Dear AU Students,

As President Burwell announced last month, the university has canceled Spring Break 2021 in light of the significant public health risks associated with community travel. However, she also noted that we would identify alternative ways to help students, faculty, and staff decompress, recharge, and get caught up on work during the coming semester.

To that end, we have converted March 7–13 into a Wellness Week that will offer a change of pace while allowing the delivery of course content to continue. Classes will still meet synchronously or move forward with asynchronous material, but the week will be free of written assignments, required reading, quizzes, and exams. We hope that this Wellness Week—along with the extension of Winter Break—will offer some measure of rest and relaxation during these challenging times.   

Given their different schedules, which do not traditionally include a Spring Break, this announcement does not apply to four-term calendar programs or other graduate programs following special calendars. Please check with your program team if you are unsure how this change may impact your schedule. Students in the Washington College of Law will receive specific instructions on their wellness opportunities directly from the school.

We know that students are facing additional stresses due to COVID-19 and all that is going on in the world; therefore, we encourage you to focus on wellness and self-care throughout the academic year. Please visit the AU website to explore the resources available to you.

We are grateful to the student leaders who provided thoughtful input as we made this decision. Thanks to all for your many good efforts, both inside and outside the classroom, as we navigate the coming months together!

All the best,

Peter Starr
Acting Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Monica C. Jackson
Interim Deputy Provost and Dean of Faculty

Wendy Boland
Dean of Graduate Studies

Jessica Waters
Dean of Undergraduate Education and Vice Provost for Academic Student Services