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Dear members of the Carthage community,

Over the last several months, Carthage has taken many steps to keep our community healthy and safe as we returned to in-person, residential education. We are proud of how students, faculty, and staff have come together to address these challenges. Thanks to your efforts, we now look ahead to continuing this success in 2021.

Keeping our community healthy and safe remains our highest priority. Recognizing that the COVID pandemic will likely continue through the winter months, we have modified the undergraduate J-Term and Spring semester calendars.

For the 2020-21 undergraduate academic year, Carthage will move J-Term to May, begin the Spring 2021 semester in mid-January, and eliminate spring break. A list of the new dates is below.

We are making these changes for several reasons. First, this modification reduces the number of times students and faculty travel away from campus and back, helping to keep our campus community, our families, and our extended communities safer.

Second, on-campus J-Term courses have an intense, normally transformative, meeting schedule. Groups gather in person for hands-on learning and discussion several hours every day. Our hope is that much more will be known about preventing COVID by late spring, so the rich learning experiences that traditionally happen during a Carthage J-Term are fully possible. This means we will enjoy a “May Term” on campus this year, along with a number of summer study tours.

In order to ensure students and advisors have time to discuss spring course options, we have extended the advising period and shifted spring registration dates. Advising for the Spring 2021 semester has been extended through Friday, Nov. 6. Registration for Spring 2021 will now begin on Monday, Nov. 9. The Spring 2021 course schedule will be available at the start of the advising period. Please check the schedule frequently as changes are expected to continue through October.

Please note: These changes are for the undergraduate program at Carthage. Graduate students in the Master of Education, Master of Music, and Master of Science in Business programs should confirm dates for the spring semester with the faculty directors of those programs.

Here are the new dates for the 2021 undergraduate Spring and May Terms:

New Advising and Registration Dates

  • Oct. 12-Nov. 6 — Advising for Spring 2021
  • Nov. 9 — Registration for Spring 2021 begins

Spring Term*

  • Jan. 11 — Residence halls reopen
    • 9 a.m.-noon: Move-in for new residential students
    • After 1 p.m.: Halls open to returning residential students
  • Jan. 12 — Spring classes begin
  • February — May Term advising and registration (dates TBD)
  • Feb. 22-March 19 — Advising for Fall 2021
  • March 22-25 — Registration for Fall 2021 courses
  • April 2-5 — Easter Break
  • April 19 — Last day of Spring semester classes
  • April 20-22 — Final exams

* Note there is no Spring Break this semester.

May Term

  • April 27 — May Term classes begin
  • May 19 — Last day of May Term classes

We understand you may have questions about these changes and related dates and events. More information will be available in the coming weeks, and we will share a fully revised academic calendar once more details are finalized. In the meantime, we have put together preliminary FAQs, which you can see here.

Thank you for your continued flexibility as we manage these continued uncertainties. And thank you for doing your part to keep yourself and those around you healthy.

Sincerely,

John Swallow
President

David Timmerman
Provost