HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – Hope College hopes an early jump on the upcoming school year.
In an effort “to limit the impact of the COVID 19 virus on the campus community,” the Holland school of higher education announced on Monday that the start of fall semester classes will be Monday, August 17. This is a fortnight earlier than the traditional Tuesday before Labor Day beginning, which for Academic 2021 would have been September 1.
Besides the earlier start, Hope will also remove two four-day mid-semester breaks, including the one for the Thanksgiving Day holiday, and the semester will conclude on Friday, December 18. Class schedules and operational procedures, including classroom and online learning, are yet to be finalized.
“These changes aim to limit movement to and from campus, helping mitigate the risk of a resurgence of COVID-19,” said Matthew A. Scogin, president of Hope College, in messages distributed to students, faculty and staff, and posted on the college’s website this past Friday. “Our framework was developed after many hours of information-gathering and analysis, discussion among the COVID 19 Steering Committee, consultation with other colleges and input from local health officials.
“As we know from the spring semester, a second wave of COVID 19 could prompt a shift to remote learning,” Scogin added. “We would pursue this shift only if federal or state restrictions or local health conditions required us to do so.”
In addition to the schedule changes, Hope will “emphasize physical distancing, the wearing of face coverings in public spaces or when a six-foot distance can’t be maintained,” according to a school statement, as well as an emphasis on hygiene, cleaning, and monitoring of symptoms. The move-in process for on-campus living will be modified and staggered; and there will be guidelines for shared spaces and common areas in residence halls, as well as in dining options.
School officials have not yet made any determinations about changes to the spring semester, which is slated to begin on January 11 and conclude on April 30, with final exams the following week.
