Ball State University wants to give students a break during the spring semester.  But with COVID-19’s spread, many schools have canceled a traditional spring break.  As IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, Ball State has come up with another solution.

Ball State University students will return to campus on January 19. And instead of a week-long spring break where students could travel – potentially spreading or contracting COVID-19 – the university is offering three “study days” throughout the semester.

As Provost Susana Rivera-Mills explains, the days are intended as a “mental break.”

“We do not expect academic activities to introduce new materials, have exams on that day, or have assignments due on those days.”

Read More: Ball State Requires COVID Test For Students To Return In January

The days will be spaced out – February 24, March 23, April 14 – and in the middle of the week, so students receive a break but are discouraged from traveling.

With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise alarmingly in the state and nation, Ball State is planning 23 percent more online classes than a typical semester.  And officials say the school is ready to go to online-only learning again if national health officials recommend the move.