Seaver College Announces Prospective Changes to Calendar for 2020-2021 Academic Year
In letters to students and their families on May 22, 2020, Seaver College dean Michael Feltner announced changes to the 2020–2021 academic calendar that allow the college to resume in-person instruction for the fall semester on August 17, 2020, and end on November 24, 2020 before the Thanksgiving holiday.
“This plan reaffirms Seaver College’s deep commitment to providing each student an exceptional educational experience regardless of the method of course delivery,” shares Feltner.
The prospective fall 2020 calendar will allow for 15 weeks of instruction, and completing the semester prior to Thanksgiving will reduce student travel for both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Presently, the college tentatively plans for the 2021 spring semester to begin February 8, 2021, and end May 27, 2021. With this scenario, the college’s commencement would be May 29. This calendar would allow for students to be away from campus between late November and early February during the height of the cold and flu season and when a second COVID-19 wave is most probable, should it occur. As the fall semester approaches, the college will continue to update the community as details for the spring 2021 semester and the 2021 summer sessions are finalized.
The announcement comes a week after Pepperdine University president Jim Gash announced the Pepperdine Restoration Plan, which outlines a series of key elements that consider health and safety protocols for the Malibu campus, all Southern California campuses, and all international campuses.
In line with the Pepperdine Restoration Plan and the health, safety, and physical distancing recommendations from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the college is modifying existing classroom capacities to comply with social distancing measures, converting other facilities into instructional spaces, adding new classrooms, and limiting class size to 30 students or less. The college is already fortunate to benefit from a low 13:1 student to faculty ratio with 70 percent of all Seaver classes enrolling fewer than 20 students. Additionally, on-campus housing will be provided in a manner consistent with L.A. County Public Health recommendations.
For more information about the many ways Pepperdine is safeguarding the health and safety of its campus community, visit the University’s COVID-19 website. The updated 2020–2021 academic calendar is available on the Seaver College academic calendar website.