Towson University shares plans for 2021 minimester, spring term

TOWSON — Towson University announced plans for the academic calendar, instructional delivery and campus health and safety standards for minimester and spring 2021 term.

In a letter to the university community, President Kim Schatzel and Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Melanie Perreault shared that there will be no changes to the academic calendar for the minimester and spring 2021 terms.

The plans for spring were informed by what has been learned through the ever-evolving pandemic.

The first two weeks of classes of the spring term (Jan. 5 to Feb. 7) will be conducted via remote instruction, with exceptions made for laboratories, clinical experiences, internships and experiential courses.

After those first two weeks, face-to-face and hybrid instruction will be held on campus starting February 8.

Approximately 85 percent of classes during the spring semester will be offered remotely, while face-to-face and hybrid course delivery will be conducted at previously determined, reduced densities in accordance with federal, state and local health and safety guidance.

Faculty will continue to have the ability to determine the modality of their courses, with synchronous elements to all remote instruction highly recommended.

On-campus, university-owned residence halls will house about 2,300 students. No more than two students will share the same bathroom, and all students will have single bedrooms.

Appointment-based move-in will be completed prior to the start of classes.

Quarantine and isolation space on campus will be doubled to 196 beds, with additional residence halls in queue if needed.

More staffing to support and care for students in quarantine/isolation has been added to the Division of Student Affairs.

Aside from reduced density measures, TU will continue with community-wide initiatives that helped maintain campus health and safety in the fall.

• All TU students, faculty and staff must present evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result within 10 days prior to returning to campus in 2021.
• Sentinel testing for the campus community will continue in 2021.
• The Tigers Care QuickScan will continue to be used as another means to monitor the presence of COVID-19 within the campus community.
• TU will continue to show that Tigers Care with physical distancing, by wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining sanitized work spaces.

Additional information will be shared with students, faculty and staff in the coming weeks.