Welcome to Spring Semester and an update on the future of J Term

Oglethorpe Community,

Welcome back to campus for Spring Semester. We have an exciting few months ahead, and I
look forward to seeing you at events, in classes, at games, and just hanging out.

Now that the January Term, or “J Term” as it has come to be known here at Oglethorpe, has
ended, I want to inform you that we will be transitioning away from this academic schedule
beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. The updated academic calendar will soon be posted
reflecting an earlier start to Spring Semester, an earlier Spring Break, a “dead day” prior to final
exams, and an earlier Commencement. We are looking at ways to continue to offer credit
recovery courses and are considering a “May-mester” as well as enhanced summer offerings.

This return to the pre-pandemic academic calendar has many benefits for Oglethorpe, especially
reducing students’ absence from academic engagement. Our students will benefit from having
our academic calendar aligned with other high school and post-secondary institutions in the area
as well. Finally, it will enhance full community participation in the spring semester planning that
must occur in January and allow us to steward our facilities’ use and operating budget more
wisely. (And I look forward to having the whole community available to support our winter sport
athletes as they compete, especially the women’s and men’s basketball teams.)

Again, welcome back to campus. I will share more about our future plans in my town hall 1-2
p.m., Feb. 15.

Have a great semester!

Kathryn

Kathryn McClymond, Ph.D. (she/her)
President