By Erin Dickinson ’24, Staff Writer

On Wednesday, St. John Fisher College announced it will delay the start to the spring 2021 semester.

An email from school officials to the student body communicated a plan to begin the spring semester on Monday, February 1st. To limit transmission of COVID-19, this delayed semester will not include a spring break. Classes will continue through May 1st, followed by a finals week ending May 7th.

MORE | Fisher transitions to remote learning for rest of semester due to rising cases in COVID-19

The Class of 2021 Commencement ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 8th, but is not guaranteed to be an in-person event. The email from school officials states, “The College has not yet made a decision on whether the ceremony will be virtual or in-person and will follow New York State and Monroe County guidelines relative to gatherings”. While Senior Week has been cancelled, the Division of Student Affairs still plans to “celebrate our seniors with activities for the graduating class at the end of the spring semester”. 

The email also contained information regarding course registration for the upcoming semester, previously delayed due to the unexpected campus closure. “The course schedule for spring 2021 is now available and can be viewed via Fish’R’Net”, said the email. Due to the delay in the schedule’s availability, course registration has been delayed and will now take place from Monday, November 16th to Friday, November 20th.

Due to the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the college recognizes that these tentative plans are subject to change between now and February. Despite this uncertainty, one goal remains clear in the college’s plans: “It is our plan to complete the spring semester together on campus.”

Just last week, the school announced it will conclude the remained of the fall semester virtually.