Message from the Dean - 5/8/2020
Dear Centre Students,
We know you have many questions about Fall Term 2020 and its CentreBlocks schedule, and you will find answers to ten (10) of the most common questions following this note to you. No doubt issues may arise that are not addressed here or even envisioned at this time, but we promise to work with each of you to find solutions. Thanks, especially, to Associate Dean McAllister for helping put this together. Please be sure to keep this information for your future reference.
No matter what happens with COVID-19, we look forward to providing you with the exceptional, and deeply personal, education you have come to expect as a student of Centre College; we will not let this coronavirus take that away. In fact, several faculty members are going to the remarkable extra effort of redesigning courses to investigate pandemics and their impact on society. The emerging description of this work notes, “The proposed COVID-19 Signature Series responds to this existential threat by drawing on the central strengths of the liberal arts to create a community of learners who collaborate to better understand the COVID-19 pandemic and to envision a post-pandemic world.” This underscores what we do here at Centre College – we learn together – even in the midst of a crisis. We don’t shy away from the most challenging issues, and thus we find meaning and purpose in our collective work.
I know you miss being here with your friends, teammates, and classmates, as well as professors and staff members who are special to you. Some of you may be growing tired of being home, whereas for those students still on campus, it is surreal, and homesickness is building to peak levels. But patience, empathy, and confidence will sustain us through this global crisis.
Please know we miss you.
My colleagues and I send our prayers and well-wishes for the health and safety of you and your loved ones,
Dean Goldey
The information that follows will address the following Ten (10) Topics and Questions
- The Fall 2020 Calendar (1-A and 1-B) of CentreBlocks
- The Daily Class Schedule for each block
- How will this block schedule work for 4-credit Language or laboratory science courses?
- What about independent study courses or special 1-credit courses like senior colloquia?
- How will this impact courses anchored to performing arts events (theatre practicum, music ensembles, etc.)?
- What does a student’s course load look like?
- When will advising and registration for Fall 2020 take place?
- Which classes will be available in which blocks?
- What is the status of Fall Study Abroad?
- Final Exam Schedule
1. The Fall 2020 Calendar of CentreBlocks
1-A: The upper table shows the breakdown of course meetings for the two blocks, whereas the lower table (1-B) shows important dates to mark on your calendar. Note especially that this block schedule allows for a longer Fall Break than our normal term.
1-B: Important dates for your calendar:
2) The Daily Class Schedule is presented in the table below. Be sure to read the notes below the table.
* To achieve the required 39 total contact hours during each block, three (3) credit courses will only meet six (6) of the seven and a half (7.5) hours available in a particular class period. Professors may choose between T or R to not meet, or meet daily for less time. Possible schedules include class meetings. The exact schedule will be detailed in your syllabus.
* Four (4) credit hour language labs will meet five (5) days per week, along with meeting for one hour of the common hour four times during the term. These will be scheduled in advance for all language labs.
**Four (4) credit laboratory science courses with three-hour lab meetings will have class three days per week (MWF) and lab two days per week (TR). These courses will be scheduled during the E – F periods.
3. How will this block schedule work for 4-credit Language or laboratory science courses?
To achieve the required number of contact hours for these courses, these will be scheduled for more frequent and/or longer class or lab meetings than for 3-credit courses. The daily class schedule provides options to accommodate these courses.
4. What about independent study courses or special 1-credit courses like senior colloquia?
Students will still be able to pursue these opportunities as faculty are able to commit to working with the students on them. Some of these offerings will run across both blocks with credit earned upon completion of Block 2. If you have questions, please reach out to the professors you are interested in working with after the schedules have been announced on May 15.
5. How will this impact courses anchored to performing arts events (theatre practicum, music ensembles, etc.)?
Some offerings are being postponed until CentreTerm and SpringTerm 2021, while others will run across both blocks with credit earned upon completion of Block 2. If you have questions, please reach out to the professors you are interested in working with after the schedules have been announced on May 15.
6. What does a student’s course load look like?
Students will typically take six or seven credit-hours per block (i.e., two courses). Each student must register for both blocks at the same time so that your total number of credits is at least 12 hours for the entire Fall term to qualify as a fulltime student and receive financial aid. In order to ensure progress towards graduation, students will need special permission from their major advisor or the registrar if they want to register for less than six (6) or more than eight (8) credits in a block. Just as some students take five courses in a regular term, it is possible to take three courses in a block, we just want to be sure you talk with an advisor first.
7. When will advising and registration for Fall 2020 take place?
Your professors and the Registrar are actively re-envisioning the Fall 2020 course schedule right now – it’s a lot of work! We expect schedules and advising to be ready for your attention on the following timeline:
- May 15 (Friday) – Publication of final class schedule
- May 18-27 – Students consult with their advisors and are cleared to register
- May 28- June 3 (Thurs-Wed) – Online Registration
8. What courses will be available in which blocks?
Your professors are working on the new schedules right now. We will have introductory courses available during both blocks as well as upper-level courses that are distributed across blocks.
9. What is the status of Fall Study Abroad?
The Center for Global Citizenship Office is staying abreast of the impact of COVID-19 on study abroad programs and sharing updates with all students planning to be abroad this Fall. Please note that all students slated to study abroad must register for Fall Term courses and housing on campus in case their abroad program is cancelled. Director Hartmann is working with faculty directors and foreign partners to offer any cancelled Fall programs in Spring, when possible.
10. Final Exam Schedule
Mor
Final Exam Schedule
The pattern is that morning classes have morning final exams, and afternoon classes have afternoon final exams.
Fall Block 1
- A Period - Tuesday, October 13, 8:30 - 11:30
- B Period - Wednesday, October 14, 8:30 - 11:30
- C Period - Tuesday, October 13, 1:30 - 4:30
- D Period - Wednesday, October 14, 1:30 - 4:30
- E Period - Tuesday, October 13, 8:30 - 11:30
- F Period - Tuesday, October 13, 1:30 - 4:30
Fall Block 2
- A Period - Thursday, December 10, 8:30 - 11:30
- B Period - Friday, December 11, 8:30 - 11:30
- C Period - Thursday, December 10, 1:30 - 4:30
- D Period - Friday, December 11, 1:30 - 4:30
- E Period - Thursday, December 10, 8:30 - 11:30
- F Period - Thursday, December 10, 1:30 - 4:30