Southern Methodist University (SMU) announced some of its plans for the 2021 spring semester in a campus-wide email Tuesday. The email from the Office of Student Academic Engagement and Success outlined the three academic options available for students in the upcoming semester, including an option to attend classes fully in-person.
The other two options, fully virtual and SMUflex, will continue in the spring as they have this fall. According to the email, the number of fully in-person classes is limited to ensure social distancing.
The announcement said the university is “working to create a spring schedule that provides as much flexibility as possible” and will release more information about the spring schedule on Oct. 20.
Meanwhile, several universities, including The University of North Texas (UNT), have announced plans to cancel spring break to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus.
Students who are considered fully remote or in-person for the fall semester will remain as such for the spring unless they notify the university of changes in their status on or before Nov. 13, according to the email.
The fully in-person option comes after a recent survey among students and faculty shows 52.8% of students and 43.9% of faculty are satisfied with their classroom experiences in the first few weeks of school.
SMU encourages students to work closely with their advisors to create a spring schedule as the enrollment period this semester is from Nov. 16-20.