Southeast finalizes coronavirus-driven spring schedule

Southeast Missouri State University president Carlos Vargas announced via campus-wide letter Friday that changes to the academic calendar are now locked in for spring 2021 semester.

The now-finalized schedule, aimed at minimizing student absences from campus during COVID-19, is little changed from what Vargas, president since 2015, presented to the university’s Board of Regents on Sept. 25.

Spring break, March 15 to 19, remains eliminated and the semester, as Vargas announced previously, will start six days later than normal, on Jan. 25.

Vargas said in putting the last touches to the schedule that he was sensitive to the desire from various constituent groups within the university to have some days off, even while going ahead with scrapping spring break.

To that end, Southeast will add reading days — meaning no classes — on Feb. 23 and March 17.

Southeast will continue to observe April 2, which happens to be the Christian observance of Good Friday, as a designated holiday.

The compressed spring schedule will end May 14.