As the fall semester approaches, IUPUC is preparing for students, faculty and staff to return to campus through a variety of methods that include new course formats, enhanced health and safety protocols, and a revised academic calendar.

 

“Our decisions regarding the return to campus have been made under the leadership of Indiana University in partnership with local and state health departments, including collaborations between Indiana colleges and universities,” said Dr. Reinhold Hill, Vice Chancellor and Dean at IUPUC. “Our top priority is the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, as well as visitors to campus and the community at large.”

 

The fall semester is set to begin on August 24 with a combination of blended and online classes. The semester duration will be 13 weeks for many courses, ending on November 20, with proctored exams on  Nov. 21 and 22, if needed. Other courses will maintain the standard 16-week format. In order to achieve a 13-week semester, there will be no fall break, however, students in courses that go beyond Thanksgiving will have a 10-day holiday break, finishing with three weeks of online-only study. 

 

The spring semester reverses that strategy, starting with online-only classes beginning on January 19, 2021 until February 8, when the campus will re-open for blended instruction through the end of the semester. There will be no spring break either. 

 

IUPUC’s plans for instruction include a combination of online and face-to-face learning experiences. The format and length of each course is primarily dictated by its learning goals, though class size and social distancing also play factors in the determination. For more information about the specific instructional formats planned for the IUPUC campus, go to https://fall2020.iu.edu/iupuc.

 

Health and Safety Procedures

A number of strategies designed to mitigate risk and prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in Fall 2020 and beyond will be implemented, including:

In addition, IU has announced a statewide partnership with IU Health to provide all IU students, faculty and staff with comprehensive COVID-19 symptom checking, virtual visits with a health care professional, and testing with continued monitoring when needed. 

 

Indiana University has also created a Return to Campus Guide which was developed by public and environmental health leaders, with input from faculty, staff and students. The 29-page document provides information about health and safety, guidance for physical spaces, and transportation and logistics. It can be downloaded from https://fall2020.iu.edu/doc/iu-return-to-campus-guide.pdf.

 

“While it’s not possible to eliminate all risks of COVID-19, we have been working diligently to make informed decisions that support a return to operations which puts students, faculty, staff, and our community’s safety first,” said Hill. 

For more information and ongoing updates about IUPUC’s return to campus, visit https://fall2020.iu.edu/iupuc.