Academic Affairs News

Good morning,
 
We are about a third of the way into this semester and that means fifth week check-ins should have been submitted yesterday. If you are concerned about a student, please report it through the Retention Alert link on the ACDC webpage. They will do their best to connect that student to community or WKU resources to help.
 
The Big Red Restart Academic Affairs and Inquiry Taskforce met last week and agreed that the Spring 2021 semester should be scheduled without the usual Spring Break week in order to minimize the possibility of a COVID-19 flare up on campus. Classes for the Spring semester will begin on the Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 19, 2021 and end one week early. Final exams will be scheduled during the week of April 26-30 (the modality will be determined in due course). The Commencement celebrations for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 graduates will be scheduled the weekend of April 30/May 1, 2021. Commencement celebrations for Spring 2020 graduates will be scheduled the weekend of May 7/May 8, 2021. The Academic Calendar and FAQs will be updated shortly.
 
Student success is THE KEY to the WKU Experience. We, as an institution, pride ourselves on providing a personal and engaged experience for our students which is challenging in our current situation. That said, I have seen many inspirational examples of faculty rising to meet this challenge by engaging students through Zoom and other technologies. Human connection is especially important for freshmen and our most vulnerable students. As you are considering the modalities for your courses in the Spring, if you are not teaching face-to-face, please also consider how you can use the technology to better engage with your students.
 
Thank you for all you do to help our students succeed. Please stay safe and healthy.
 
Best,
Cheryl
 
Cheryl L. Stevens PhD
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs