In a meeting today, the faculty voted to adopt the continuous model for the spring academic calendar, one of two proposed models for next semester. The Calendar and Scheduling Committee (CSC) has been developing and revising two models: option A, the “continuous model,” which allows student to remain on campus if the semester is held in-person for the duration of the spring semester but replaces spring break with a series of “health days,” or option B, the “Thanksgiving model,” which has most students vacate campus during spring break and finish the semester remotely. 

The decision to revise the spring calendar has no bearing on whether the College will allow students to return to campus during the spring semester or go fully remote, a decision which will be made in January.

Several faculty members referenced the need to account for student preference, given that 83 percent of respondents to a student survey conducted by the Record indicated they preferred the continuous model to the Thanksgiving model. In another question, 32 percent of respondents said they generally approved of both options, while 56 percent approved of only option A, six percent approved of only option B and another 6 percent disapproved of both.

The survey was sent to 500 random students, with 203 responding for a response rate of 41 percent.

During the faculty meeting, in a straw poll between options A and B, 93 percent (155 faculty members) voted for option A while 7 percent (11 faculty) voted for B. The faculty then voted on the official motion of whether or not to adopt option A. Ninety-five percent (159 faculty) voted yes to adopt option A, 2 percent (4 faculty) voted no and 2 percent abstained.