The SNHU administration is pushing for a new academic calendar for the 2021-2022 semester with a set of changes to the format of the next year. The most notable change is the shortening of Winter Break, from the three weeks of the 2020-2021 break, to 2 weeks.
The new break will start at the same time, December 21, but it will end on Monday, January 3, when classes start. Spring break is the same length, starting on March 7 and going until March 14. The last class for the 2022 spring semester is on April 24, as opposed to the May 2 release of this semester.
In short, the semester starts and ends a week early. This may be positive for some students who want to get the semester done as fast as possible, but not everyone thinks that it is a good thing.
In an email sent to his students, Professor Jay Kosegarten stated, “This is simply far too short…It [Winter Break] is an opportunity to spend time with family and friends whom you have hardly seen for the previous four months. It is a time to recharge. It is a time when many of you work at your jobs to earn money to make it through the semester or even pay for school. It is a time to prepare yourself for the upcoming spring semester…I find this alarming as the decision about this issue clearly did not take the students into consideration.”
The shortened break also begs the question “What about COVID?” If pandemic regulations are still in effect and students are on campus, the two-week break doesn’t give any time to quarantine appropriately.
Kosegarten urged students who are upset about the change to email the Dean of Students Meagan Sage (m.sage@snhu.edu) and voice their concerns to her.
