Welcome MSM students! Here are the details about our Fall 2020 Semester.
To the MSM Community,
This webpage contains important information about the reopening of Manhattan School of Music for the 2020 Fall Semester. This process has been led by an internal MSM Restart Task Force working with MSM faculty and staff and gathering input from local and state agencies, as well as our music conservatory counterparts in the U.S. and beyond.
We have developed a blended instructional model that gives students flexibility and choice for completing the Fall semester. Our first consideration in developing these plans is to the health and safety of the MSM Community, and the plans are informed by local, state, and federal guidelines that will also allow us to create engaging experiences for our wonderful students.
Please read the recently finalized “MSM Reopening Guide” (link below), which outlines everything you need to know about our blended restart and all related procedures, protocols, and safety measures. For regularly updated information on COVID-19 testing results for those of us on campus, please see the “Tracking COVID-19 on Campus” drop-down menu below.
The blended plan’s flexible schedule accommodates students who will need to stagger their arrival in NYC based on a variety of factors; whatever schedule track you have chosen, we look forward to welcoming you home to MSM very soon!
Warm regards,
James Gandre, President Joyce Griggs, Executive Vice President and Provost
The 2020 Fall Semester at MSM begins on September 9 and ends on December 18 for a total of 14 weeks of instruction, plus finals week.
All students will complete their academic courses through remote learning. Students must select one of four performance-based “tracks,” which include one fully remote learning option and three in-person options. You may select your track based on your expected timing of arrival in New York City.
The graphic below shares the schedule for the entire semester and details each of the four track options.
Please note: These plans are based on current guidelines and are subject to change should orders from local, state, or federal agencies mandate MSM to do so. MSM may also elect to alter these plans to align with best practices as recommended by industry resources.
Very few students chose Track B, and many of the students who did choose Track B are still unable to travel to the United States. This means that in most cases, Track B students will not be able to have unique, Track B-only ensembles. Your ensemble experiences will be in two segments, the first from November 2 – December 18 with Track A students and the second segment from January 19 – February 12 with Track C students.
Students on Track B may stay continuously on campus from their arrival for Track B through and including the Spring 2021 semester. Campus will be open and campus facilities will be available to these students for practice, for major lessons (with the agreement of the teacher), and for informal rehearsals, although there may not be cafeteria service at all times. Students who choose to leave campus over these breaks may do so, but there are some restrictions:
We hope that Track B still meets your needs. However, if after reading this updated information you decide you want to change to Track D, you must do so by MONDAY, OCTOBER 5 @ 9:00 AM EST. Please inform MSM by emailing studentengagement@msmnyc.edu.
MSM is making significant investment throughout campus to preserve the health and safety of our entire community:
Face Coverings
Campus Cleaning
Campus Usage
All students who arrive on campus for fall semester are required to sign on to the following MSM Campus Compact:
View PDF version
Both learning and making music are among the most exalted of human pursuits. Manhattan School of Music recognizes that both are best enjoyed in social connection and in person. Nevertheless, for the sake of safety during the coronavirus epidemic, Manhattan School of Music has taken the necessary step of reducing in-person teaching and learning and has offered several “tracks” which give students the option to choose for themselves, in conversation with their families, from a number of options ranging from a fully online academic year to participation in a hybrid instruction model with students’ on-campus for instruction beginning at different points in time from September to November to January.
In order to participate in these activities on an in-person basis, students on Tracks A, B, and C, Manhattan School of Music will require unwavering cooperation from students, faculty and staff to keep our environment as virus-free as possible. Fortunately, medical science has provided information on behaviors which help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 until a vaccine can be developed. For this reason, Manhattan School of Music and Student Affairs requires students on these tracks to sign a pledge committing to themselves to follow all School guidelines designed to mitigate the spread of the virus. By returning to campus at Manhattan School of Music in 2020-21 you are agreeing to adhere to the behavioral expectations outlined below.
The Compact
I understand that as a Manhattan School of Music student planning to partake in a hybrid online and on-campus education at the School during the 2020-21 academic year, I have a role to play in keeping our community safe. I understand that what I am being asked to undertake is considered necessary to protect my health and the health of others in the community, including fellow students, our faculty and Manhattan School of Music staff, as well as New York City, and our West Harlem/Morningside Heights community.
I recognize that most violations of this Compact will be handled expeditiously by a special MSM Compact Response Team, which will be separate from the Campus Judicial Process. Nevertheless, if I am reported to be in violation of this Compact, I will be allowed to present my point of view and speak in my defense as part of a decision-making process. I also understand that anyone found to be significantly or repeatedly in violation of this Compact will be required to complete the academic year online and will forfeit any room and board fees. Decisions made by the MSM Compact Response Team will not be recorded as part of my Campus Judicial record; however, any student who does not comply with the findings and requirements of the MSM Compact Response Team will be subject to adjudication under the Campus Judicial Process, as will any student whose behavior demonstrates a willful recklessness or violates other Manhattan School of Music policies and procedures at the same time the student is in violation of this Compact.
I agree to abide by all protocols, procedures, directives, and mandates adopted by Manhattan School of Music developed in accordance with the best medical guidance available and with city, state and federal mandates.
I agree to participate in all training and testing protocols required by the School. Should I become ill or if I am reasonably believed to have been exposed to the virus, I agree to participate in required isolation or quarantine.
I understand that if the MSM Community cannot adhere to this Compact, and/or a serious COVID-19 outbreak occurs in our city, state or School, Manhattan School of Music may not be able to continue to provide on-campus education, and we will be required to transition to a fully remote teaching and learning experience. Any such transition to different teaching and learning modalities, and any associated limitations upon the availability of residence hall facilities or meal plan services, is further addressed in the Informed Consent and Assumption of Risk, to which I also agree.
The Required Behaviors
I understand that guidance from health authorities may shift during the course of the 2020-21 academic year, and that Manhattan School of Music may revise these behavioral expectations accordingly. All students participating in a hybrid instruction track will be notified of changes if and when they occur. Students are responsible for reading and accordingly responding to these changes.
Health and Wellness
The future of COVID-19 is unpredictable and the risks of participating in on campus activities at Manhattan School of Music are not fully foreseeable. I therefore understand that, even with the mitigation strategies employed by Manhattan School of Music and my compliance with the expectations outlined in this Compact and any modification to the expected behaviors outlined here, I may be exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and contract COVID-19. I understand that I can reduce that risk by choosing to participate in online instruction through Track D. By choosing Tracks A, B, or C, and by arriving on campus at MSM for instruction during the 2020-21 academic year, I acknowledge that I will comply with the requirements outlined in this Compact. I acknowledge, further, that my ability to remain on campus is contingent upon adherence to the requirements set forth in this Compact and the Informed Consent and Assumption of Risk.
MSM is making significant investment throughout campus and continually monitoring conditions and mitigation efforts in order to preserve the health and safety of our entire community. It is of critical importance that all members of the on-campus community read, understand, and adhere to the guidelines and protocols laid out in the MSM Reopening Guide.
Week-by-week tracking of COVID-19 cases on campus:
Week of December 8 to December 13
2 positive cases
Week of December 1 to December 7
5 positive cases
Week of November 23 to November 30
0 positive cases
Week of November 16 to November 22
Week of November 9 to November 15
1 positive case
Week of November 1 to November 8
0 cases
Week of October 26 to November 1
Week of October 19 to 25
Week of October 12 to 18
Week of October 5 to 11
Week of September 28 to October 4
0 cases Week of September 21 to 27
Week of September 14 to 20
Week of September 7 to 13
Week of August 31 to September 6 (Move-In Week 2)
Week of August 24 to 30 (Move-In Week 1)
Positive tests are reported based on the date of notification.
Or email us at studentengagement@msmnyc.edu
We will continue to share updates with you via email, social media, and our MSM website. We are looking forward to your arrival at MSM!
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