Academics Reopening Information
Academic Calendar
After careful review, the 2020 Fall Semester has been amended due to the current pandemic. The semester began as planned on August 24, 2020. However, Fall Break and final exam week have been eliminated. For undergraduate students, the semester will officially end at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24, 2020. This updated semester end coincides with the originally-planned Thanksgiving break. Both the first half semester session and second half semester session have been condensed to seven weeks (the start and end dates of both have been adjusted) and will not include any specific final exam days. Faculty members will develop alternatives to the traditional final exam week.
View the revised 2020-2021 Undergraduate Academic Calendar.
Social Distancing Learning Model
For the 2020-2021 academic year, Mount Union will utilize the Social Distancing Learning Model of education, which combines face-to-face and remote instruction. The goal of this model is to maximize personal interaction between faculty and students, and between students in a course, while reducing attendance density in classrooms, thus permitting proper social distancing. During each week of instruction, a portion of students in a given course will meet face-to-face in one class session, while the other portion participates and learns remotely. The next session meeting would have those two student groups switching places. Faculty members will be available to meet with students during office hours that will be held in-person and by phone or videoconference.
As a student-centered institution that offers a highly personalized-education, the University understands the importance of face-to-face learning and its impact on our students. This blended model will best position Mount Union to maintain social distancing guidelines and recommendations while preserving the integrity of the exceptional learning experiences students have come to expect.
The implementation of the Social Distancing Learning Model will be strengthened by a significant investment in faculty training and innovation. The faculty and administration of Mount Union have been planning for two years for the inauguration this summer of a new Faculty Development Center. Led by a respected member of the faculty and augmented by the recent hiring of a specialist in instructional design, the center will provide vital preparation for the Social Distancing Learning Model. A summer institute for faculty will present best practices for blending in-person and remote instruction to maximize learning, student engagement, and student success. These practices represent the most up-to-date teaching strategies in higher education that place students at the center of learning.