Post-Thanksgiving guidance for instructors

Dear instructors,

We have heard from some of you that students are asking for the flexibility to finish your course(s) remotely after Thanksgiving break. Our intent with this email is to support you as you field these inquiries.

Because the Fall 2025 Academic Calendar is different than usual, we mentioned this issue in an email to instructors before the term began. In a separate email to students, we reminded them of the change and the reasoning behind it. Importantly, we explained that most classes would require them to be on campus after Thanksgiving break and asked them to check course syllabi for attendance expectations before and after the break and plan any travel accordingly.

As you receive requests for early, remote or otherwise flexible final assessments, please remind students about these early notifications and the University’s policy on in-person engagement, which requires students taking in-person classes to be on campus and in attendance at the start of classes and to remain (and return after break) until the end of the quarter. Students must also be engaged in coursework throughout the entire term to stay in compliance with course credit policies, so courses should not end before the term ends. Additionally, students must be present for any in-class assessments at the end of the quarter and during exam week. To be clear, it is not the University’s expectation that you provide students with remote options for exams and other end-of-term assessments. If you choose to do so, please make those options available to all students in the course.

We understand that the change in schedule this year can lead to confusion and additional requests for flexibility from students. Please let us know if we can help as you navigate the final weeks of the Fall Quarter.

Sincerely, 

Jaci Casazza
Assistant Provost and University Registrar 

Karen Smilowitz
Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education