USU fall break canceled, changes to class delivery announced

Utah State University administration announced that fall break will be canceled and classes will be delivered remotely following Thanksgiving break for the fall 2020 semester.

The information was first sent to university supervisors in an email. The changes were confirmed in a press release and email sent to students on Thursday.

A screenshot of the email sent by Pres. Noelle Cockett to university employees explaining an altered fall semester schedule due to COVID-19.

“Universities face unique challenges in preventing the transmission COVID-19, and we are taking unique steps to minimize the risk of spread and keep our students and employees on our campuses this fall,” Frank Galey, USU’s executive vice president and provost, said in the press release.

According to the university, making classes remote after Thanksgiving allows students who live off-campus to stay at their permanent homes until spring semester. By doing so, the university hopes to decrease the chances that COVID-19 will spread when students return from spending time with family members.

USU’s public information officer Emilie Wheeler said this was also the reason for canceling fall break.

“Fall break is just a mini-Thanksgiving break,” Wheeler said. “So of course we are concerned about students going home, being exposed and then coming back to campus.”

Wheeler did say, however, that students who live in on-campus housing will not be forced off campus after Thanksgiving.

“We will be encouraging everyone to stay home after the break, but if they choose to stay on campus, they will not be evicted,” she said.

Wheeler added that students who leave campus housing after the break will have their housing costs prorated and refunded. USU did this in the spring of 2020 as well, when many students left after all classes were transferred online.

In addition, the university expects faculty members and students to wear face masks and maintain social distance for in-person classes. Attendance will be taken for these classes to assist with contact tracing if someone is diagnosed with COVID-19.

Students will receive information about how their specific classes are going to be delivered in the fall. The information will be made available during the week of June 29.

Fall semester begins Aug. 31. All classes will go online after Friday, Nov. 20. Finals week will be held remotely during the week of Dec. 14-18.

As of Thursday morning, the Bear River Health District reported over 1,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cache Valley.

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