Fall 2020 semester update

I’d like to share with you the changes that Academic Affairs, in collaboration with our campus partners, has made to the fall 2020 class schedule. Please note that these changes are to the class meeting schedule only; no changes have been made to the Academic Calendar for Fall 2020.

JMU would not undertake changes to the schedule at this point unless there was a vital need, as there is this fall. In response to state and federal guidelines, the Office of the Registrar worked closely with Academic Affairs leadership and representatives from all areas of the university to create a fall on-campus experience that prioritizes the health and safety of our entire community. At the same time, we were driven by the integrity of our academic mission and providing that hallmark of a JMU educational experience: The interaction between our students and faculty in classrooms, studios, and labs.

We are calling this modification Fall Schedule 2.0.

In developing this schedule, we aimed to provide as much in-person interaction as possible while attending to health and safety guidance from the CDC, the VDH, and the Governor. After analyzing classroom capacity, we created a meeting schedule that includes occupying previously unused larger spaces on campus, like Madison Union Ballroom, as we adjusted meeting times to allow for increased cleaning during the day. This design helps ensure access to courses for faculty and students, while protecting those who have health concerns. We’ve involved our partners in Disability Services to address necessary accommodations for students and faculty, as well as integrated the best practices prescribed for the university, like the requirement of face masks. More specific details on health and safety precautions in scheduling and academic spaces are available on the Academic Affairs COVID-19 website.

One of our guiding principles was doing our best to maintain the in-person classroom experience for first-year students, followed closely by prioritizing in-person labs and other experiential classes. The modified schedule ensures that, as much as possible, students have the opportunity for face-to-face contact with their instructor at least every other class period. Schedule changes were also evaluated to make sure that students would remain on track for graduation.

All of these factors led to development of the Fall Schedule 2.0. The modification outlined here maintains the MWF/TT structure familiar to students but shifts some time periods to insert two additional 60-minute cleaning blocks during the day, in addition to the usual evening cleaning.

In addition, Fall Schedule 2.0 will allow us to shift current classes to larger spaces, maintaining the current class size while increasing the physical distance between students.

Faculty, staff and students will be able to view Fall Schedule 2.0 on June 10. At this point, already enrolled students can see updated times for the courses they selected, and first-year students can put classes in their shopping carts. All updates to student schedules will be complete on July 21.

During the schedule modification process from June 10-July 21, class choices for current students who have already enrolled will not be modified. The days and times of some classes may change, but students’ class selections will be maintained as much as possible. If there is a scheduling conflict, academic units are aware and are working to solve the conflict. Students will also have the opportunity to make additional changes during the regular Drop/Add period beginning July 21.

Fall Schedule 2.0 uses the least disruptive strategies that consider the health and safety of our community, reflect JMU’s commitment to our academic endeavors, and maximize the effective use of our facilities. It also illustrates the very best of our university-wide collaboration, and I appreciate the assistance of not just those in the Registrar’s Office but also IT, University Advising, Facilities Management, and Orientation. While schedule changes are being implemented uniformly, students’ colleges and major departments will have the best information related to their questions.

I realize that this is a significant alteration to our usual operations, but I hope that seeing the rationale behind these changes and the advance knowledge of the implementation will make the transition smoother.

Sincerely,

Heather Coltman, D.M.A.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs