As the end of fall semester approaches, UVU reminded students about the planned shift to remote learning following Thanksgiving break.
In a letter issued by the university on Nov. 20, UVU reaffirmed the fact that the change to remote learning was always the plan.
“This change was implemented before the semester began and will act as a ‘circuit breaker’ to slow the spread of COVID-19 after the holiday,” the letter said.
Thanksgiving break begins Monday, Nov. 23 and ends Saturday, Nov 28. Students will not return to campus following the break, but will instead finish up the semester using remote learning tools. Finals, which finish up Dec. 18, will also be taken remotely, instead of in classrooms or at the testing center.
Students were encouraged to remain concentrated on their school work, citing that the transition may cause unexpected difficulties.
“Please stay focused and finish this semester strong. If you experience any difficulties with the transition, please contact academiccontinuity@uvu.edu,” the letter said.
In order to slow the spread of COVID-19 after the holiday, campus will also experience closures from Nov. 25-30, and again from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1. A full list of closures can be found here.
Due to a dramatic uptick in COVID-19 cases in the state, Gov. Herbert has asked that Utahans limit social gatherings for Thanksgiving to 10 people, stay home where possible and avoid inviting people from out of town to attend.
“In order to have the safest holiday gathering possible, you should in fact only gather with only those members of your own home, your own household,” Herbert said. “The more guests from out of state, town, or household, the riskier the holiday event.”
The current seven-day rolling average of positive cases is 3,349, with a positive test rate of 23.6% per day.
Though remote learning will be used for the remainder of the fall semester, students will have options to choose from multiple instruction styles for spring, including face to face, live stream, hybrid, and fully online courses.
“When you[students] return to campus for Spring Semester 2021, you can expect it to look much as it did this semester. There will be on-campus courses with live-streaming options and entirely remote, synchronistic, and asynchronistic courses available. We intend to provide as many options as possible so you may choose what works best for you.” the letter said. “We encourage you to register for classes with confidence knowing that UVU continues to follow all safety guidelines, including wearing masks, social distancing, sanitizing, and promoting proper hygiene.”
