Dennis Taylor; Agenda Subject:FW: New Dates for 2020-21 Academic Year at MSU Date:Friday, May 15, 2020 9:51:52 AM Chris Mehl Mayor, City of Bozemancmehl@bozeman.net406.581.4992________________________________________From: Booth, Janelle [janelle.booth@montana.edu]Sent: Friday, May 15, 2020 9:46 AMTo: Chris Mehl; Michael Wallner; Terry Cunningham; I-Ho Pomeroy; Cyndy AndrusSubject: New Dates for 2020-21 Academic Year at MSU Bozeman City Commission,Please see the communication below from President Cruzado outlining our new dates for the upcoming fall andspring semesters at MSU. In the interest of protecting the health and well-being of our students and the greatercommunity, the spring semester will commence on August 17 and conclude on November 25 (the day beforeThanksgiving). Plans for a winter commencement ceremony are tentative at this point and we will follow all publichealth guidelines when making a final decision.Thank you for all your hard work on behalf of the city of Bozeman! Please let me know if you have any questions.-Janelle Janelle BoothGovernment AffairsMontana State UniversityCell: 406-570-2426 From: President Waded Cruzado <wcruzado@montana.edu>Sent: Friday, May 15, 2020 9:13 AMSubject: New Dates for 2020-21 Academic Year [https://www.montana.edu/assets/images/ezakz/custom.jpg?t=1554760725] Dear MSU Community, Yesterday, Montana Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian provided additional guidance for ahealthy return to campus for the Fall 2020 Semester<https://www.mus.edu/coronavirus/index.html>. In order to help reduce the risk of infection by the COVID-19 virus, campuses are encouraged to plan and design an academiccalendar that allows for the completion of the fall semester by Wednesday, Nov. 25. We are proud of the fact that the state of Montana has implemented successfully a number of executive directivesthat have resulted in one of the lowest rates of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the nation. At Montana StateUniversity, we want to continue doing our best job in terms of mitigation while balancing the need to reestablish fullacademic functions for the benefit of our students, faculty and staff. Therefore, in adopting these adjustments to theacademic calendar, we want to share this information with you as soon as possible so that you can plan accordinglyin the next 90 days. In the interest of protecting the safety of our constituents and providing students with a top-quality education, the first day of classes for the fall semester will be Monday, Aug. 17. Starting two weeks earlier gives the campus optimal conditions: taking advantage of a period of expected lower caserates as well as excellent weather, which positions us better to complete the academic work of the semester in itsentirety. Given the amount of planning that has been conducted already, Montana State will be prepared toimplement extensive mitigation plans, including education and hygiene measures, screening and, when necessary,quarantine plans for students who live in campus residence halls. Montana State University is also in coordinationwith city, county and state public health entities to identify effective protocols for testing and screening. Following the Commissioner's guidance, this also means the Fall Semester will end earlier. Final exams — the lastday of the semester — will be concluded on Wednesday, Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving. So that graduates can spend Thanksgiving with their families — and to facilitate access to air travelaccommodations for loved ones who live out of state — Montana State University has tentatively marked Sunday,Nov. 22, as the date for our Winter Commencement celebration, dependent of course upon public healthconsiderations at that time. As has been the case since our foundation 127 years ago, graduating seniors will need tocomplete the necessary academic requirements in order to obtain their degrees, but they will be able to participate, inthis case, in the Winter Commencement Ceremony. In addition to the public health benefits outlined above, the adjusted dates eliminate the need for students, facultyand staff travel between the Thanksgiving holiday and the conclusion of the semester. With these new dates, thecampus will wrap up the semester on Wednesday, Nov. 25, for a winter break that will last until the start of SpringSemester 2021 on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. We are excited to share that this alternative also opens the additional possibility of offering a winter session(preliminarily, we are calling it the "MSU Snow-mester") with select online courses students need to stay on track,catch up or simply take advantage of the extended winter break. Please stay tuned for specific information in thevery near future. According to public health officials, this plan will help reduce campus and community density — and thereforevirus transmission — during the typical late fall and early winter influenza season. It is another step forward inkeeping the safety of our students, faculty and staff as our paramount priority while also fulfilling the mission of ourland-grant university. To summarize, the important dates mentioned in this memo for the 2020-21 Academic Calendar: * Monday, Aug. 17, 2020 - First Day of Classes for the Fall Semester * Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020 - Last Day of Classes for the Fall Semester * Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020 - Fall Commencement Ceremony * Monday, Jan. 11, 2021 - First Day of Classes for the Spring Semester The decisions described in this message were not made lightly and are based on public health guidelines andprotocols to mitigate the risk of infection. These decisions were made in consultation with, and with theendorsement of, Faculty Senate Leadership, and included input from the Academic Continuity Task Force,<https://www.montana.edu/health/coronavirus/planning/reconstitution-committee.html> the University Reconstitution Committee<https://www.montana.edu/health/coronavirus/planning/reconstitution-committee.html> and reviewed by the university executive leadership as well as the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education. Additionally, we consulted with the Bozeman School District, the Gallatin City-County Health Department,ASMSU leadership and the university's own health care professionals. We also took into consideration feedbackfrom students and faculty this spring semester that finding a safe way to provide a quality, on-campus, in-personeducation was preferred, when possible. I know our students miss us and we certainly miss our students. We recognize that these decisions might impact some of your previous plans. Please know those disruptions are notlost on us, and we sincerely appreciate your flexibility and collaboration. With the COVID-19 situation, we havelearned to choose not between a good and a bad option, but rather between options that will afford the best long- term benefits for the largest number of people in our communities. I acknowledge that, given the promptness of this communication, we all have questions and situations to address. We will follow up with more pertinent information in coming weeks, but for now, I wanted to ensure that youreceived this information, as well as my heartfelt gratitude, as soon as possible. Sincerely,[Waded Cruzado] Waded CruzadoPresident, Montana State University Montana State University Office of the President<http://www.montana.edu/president> 211 Montana Hall | P.O. Box 172420 | Bozeman, MT 59717-2420President_Cruzado@montana.edu<mailto:President_Cruzado@montana.edu> | 406-994-2341