Roanoke College plans to start the fall semester two weeks early and complete it by Thanksgiving. College officials say the primary goal is to maximize the likelihood of completing the full semester on campus. Here is a letter Roanoke College President Mike Maxey sent today to the college community:
Dear Students and Families:
Greetings from Roanoke College! As always, I hope this letter finds you safe and well. While our campus is quiet, teams of individuals are working tirelessly to determine how we can all safely return to campus this fall. I am grateful to the Health Services, Campus Safety and Student Affairs teams at Roanoke College as well as our local public health experts who have been working through complex scenarios as we plan for the coming semester with diligence and care.
Below you will find our revised plans for the fall academic calendar.
Roanoke College will begin the fall semester early, starting classes two weeks ahead of the originally planned schedule. Wednesday, Aug. 19 will be the first meeting of day classes. Students will move into residence halls in August, with many of the same health protocols we are using now as students collect their belongings.
Our calendar has been revised to reduce the risks of mid-semester travel and maximize the likelihood that we can remain on campus for the entire fall semester.
The traditional fall break week in October has been removed from the academic calendar. The new calendar includes the same number of class days as the original fall 2020 calendar. The last day of classes for the fall semester will be Tuesday, Nov. 17. Reading Day will be Wednesday, Nov. 18. Exams will begin Thursday, Nov. 19, will include exams on Saturday, Nov. 21, and will conclude on Tuesday, Nov. 24. There will be no classes after Thanksgiving, and students will be expected to leave campus by Wednesday, Nov. 25. A full academic calendar will be posted to the Registrar’s webpage soon.
Below is a list of a few important new dates:
