Roanoke College President Mike Maxey has sent the following letter to students and families, detailing their current plan for the College’s return in the fall. It’s also posted on their web site. Some decisions are yet to be made but the College wanted to get the dates out to students/families/faculty/staff as soon as they knew them. More details will be available in the weeks to come.
Dear Students and Families:
Greetings from Roanoke College! As always, I hope this letter finds you safe and well. While our campus is quiet, teams of individuals are working tirelessly to determine how we can all safely return to campus this fall. I am grateful to the Health Services, Campus Safety and Student Affairs teams at Roanoke College as well as our local public health experts who have been working through complex scenarios as we plan for the coming semester with diligence and care.
Below you will find our revised plans for the fall academic calendar.
Roanoke College will begin the fall semester early, starting classes two weeks ahead of the originally planned schedule. Wednesday, Aug. 19 will be the first meeting of day classes. Students will move into residence halls in August, with many of the same health protocols we are using now as students collect their belongings.
Our calendar has been revised to reduce the risks of mid-semester travel and maximize the likelihood that we can remain on campus for the entire fall semester.
The traditional fall break week in October has been removed from the academic calendar. The new calendar includes the same number of class days as the original fall 2020 calendar. The last day of classes for the fall semester will be Tuesday, Nov. 17. Reading Day will be Wednesday, Nov. 18. Exams will begin Thursday, Nov. 19, will include exams on Saturday, Nov. 21, and will conclude on Tuesday, Nov. 24. There will be no classes after Thanksgiving, and students will be expected to leave campus by Wednesday, Nov. 25. A full academic calendar will be posted to the Registrar’s webpage soon.
Below is a list of a few important new dates:
FALL 2020 SCHEDULE
Saturday, Aug. 15
New student Move-In Day
Monday, Aug. 17
Returning student Move-In Day
Wednesday, Aug. 19
First day of classes
Month of October
Classes through the month. No Fall Break.
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Last day of classes for the fall semester
Wednesday, Nov. 18
Reading Day
Nov. 19-21, 23-24
Exams
Wednesday, Nov. 25
Students return home (or sooner based on exam schedule)
Thursday, Nov. 26
Thanksgiving
Our plan for the fall is designed to provide the optimal on-campus environment and to minimize the risks of COVID-19 exposure to the campus community. Our leaders in Health Services and Campus Safety are formulating plans for the safest environment possible on campus. We will also need to be in compliance with local safety and health guidelines at that time of campus reopening. We are finalizing the RC Returns to Campus: Health and Safety Protocols in consultation with public health experts and you will learn more details regarding those protocols in the coming months.
We will update you with information for the fall semester return as plans are finalized. You are all in my thoughts daily and I hope you are able to have a safe and restful summer.
Sincerely,
President Mike Maxey
