Fall Comes Into View

Inside Higher Ed

Lilah Burke

June 9, 2020

With unrest and protests against police brutality now having spread to most major American cities, what was once the big story in higher education — the coming fall term and its implications — has faded to the background.

But in that background, things continue to move. And colleges and universities continue to lay plans and make announcements about their coming terms.

Changing the academic calendar has been a popular option for administrators who are hoping to reopen campuses. Many institutions, including Michigan State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Miami University of Ohio have followed the trend set by others, such as the University of Notre Dame, for a fall semester that either ends or goes online by Thanksgiving. Sending students home early can help avoid the second wave of coronavirus cases predicted by some experts, administrators said. Most of these universities also have chosen to forgo a fall break, typically held in October, this coming school year.

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