UI to maintain fall 2020 academic calendar

The UI will not change the fall 2020 academic calendar in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. More specific plans as to how the UI will manage the pandemic will be announced June 17.

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Jenna Galligan

The Old Capitol is seen on Thursday, March 12, 2020.

Rylee Wilson, News Editor


The University of Iowa will maintain the current fall 2020 academic calendar as other universities in Iowa and nationwide move to end the semester before Thanksgiving break. 

The fall 2020 semester will begin on Aug. 24 and end on Dec. 18 as previously scheduled. 

President Bruce Harreld announced to the Iowa Board of Regents in April that the UI planned to resume face-to-face instruction in the fall. 

In a campus-wide email sent Friday, the UI said it will announce on June 17 what strategies will be implemented to mitigate COVID-19 during the semester. 

The university will closely monitor cases of COVID-19 throughout the fall semester and will take action deemed necessary to help mitigate the transmission of the virus,” the email stated. 

There will be a series of forums after the announcement for community members to ask questions about the policies and recommendations. 

Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa  announced on June 10 that classes will start two weeks early on August 17. The fall semester for both universities will end the day before Thanksgiving, anticipating a possible second wave of COVID-19. 

The UI also announced in the email that beginning June 15, domestic travel for university-related business will return to the normal approval protocol. International travel will still be restricted.