AMHERST, N.Y. — Another Western New York college has announced its plans for the upcoming fall semester.
Daemen College said Monday on campus classes will begin as scheduled on September 8. However, the school will forgo the fall break and transition to remote learning for the last two weeks of the semester. Classes will also be held on October 12 and 13, the dates originally set aside for the fall break. Then, following the Thanksgiving holiday break, the Amherst college will hold online instruction only from November 30 through final exams which end on December 18.
“These semester changes are proactive measures to best protect the campus community and to mitigate the potential spread of the coronavirus while also maximizing on-campus instruction for our students,” said Dr. Michael Brogan, senior vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college. “We look forward to welcoming our students on campus for fall classes and providing the exceptional academic quality and student experience that are the hallmark of a Daemen education.”
The school hopes by moving the last two weeks of classes to online only will keep them ahead of a possible second wave of COVID-19, they say, has been predicted by public health experts.
Throughout the semester, all student services, residence halls, dining operations, administrative offices, and other services will remain open and available for use.
“While we are aware that the fall semester will be somewhat different than what we are used to at Daemen, our goal is to protect the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff when we all come back together this fall,” said Dr. Greg Nayor, vice president for strategic initiatives. “Limiting students traveling off campus during holiday breaks and moving to online instruction in the final weeks of the semester will be vital to helping to decrease potential exposure to COVID-19 and reduce density on campus during this time.”
In addition, new student orientation has been moved from July to September 4 and September 5.