Spring Quarter instruction modifications and options for faculty

Dear Western Community,

Spring Quarter 2021 at Western starts on Tuesday, March 30, and because of the ongoing pandemic and short interval between winter and spring quarters, WWU is advising faculty that they have the following options for the start of online and face-to-face instruction:

For all classes:

• Start class March 30 – April 2, but hold no class meetings until the week of April 5 - 9 (instead giving students prep-type assignments for the first week), or
• Start class beginning on March 30, as normal.

For classes with in-person instruction (face-to-face on campus), start the class as per above, and:

• Delay in-person instruction until the week of April 5, or
• Delay in-person instruction until the week of April 12.

Faculty will be informing students of how they will be structuring the beginning of the quarter within these options, but in all cases, students should expect to begin some academic engagement in the class during the first week of the quarter, regardless of whether or not your faculty member elects to have synchronous meetings.

For classes with on-campus instruction, the delay in the start of face-to-face instruction is necessary so that all students can be current on COVID-19 testing, which will be available for students Monday, March 29, through Thursday, April 1, with increased capacity to reach the objective that all students with an on-campus presence can be tested that week and be ready to start in-person classes the week of April 5. COVID-19 testing of students will continue through the end of Spring Quarter on a regular basis.

We look forward to the start of Spring Quarter with more opportunities to get outside and enjoy the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Please continue safe practices during the ongoing pandemic including wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding large gatherings.

Sincerely,

Brent Carbajal
Western Washington University Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs