WESTMINSTER — McDaniel College has released its 2021 January term and Spring semester plans for undergraduate students.
Developed by McDaniel’s Return to the Hill Taskforce, which has continued to meet during the fall semester, these decisions include:
2021 January Term:
- January Term will continue to be offered in 2021 but in an online only format and students will not have the option to reside on campus over Jan Term. All first-year students will still be required to complete the “My Design” course online.
- All January Term domestic and international study abroad trips have been canceled.
- Students can participate in internships and independent study opportunities over January Term as long as the health and safety protocols of the external site have been approved by the college in advance.
2021 Spring Semester:
- McDaniel has made changes to the undergraduate academic calendar dates for the spring semester with classes now beginning Feb. 1. There will be no spring break. The full undergraduate academic calendar is available here.[Note: the 2020-2021 graduate academic calendar continues to remain unchanged.]
- McDaniel will offer three types of classes: traditional in-person classes, hybrid classes, and online classes. The majority of courses will be available as hybrid classes and just like during the fall semester, students who choose to complete all of their courses without coming to campus can continue their instruction through hybrid or online courses.
- Unlike in the fall, each four-credit course will last the entire length of the semester. The semester will not be divided into a Session A/Session B format.
- Students will not have the option to study abroad at McDaniel’s European campus in Budapest, Hungary, during the spring semester.
In addition, McDaniel will require that all residential students provide documentation of having received a flu shot and residential students will also need to provide documentation of a negative COVID-19 test taken before returning to campus for the spring semester.
McDaniel College has announced additional safety measures for the Spring 2021 return to campus for undergraduate students, including a required Limited Community Contact Period on-campus for all residential students.
All residential students will participate in a required Limited Community Contact Period on-campus with all classes, including hybrid and in-person classes, fully online for the first week to support the Limited Community Contact Period. (Classes will still begin Feb. 1.)
In addition:
- All residential students should complete a 7-day quarantine at home prior to returning to campus for move in (Jan. 29, 30 and 31) or their first day on campus if they will be commuting and attending hybrid or in-person classes on campus. Students, especially those traveling to campus from a distance, are also strongly encouraged to take a COVID test within 7 days prior to their return to campus.
- All undergraduate students are required to provide documentation of having received a flu shot or choose to receive the flu vaccine upon return to campus. (A flu vaccine waiver is available for those unable to be vaccinated due to extenuating medical or personal circumstances.)
- All undergraduate students will be required to complete a COVID rapid test. Residential students will be tested at move in (Jan. 29, 30 and 31) and again seven days later (Feb. 5, 6 and 7). Commuter students will be tested on Feb. 5, 6 and 7. (Students who tested positive for COVID-19 after departing campus in November should bring documentation of the diagnosis with them.)
For more information and the latest updates regarding the spring semester, visit the Return to the Hill (RTTH) webpage at www.mcdaniel.edu/RTTH.
