Listen Live
Listen Live

U of L extending holiday break, pushing back start of spring semester

The University of Lethbridge says it’s in an effort to address student mental health concerns and enhance public health and safety following the holiday season.

The local post-secondary announced on Thursday it would be extending its holiday break and pushing back the start of Spring 2021 semester classes.

The start of Spring 2021 semester classes has been pushed to January 9, 2021 from its previous scheduled start of January 6. University officials says the move, while giving students much-needed additional time with family and friends over the holiday period, will extend the semester by just one day and still satisfy all class contact hours.

“The health of our entire community is paramount and we will continue to strive to provide the support our students, faculty and staff need and deserve,” U of L President Mike Mahon.

“We really felt this was a necessary adjustment we could make to help our students,” says U of L President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon. “Like many of us, some of our students have experienced considerable stress as they work toward their academic goals throughout the pandemic. This move gives them a little extra time to decompress over the break, to spend some safe, quality time with their support systems and get a leg up heading into the spring semester.”

While some administrative in-semester dates and deadlines have been shifted to accommodate the adjustment, many will remain unchanged, such as reading week (February 13-19, 2021) and Easter break (April 2-5, 2021).

The start of the final exam period will be moved one day later and start on April 16, 2021 and conclude on April 23, 2021 (unchanged). Spring convocation will run as scheduled, June 3-4, 2021.

The University is also implementing measures to support a healthy workplace for its employees. Some of these are targeted to the time around Christmas with further initiatives being implemented as employees return to work on January 4, 2021. These measures have been directly communicated to the campus community.

(From U of L News Release)

Patrick Siedlecki
Patrick Siedlecki
Pat has been a mainstay in the CJOC News department from the time the station launched in 2007. He's been in the position of News Director since then and has been anchoring daily news casts as well as reporting and working behind the scenes. Community is important to him and keeping CJOC listeners and readers informed about what's happening across southern Alberta and beyond. Pat has been in radio broadcasting for the past 24 years, starting in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island in 1997 and then moving up island to Nanaimo for another few years before heading to Lethbridge in 2007. Pat grew up in the small Saskatchewan farming town of Foam Lake. After high school, he went to Western Academy Broadcasting College (WABC) in Saskatoon prior to moving to the island. Pat also spent several years broadcasting hockey in the BCHL as well as seven years as the radio voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL. Pat has been working at Cornerstone Funeral Home in Lethbridge as a Certified Life Celebrant and Funeral Assistant since 2016. News and sports have always been Pat's passion from the time he was a teenager and he's always been grateful to have had the opportunity to make that part of what's been a fun and long radio career!
- Advertisement -

cjoc Now playing play

ckbd Now playing play

Related Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest News

Celebrate Barons Family Day this Saturday

Spend July 5 with the family in Barons for Barons Family Day. 

New referendum rules come into effect in Alberta

New rules have come into effect in Alberta that could make it easier for residents to start a province-wide referendum.  

Nature Conservancy partnership protects historic southern Alberta ranchland

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has announced that the first phase of the Bob Creek Ranch conservation project has been completed. 

Disruptions along 5 Street South to begin Monday

Starting Monday and until July 9, City of Lethbridge crews will be conducting geotechnical drilling (boreholes) at 11 locations.  

Impaired driving enforcement a focus for police in July

Lethbridge Police and other law enforcement agencies across the province are focusing on impaired driving throughout July. 
- Advertisement -