Extended winter break for Naval Academy

No spring break planned in effort to keep staff, mids safe from virus’s spread

The Naval Academy’s spring semester will feature no spring break but an extended winter holiday as part of the institution’s plan to keep staff and midshipmen safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

Spring semester classes will begin Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, according to a news release from the academy, with Monday off due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Fall semester classes will end on Dec. 3, with the last final exam on Dec. 11.

The academy has not yet announced when students will be sent home for winter break.

The academy pushed the return of classes back by around two weeks. Last year, midshipmen returned on Jan. 7.

Midshipmen’s return will be phased, beginning in early January, to help accommodate for travel and restriction of movement requirements, according to the release. More details will be provided later.

Spring classes will end on May 5 with Commissioning Week planned to immediately follow final exams, instead of having a customary break for upperclassmen.

Commissioning and graduation will be May 28.

“As always, the health of our midshipmen, faculty, staff, and coaches remains the top priority.

The current schedule may require adjustments as we continue to adjust to the COVID-19 environment,” according to the press release.

While the academy won’t give its midshipmen a spring break, it is providing an additional three-day weekend, with April 5 now off.

The Naval Academy is not the only educational institution to remove spring break fromthe spring semester.

Northeastern University, Pennsylvania State University, Texas A&M and the University of Minnesota are among colleges that have canceled or modified spring breaks as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.