Mercer’s fall semester plan includes in-person classes and no fall break. Here’s more

As Middle Georgia schools look to reopen for fall semester, Mercer University announced a revised fall calendar Thursday.

The university modified the calendar as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release.

Most classes on the Macon campus will begin Aug. 18, and classes will be held on Labor Day, Sept. 7, and during Fall Break which was planned for Oct. 1-2.

The semester will end Nov. 24, and students will not return to the Macon campus until the spring semester which starts Jan. 7. Final exams will be administered online only on Dec. 3-4 and 7-9, according to the release.

The Atlanta campus and the Regional Academic Centers will hold their first day of classes on Aug. 17, and they will not observe the Labor Day holiday as well.

The School of Medicine, School of Law and programs that are entirely online will notify their students about their revised calendars, according to the release.

“The revised calendar will minimize travel-associated breaks, meet accreditation-mandated contact hours per credit hour requirements, preserve the general University calendar and minimize online instruction for face-to-face courses,” read the release.

Middle Georgia schools and universities have been making plans to return to the classroom during the new coronavirus outbreak. Wesleyan College, Bibb County Schools and Middle Georgia State University have explored ideas from virtual learning to adjusted schedules.

This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 2:08 PM.