Columbia will not have a spring break in 2021. Instead, there will be a weeklong period when no classes will be held to allow students to study and engage in creative work right before finals.

In a Monday, Nov. 2 email to students, Senior Vice President and Provost Marcella David listed some changes the college will be making to the spring semester schedule.

“Our planning for the spring is first and foremost informed by our expectations for the COVID-19 pandemic and the lessons learned from our own reopening planning,” David said in the email.

David said Columbia will be “eliminating the mid-semester spring break week” and will instead continue to hold classes during the week of March 29.

David said the college is instituting “‘Making Week,’ a time for reading, study and creative work in preparation for end-of semester critiques, productions, and performances.”

“Making Week” is set to take place May 3-8, before the last week of classes beginning May 10. While students will have no classes during that week, David said all campus facilities will be open for independent work.

Similar to the fall semester, she said in order to comply with the city’s health protocols, all classes will be taught remotely from Jan. 25-30, and campus access will be limited. Campus will open for face-to-face learning starting Feb. 1, the second week of the spring semester.

David said the college expects Chicago will still have health restrictions on travel in the spring, and all students, faculty and staff, including those in the residence halls, will need to be in compliance with health protocols, such as mandatory quarantining, to access campus.

Columbia will continue to offer a mix of face-to-face, hybrid and web courses that allow students to stay on track for graduation while adhering to safety protocols, David said.

Students will also be able to make requests to the Services for Students with Disabilities Office for accommodations or alterations to their schedule due to health reasons.

“We anticipate that COVID-19 will continue to disrupt operations into the spring, and our course offerings will continue to prioritize on-campus learning in classes where campus access is either necessary to achieving learning outcomes or otherwise important to the learning experience,” David said.

David said in courses with multiple sections where both remote and in-person classes are offered, students should choose sessions “based on the modality that best fits their needs and comfort levels.”

The Spring 2021 course schedule is now available for students to view though MyColumbia, and class registration opens for continuing students on Nov. 9.