Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a link to a dead webpage, and it now includes a link to the campus calendar.
Oklahoma City University officials recently announced the fall 2020 semester will begin one week early on Aug. 17.
The announcement was made via a page on the OCU website, “2020 Fall Semester FAQ,” which was emailed to the campus community.
Levi Harrel, dean of students, said the decision to move the start date earlier was made by various academic units on campus, including staff, faculty and administrators. He said the goal is to create the best plan to help students academically and maintain health and safety needs.
“The ability to start the academic year earlier, moving it up one week in time, allows us to adjust the end date of the academic calendar at the end of the year, allowing students more time to return home before a potential resurgence of the pandemic,” Harrel said.
Harrel said the calendar shift is designed to minimize the chances of returning to online and virtual classes by allowing students to quickly complete their courses. He said these decisions are being made out of caution.
Kelsey Bray, acting senior, said she read the frequently asked questions on the website and didn’t mind the announcement because it didn’t change her plans for the fall. Bray said she enjoys the idea of school possibly ending as early as Thanksgiving break as some other universities have announced.
“It’s not that big of a deal for me, especially since I’m unable to participate in my sorority’s recruitment,” Bray said. “I was like, ‘okay, this is fine, whatever.’ I wish they gave us an end date as well, so that would be nice.”
Maya Momon, dance management senior, said she also read the announcement.
“I actually think that’s a great idea because it limits travel for everyone, and it does what our school can to try to keep us as safe as possible,” she said.
Momon said she believes the semester will end around Thanksgiving, so travel costs will be reduced for students who don’t live near OCU.
“I think it really depends on what the world does, but I think if we go home after Thanksgiving, it gives us a better shot to come back in the spring,” she said.
Harrel said more information about the end date will be released by OCU in the coming weeks. He said this update will include information on fall break as well.
Harrel said administration members are actively reimagining and reworking Stars Week, which will be scheduled for the week before courses start. Stars Week and New Student Orientation will occur Aug. 9-16.
Momon said she worked as a staff member for the New Student Organization last year, and she thinks the new policies may make welcoming new freshmen students more difficult.
“One of the thing that OCU prides itself on is making you feel at home at OCU and having the people there for you and staff there for you to really get integrated in the school, so making it remote kind of reverses, I feel like, what we stand for,” Momon said. “I think it’ll be very tricky to make the freshman feel at home because we’re keeping them distant, and it’s really not like a home.”
Harrel said formal recruitment for Greek Life organizations would begin Aug. 12 and involve in-person events using social distancing and occupancy limit protocols.
Momon, the president of Alpha Phi, said the Greek Life changes will also be challenging.
“I understand where they’re coming, but I just think it’s very tricky when the limit is 50 people, and our organization has more than 50 people in it. So, the idea that we may never all get to be together is kind of difficult to wrap my head around,” Momon said. “But I know that Levi is fighting for us and our organizations, and they’re doing the best that they can. So, we’re just trying to figure it out as we go and make it work.”
The FAQ page on the website states, “The move-in process will be extended and students will have the option to drop off items one week before move-in.”
An email to the campus community on June 16 stated new students will move in Aug. 9-11, and returning students will move in Aug. 11-16.
Classes will be attended on Labor Day, and there will be no fall break this year.
To see the full calendar, visit the OCU website.
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