Academic Calendar 2020–21
Fall 2020 Academic Calendar
The 2020–21 fall semester begins on Wednesday, September 2, and ends on Monday, December 21. All in-person instruction will conclude by the Thanksgiving holiday (November 25–29) and will resume online for the remainder of the semester. Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times for travel in the US, so we will allow students on campus, where facilities and resources will remain open, through the end of the fall term only if they choose not to travel out of state for the holiday.
Current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires students coming from abroad to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in the US. The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has ordered that individuals coming from states experiencing a surge in new COVID-19 cases are required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Chicago. Please note, travel restrictions may be updated, so as you’re planning your return to campus, please check the CDC and CDPH websites for guidance. If you are coming from areas from which you will be required to quarantine, we recommend you arrive in Chicago two weeks prior to your first class or by August 18. If a student is unable to arrive by this date and misses in-person class activity as a result, faculty will be prepared to work flexibly with them while they complete this required quarantine. More information on this can be found on our Residence Life page.
Below is the academic calendar for fall 2020.
- September 2: Fall semester begins
- September 7: Labor Day (no classes)
- November 3: Last day to withdraw from a fall semester class
- November 24: Last day of in-person course activity
- November 25–29: Thanksgiving Break (no classes)
- November 30: All courses resume online
- December 21: Fall semester ends
