Spring quarter will begin a week late, on Monday April 6 instead of Monday March 30, in order to allow divisions to have “sufficient time to transition to remote learning,” Provost Ka-Yee Lee said in an email to the University community Monday morning. 

“The Law School will still begin Spring Quarter on Monday, March 30, to ensure adherence to accreditation guidelines,” Yee said.

The evolving coronavirus situation “is producing many pressures beyond the considerable work required for a normal academic year,” Lee said in the email. “The situation calls for us to fundamentally rethink how we teach and learn, conduct research, and collaborate, all on a very short timeline.”

Spring quarter will now be reduced to nine weeks of instruction. The last day of the quarter will remain June 13.

The decision follows those of other universities including University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern University, and Loyola University, who have all decided to elongate spring break before students transition to remote learning.

Lee thanked University members for their “inspiring” response to the recent cascade of changes so far.

“I deeply appreciate the flexibility, generosity, and resilience that I have seen from every corner of campus,” the email said.

Lee announced a series of probable changes to the University’s academic calendar late last month, which included a shift to a nine-week instructional period. The changes are set to become effective in autumn quarter 2021.