Dear Members of the Syracuse University Community:
The spring academic calendar, with the elimination of spring break, creates a semester without many opportunities for students and faculty to take much-needed breaks from their academic work. To support the well-being of our community, we are instituting two “Wellness Days” in the Spring 2021 semester for all main campus courses (whether in-person, hybrid or online). On Tuesday, March 23, 2021, and Wednesday, April 21, 2021, no classes will be held, no class work will be due and no exams will be administered. Rehearsals, music recitals, productions, filming or other hands-on activities may still take place.
On these days, the University will offer programs that promote health, well-being and personal care in this stressful time. Further details on these programs will be shared in the coming weeks. We hope that this gives our community members the opportunity to focus on personal restorative needs—whether that be exercising, sleeping, tackling life maintenance tasks or catching up on work.
Please note that many graduate programs with their own calendars and scheduled clinical commitments may choose not to designate wellness days. Please contact your dean’s office or academic advisor about how this announcement impacts your program. These days do not apply to online-only programs.
We understand that this announcement will require some faculty to adjust syllabi. I hope that we can all embrace these Wellness Days as opportunities to refresh and recharge. Thank you all once again for your continued patience and flexibility, and best wishes for a fulfilling and successful spring semester.
Sincerely,
John Liu
Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost
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