The University of Nebraska–Lincoln will open 2021 with an optional three-week session before launching its spring semester on Jan. 25.
The proposed academic calendar is a flip of the current fall schedule, which offers a three-week session (starting Nov. 30) after a compressed semester. Both calendars were developed with broad campus input and endorsed by Chancellor Ronnie Green’s executive leadership team, the Faculty Senate and university’s COVID-19 Task Force.
The spring 2021 schedule is pending review at the Oct. 8 University of Nebraska Board of Regents meeting.
As proposed, the spring academic calendar will include the optional three-week session from Jan. 4-22. The altered spring schedule eliminates spring break (March 14-21) and will end with previously-scheduled commencement exercises on May 7-8. Other key dates in the proposed spring schedule include finals preparation (15th Week) from April 29 to May 1, and finals on May 3-7.
The College of Law’s schedule will differ slightly, with classes starting Jan. 19, finals preparation on April 24-25, and finals from April 26 to May 5.
Mirroring the ongoing fall semester, the compressed spring schedule offers flexibility needed for the university to meet the academic needs of students, preserving a high-quality education while also reducing safety risks related to the global pandemic.
The three-week session also allows students an opportunity to earn credit online or apply for experiential opportunities such as internships or research projects.
Final approval of the spring 2021 academic calendar and specific details about the three-week session will be announced.
The university’s academic calendar — which does not yet reflect the proposed changes to spring 2021 — is available here.
