YSU announces no weeklong spring break in March

Students at Youngstown State University will no longer get their weeklong spring break in March like originally planned.

The university made the announcement Friday, saying public health experts advise that such lengthy breaks increase the possibility of the spread of COVID-19 in the community -- especially in the event of significant travel in and out of the area.

The schools adjusted the spring semester calendar, including the following wellness days with no classes: Feb. 16, March 11 and 12, April 7, and April 23.

While there will be no classes these days, the university will remain open, and services will remain available.

As previously scheduled, there will be no classes on Jan. 18 to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"We believe this approach to spring break is in the best interest of the physical and mental well-being of the entire YSU community. Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and perseverance," YSU President Jim Tressel wrote in the announcement. 

Tressel also reminded students to remain vigilant in keeping ourselves, friends, and family safe from COVID-19.

"Our behavior away from campus over the next two months will have a tremendous impact on our ability to return for the spring semester on January 11, 2021," Tressel wrote.