Covid-19 Update: Fall 2020 Plan

Though we just released the details of our Fall 2020 Opening Plan on July 13, it has become clear there is no way to host a sustained in-person semester that maintains the quality of the educational experience without compromising our values and our number one priority: the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff.

Dear students, faculty and staff,

I write to you today with an important update regarding our plan for opening this fall. Over the past two weeks, our world has continued to change as the virus proceeds to wreak havoc across the country and the globe. Cases in the U.S. have continued to rise. State and local guidance has changed. Personal and collective responsibility at every level continues to be debated. We too have continually evaluated and re-evaluated our position as an arts university in the heart of a major city, and the role we will play in the pandemic.

Explore UArts’ fall plan

Though we just released the details of our Fall 2020 Opening Plan on July 13, it has become clear there is no way to host a sustained in-person semester that maintains the quality of the educational experience without compromising our values and our number one priority: the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff.

With this in mind, University of the Arts will begin the 2020-2021 academic year with a fully remote fall semester, with all courses beginning Monday, Aug. 31. This decision has been made by the University’s President’s Council (senior staff and academic deans), together with overwhelming support from faculty and the unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees.

This decision has not been made lightly. As a community of creatives, our modes of practice draw us toward one another and toward our studios, rehearsal spaces and stages. We know our entire community wants nothing more than to return to campus. Indeed, faculty and staff have spent hundreds of hours over the past months researching, planning and debating how to inhabit our physical campus safely in light of the continued rise in viral cases throughout the nation, and how we might manage the limits utilizing social distancing, mask wearing and capacity maximums. Yet the continued changes to official guidance and the uncertainties regarding the timing of an effective treatment or vaccine presented our community with risks we are unwilling to take with the lives of our students, faculty and staff.

We also know that we cannot wait for the decisions and policies of our governing agencies. We know the nuances of our creative work and of embodied practices—how we sing, perform, dance, dream, design and make. And we understand how our practices may be uniquely compromised and/or made unsafe by the circumstances COVID has created—both in person and in a remote fashion. Earlier this week, I met with the faculty from each school. We shared in the recognition that current circumstances leave us with no perfect choices. Each scenario presents its own combination of both health and financial risks. In turn, each school held their own faculty meetings to discuss the options presented to us as an institution and report their collective sentiment or vote back to their respective dean. The overwhelming majority of our faculty recognized that proceeding with our Fall 2020 Opening Plan presented grave risks to the physical wellbeing of our community and voted for a fully remote fall semester, which in turn was fully supported by all members of President’s Council.

As an institution, we recognize this choice may have serious financial implications, but above all, we as a community must return to our core values. As I stated in March, our mission of advancing human creativity can only be pursued when our community of students, faculty and staff are healthy, safe and thriving. To jeopardize the physical wellbeing of our UArts and broader community is a risk University of the Arts will not take.

For fall 2020, we will move forward as a creative community bound not by a physical campus, but by a shared value. We understand that with this change many questions arise. With that in mind, the following actions will be implemented for the fall semester.

Academic Calendar Adjustments

In light of a fully remote semester, we will revert back to our original academic calendar. All courses will begin on Monday, Aug. 31. New Student Orientation will begin the week of Aug. 24. The semester will conclude on Dec. 18. Thanksgiving break will be observed Wednesday, Nov. 25 – Friday, Nov. 27.

Advising & Registration

Detailed information concerning advising and registration will soon be sent by the Office of the Registrar. New registration for the fall semester is currently closed, but will reopen after fall course sections have been updated to reflect the transition to remote delivery. Registration appointment times will be assigned to support registration priority based on major and class level. Incoming students will be contacted by the advising center to schedule one-on-one advising meetings. Returning students are encouraged to schedule an appointment with their advisor, who will work with students to ensure they maintain degree progress and can help finalize their fall schedule.

Tuition Adjustment

We acknowledge the financial strain that the global pandemic has placed on our students and their families. Though the University’s cost of instruction and operations will not decline and our revenue will decrease, the Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to reverse the previously approved tuition increase and freeze tuition at the 2019–2020 level for the fall semester. This will result in a tuition reduction for all students. All student accounts will be reviewed and students will receive an adjusted billing statement by Friday, July 31. In light of the new changes for the fall semester, the deadline for billing will be extended until Monday, Aug. 10. Any student who has already paid their bill will receive a credit which may be requested as a refund if no outstanding balances are due.

Residential Students & Meal Plans

In efforts to reduce the spread of COVID, University housing will remain closed for the fall semester. No students will be permitted to reside on campus. Any student who has already paid for housing for the fall semester will be issued a full refund. As campus will be closed to all students for the fall semester, dining facilities will not be in service. Any student who has paid for a meal plan for the fall semester will receive a refund.

In addition, you may be wondering how this change will impact your experience within each school. Below we have provided links to pages that include letters from each school. More detailed program information will be added next week from the directors of specific programs.

School of Art

School of Dance

School of Design

School of Film

School of Music

School of Theater

Graduate & Professional Studies

Looking ahead, please know our planning continues. Updates will be made frequently and we encourage all students, faculty and staff to check their emails regularly as well as bookmark uarts.edu/fall2020. Families are encouraged to register for the Generations newsletter to receive public updates.

Best wishes,

David

David Yager

President & CEO