HOUSTON — Texas Southern University has released its academic plans for the fall 2020 semester in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
TSU plans to move to a modified 13-week schedule in which students will end the semester before their Thanksgiving break.
The first day of class will be Wednesday, Aug. 19, five days earlier than the previously scheduled start. The last day of class will be Friday, Nov. 13. Finals will be held Nov. 14 to Nov. 19, and commencement ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21.
Classes will be offered via in-person, hybrid (a combination of face-to-face and online) and online only. The length of classes will be extended to meet the contact hours requirement.
Using guidelines recommended by national, state, and local authorities, TSU is will implement heightened cleaning protocols, including frequent cleaning and disinfecting of high-traffic areas.
"Student safety is a top priority at TSU, and we are cautious and mindful about how academic instruction will be administered during this global pandemic,” said Dr. Kendall T. Harris, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. "We have decided not to have students return to campus after Thanksgiving break in an effort to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 to the campus community. Although our fall semester will be different, this modified calendar gives TSU the opportunity to demonstrate its instructional innovation as we deal with these extraordinary times.”
