Changes made to Spring 2021 calendar over COVID concerns

As the beginning of the semester looms near, Lipscomb has made adjustments to its upcoming calendar in order to maximize student and faculty safety as COVID case numbers rise. Among these changes is a delayed spring break, online final exams and three periodic “Bison Breaks”.

“With another semester on the horizon, we draw upon our experiences and lessons learned in the fall that help us prepare for a spring in which the COVID-19 virus will continue to impact our community,” said Lipscomb’s Incident Management Team in an email to students on Dec. 18.

“We are planning for another exceptional on-campus student experience this spring —one that will be enriching, fulfilling and life-changing as well as one for the history books.”

Lipscomb’s Bison Breaks will occur on the following days:

Feb. 10

March 2

March 25

Spring Break is scheduled to take place April 12-16 and is set to be immediately followed by undergraduate classes transitioning to a remote format for the remainder of the semester.

These changes are being made as the CDC ranks Tennessee as one of the worst states for COVID cases per capita after the post-Thanksgiving surge. “If we have another surge over Christmas, it will break our hospitals,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercy in a news conference on Dec. 20.

In response to this case surge, Tennessee’s Governor Bill Lee announced an executive order limiting indoor gatherings to ten people and encouraging Tennesseans to keep holiday gatherings to just those in their household.

Lipscomb’s return to campus plan states that the university will continue to monitor case numbers and guidelines for events, such as May graduation.