the outside of University hall

Ohio State has adjusted the Spring 2021 academic calendar to expand the two planned instructional breaks from one day each to two days. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Lantern File Photo

Ohio State students will have two additional days off in the spring semester. 

In a universitywide email Tuesday, University President Kristina M. Johnson announced Ohio State will modify the spring semester calendar to replace two single-day instructional breaks with two two-day instructional breaks. The breaks will be Feb. 23-24 and March 31-April 1. 

Ohio State originally added the instructional breaks when canceling spring break to limit travel-related exposure to the coronavirus.

While we hope students can use these days to relieve some stress, we want to re-emphasize the importance of following COVID-19 safeguards — particularly limiting travel — should current conditions continue,” Johnson said. 

Students and faculty had four days off during the fall semester, according to the university’s academic calendar. 

To accommodate the new two-day breaks, Wednesday classes will meet Friday, April 2 and the last day of classes is April 23, according to the email. This is to ensure classes that meet on Wednesday will have the same amount of meetings as all other courses the semester. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is already scheduled for no classes and offices to be closed.

Johnson also announced that Vice President for Student Life Melissa Shivers is being promoted to senior vice president for Student Life. The last person to hold the position of senior vice president for Student Life was Javaune Adams-Gaston, who left the university in June 2019. 

Adams-Gaston’s salary as of December 2019 was $294,151.86. Shivers’ salary as of June 2020 is $325,000.08.