Planning for Fall 2020

Like other institutions of higher education across the country, we face uncertainty around convening on campus for the fall semester. It is our clear desire to reopen our campus for the fall, and we are exploring many potential options as we partner with the Massachusetts Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure that we follow their guidelines to safely reopen. We want to keep you all informed by sharing our planning process with you.

In order to begin planning for the fall, we developed institutional goals and priorities; chief among them is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff. Berklee President Roger H. Brown has been working closely with other college and university presidents in the area, and many of our senior leaders are part of collaborative groups sharing information and plans. In addition, we are being ably assisted by our Tufts Health Plan medical advisor and infectious disease specialist Dr. Laura Kogelman. Similar to our initial COVID-19 response efforts, we have identified teams from across the institution to develop models for how and when we can reopen the campus. We are examining various scenarios for that opening, as well as preparing academic, enrollment, financial, and staffing plans to support these scenarios. We will use this framework for our Boston and Valencia campuses, as well as our centers in New York City and Abu Dhabi.

Here in the state of Massachusetts, we are fortunate to be home to an unparalleled wealth of institutions of higher education. Many have agreed to share knowledge and plans, and mutually determine a plan for fall around June 15. While each of the schools involved will of course make their own decisions for their communities, we are confident that the shared expertise among our educational partners and Boston’s exceptional health care system will prove invaluable as we prepare for the next phase of response to the pandemic. We are committed to communicating our plans with you as they solidify.

Student Employment for Summer 2020

Given our narrowed institutional priorities, we will have roughly 150 student employment positions this summer, many of which are highly specialized roles that support the successful delivery of our remote summer semester experience. We expect to return to the full contingent of student employment in the fall, assuming we can be back on campus with the typical levels of enrollment.

All supervisors and students will be notified over the next few days about the approval of summer positions. Until then, feel free to reach out to Nicole Mlynczak in the Career Center if you have other questions.

Resources

For those who need assistance, we want to emphasize and be sure you are aware of a number of resources available to our community.

Faculty and Staff

Members of the faculty and staff who face serious COVID-19-related financial hardships may apply for faculty and staff emergency funds (login required). Funded by Berklee and administered by Human Resources, the program also accepts voluntary donations. Learn more (login required) about eligibility and the application process.

Students

An emergency fund for students is also available, thanks to the generosity of current parents and families, the Board of Trustees, Advisory Councils, Berklee leadership, and other members of the Berklee community. Students may request funds for an emergency situation or for unanticipated and compelling circumstances that make it difficult to continue their courses. Learn more about eligibility, the application process, and policies for the distribution of funds. We are acutely aware of how this crisis impacts members of our community differently. The inequities of the world are amplified at times like these, and we are committed to trying to help those whose life circumstances are under the greatest stress at the moment. We have already distributed over $70 thousand to qualified students from this fund.

Students may also be eligible to receive money from a number of funds external to Berklee. The CARES Act established and funded the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), which allocated $14 billion to colleges and universities to assist with the economic impact of COVID-19. Berklee was allocated a total of $3.57 million, with $1.78 million designated to be distributed directly to students to cover student expenses associated with the disruption of campus activities due to COVID-19. Undergraduate and graduate students at the College, Conservatory, and some Valencia programs who completed a 2019–2020 FAFSA, meet eligibility requirements for Title IV federal student aid, and were enrolled in campus-based classes for spring 2020 are eligible. Over 2,000 students are qualified for these funds and will each directly receive approximately $700 by June 1. Learn more about this program and other valuable resources potentially available to students at this time.

Looking Ahead: Continued Communication

We will continue to keep everyone updated as there is new information to share. Our internal community newsletters—Student News and Faculty/Staff News—will remain the vehicles for official communications for the Boston campus and will be sent most Tuesday mornings. Please make sure you read these official newsletters for important information. We will also continue to update this website throughout the summer. During these challenging times, one of the most difficult issues many of us face is a lack of clarity around what will come next. We are committed to communicating as quickly and clearly as we can.