FORT SMITH - The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith announced this weekend that Spring Break will be extended for students beginning this week. Dr. Terisa Riley made the announcement in a memo to students and faculty Friday morning.
“For students, this means that there will be no on-campus classes from 5 p.m. Friday, March 13 through Sunday, March 29. Students enrolled in practicums, clinicals, internships, and fully online courses will be expected to meet those commitments the week of March 16-20, but will not be expected to attend any on-campus classes,” Riley said. “To be clear, this is not a closure. University operations will continue, staff and faculty will report to campus as scheduled, and limited housing, dining, computer labs, and library services will remain in operation. In an effort to disrupt as little academic progress as possible, a decision to move classes online will not be made until Wednesday, March 26, with the hopes that students can return to campus Monday, March 30.”
The University will employ the following schedule:
- March 16-20: No On-Campus Classes.
- (Practicums, Clinicals and Online Courses continue)
- March 23-27: Spring Break
- March 26: Announcement will be made regarding the decision to return to on-campus classes or move to remote offerings and virtual instruction.
- March 30: Classes begin for UAFS students, either as usual or remotely.
“This decision has not been made lightly and is based on guidance from the CDC, the University of Arkansas System, and the Arkansas Department of Health. With the best interest of our students, faculty, and staff in mind, we will continue to assess the best means of minimizing risk while continuing to fulfill our educational mission,” Riley noted. “In that vein, we will continue to provide concurrent enrollment courses and WATC/Regional Workforce Grant courses while public schools in our area continue to provide face-to-face instruction.”
For more information, you can follow UAFS’ COVID-19 response website by clicking here.
