Fall Reopening 2020 - Manhattan School of Music

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.

MSM Reopening Guide

COVID-19 Testing Center at MSM

MSM COVID-19 Video Testimonials

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

Fall 2020 Plan

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.

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Important Information for Students in Track B:

Track B Dates Update
- Track B is in two segments: November 1 – December 18 and January 19 – February 12.
- This update extends the winter break and carries fall performance instruction into the first two weeks of the academic start of the Spring semester.
- If, after reading this information you wish to switch to Track D (All online instruction; ends December 18), you must notify Student Engagement as soon as possible and no later than MONDAY, OCTOBER 5 @ 9:00 AM EST.
Arrival and Testing
- All MSM students test for COVID-19 10 days before they travel, unless their country, state or region does not have testing available or does not allow testing.
- New York State still has enforced travel restrictions on individuals arriving from all foreign countries and a large number of U.S. States. The list of states is updated weekly and students must meet requirements in place at the time of their arrival.
- If you are traveling from a foreign country, or your state is on the restrictions’ list (or is added to the list):
- You must arrive in New York for quarantine on October 18 in order to participate in on campus, in person instruction on November 2^nd.
- Students scheduled to live in Andersen Hall:
- Those who must quarantine report directly to Andersen Hall on October 18, where you will be assigned a temporary quarantine room for your two weeks of quarantine.
  
  Those without a quarantine requirement can move in directly to their room any time between October 18 and November 1 (notify Residence Life when to expect you by emailing residencelife@msmnyc.edu).
  
  For all Andersen Hall Residents: no guests are allowed on campus; friends and family members will not be allowed on campus even for the purposes of assisting with move-in.
- Any student who travels to NYC by plane and is not required to quarantine must test for COVID-19 approximately 7 days after their arrival.
Ensembles
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.
- For instrumentalists with an orchestra requirement: participate in orchestra cycles in November and December. Chamber music requirements will be fulfilled in January and February.
- For graduate vocalists: solo arias or songs will be coached in November and December; opera scenes during January and February with Track C students.
- For undergraduate vocalists: participate in your respective performance class in person when you arrive for Track B. In January, we will provide a vocal ensemble experience with other track B students.
- For jazz students: combos and improv sections will be populated with primarily other track B students for the entire track B timeframe.
Thanksgiving and Winter Break
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:
- Thanksgiving Break (November 25 – 29)
- Students who are from a U.S. State which does not have travel restrictions are free to travel home over Thanksgiving (November 25 – 29) unless they need to travel by airplane (which is prohibited during Fall 2020).
  
  Students who are from other countries, or states with a travel restriction effectively cannot travel home over Thanksgiving.
- During the Winter Break
- Students may travel to states which do not have a travel restriction, returning by January 18. If a student travels by car, they must take a COVID-19 test within 10 days before they return to campus, and if they travel by airplane during this period, they must take a COVID-19 test 10 days before they travel and again approximately 7 days after they arrive on campus.
  
  Students may travel internationally or to states with a travel restriction but must return to campus by January 5^th to quarantine on campus for two weeks.
Changing Tracks

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.

Specific Details for Fall 2020

Academic Classes (music history, theory, humanities, etc.)
- Faculty will teach in real-time through Zoom. Course materials, syllabi, etc., will be stored in Canvas.
Performing Ensembles and Performance-based Courses
- Students will be scheduled for performance-based courses beginning either September 9, November 1, or January 4 (Track A, B, or C) based on their date of arrival in New York City.
- Students situated in NYC by September 9 will be assigned to ensembles and begin rehearsals on campus during the first week of classes.
- Students will be allowed to participate in approved, socially-distanced ensembles, with required masks.
- Ensembles and other performance-related activities will take place in spaces where appropriate social distancing can be observed.
Applied Lessons
- On-campus or video-conference lessons only.
- Masks must be worn at all times except for voice and wind instruments; more information about specific plans for wind and voice lessons will be shared in a separate email message to students in the days ahead.
- The Dean of Academic Affairs will ask students and faculty to indicate lesson
  format (i.e. on-campus or through video conference)
Recitals and Concerts
- May take place on campus, with performers observing mask and social distancing requirements.
- There will be no audiences at performances until further notice. As many performances as possible will be live streamed.
Arriving at MSM
- Students should plan to arrive in New York City 14 days prior to starting in-person instruction if they have an obligation to self-quarantine.
- 14-day quarantine requirements will be determined by state and federal health agencies in accordance with the domestic or international region from which a student is traveling.
  
  All students will be required to test for COVID-19 before travel to MSM and, if they travel by airplane, to test again 7-9 days after their arrival at MSM.
  
  Late July: check MSM website and emails from the Dean of Students for up-to-date and specific requirements for testing and quarantine.
- Students living in Andersen Hall without an obligation to self-quarantine will be asked to arrive in waves on specific dates depending on the mode of transportation.
- Arrival dates for students with no quarantine requirement who travel to NYC by airplane: Saturday, August 29th and Sunday, August 30th.
- Arrival dates for students with no quarantine requirement who travel to NYC by car: You will be asked to pick a specific arrival time on Thursday, September 3rd or Friday, September 4th (and possibly September 5th – we will know more once we have a better sense of student plans). Please keep an eye on your MSM email for more details after July 20th.
Campus Health and Safety
MSM is making significant investment throughout campus to preserve the health and safety of our entire community:

Masks
- Everyone who enters MSM will be required to wear a mask. Exceptions to wearing the mask will be clearly stated and shared prior to the campus reopening.
Campus Cleaning
- Touchless fixtures and dispensers are being installed in restrooms throughout the campus.
- Enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols are being implemented, with a focus on high-touch and high-traffic areas.
- More than 100 new hand sanitizer dispensers are being deployed throughout campus. Sanitizing wipe stations will be deployed throughout campus and stocked with EPA-qualified products for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Campus Usage
- Everyone entering MSM’s campus will be required to complete a daily health questionnaire. The questionnaire can be completed on your own personal device using Envoy, our Visitor Management System, or it can be completed on an iPad available to you as you enter campus. Anyone not meeting the requirements of this questionnaire will not be permitted on campus.
- A comprehensive program of signs and other visual cues is being implemented throughout the campus to ensure social distancing is maintained.
- Classrooms, performance halls, rehearsal spaces, and practice rooms will be scheduled in a way that allows for appropriate air filtration between uses.
- Sneeze guards and other physical barriers will be deployed in high-traffic areas throughout campus.
Campus Compact
All students who arrive on campus for fall semester are required to sign on to the following MSM Campus Compact:

2020-21 Campus Compact Student Commitment in the COVID-19 ERA

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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

I agree to regularly self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and to contact the Professional Staff in Andersen Hall by calling the RA cell phone at 917-683-7864 and asking for the professional staff on duty (Andersen Hall residents only), and/or the Dean of Students at 917-493-4036.

I agree to be tested as Manhattan School of Music requires and to share my results with Manhattan School of Music

I agree to execute fully and truthfully comply with the daily health questionnaire on the Envoy app and to respond to other reasonable requests for information relating to COVID-19 screening for access to campus.
I agree to immediately share the results of a positive COVID-19 test with the Dean of Students at 917-493-4036 and/or with the Professional Staff in Andersen Hall by calling the RA cell phone at 917-683-7864 (Andersen Hall residents only), and asking for the Professional Staff in Andersen Hall.

I agree to follow physical distancing requirements as much as possible, especially by using the specific furniture arrangements and guidelines provided on campus for this purpose.

I agree to wash my hands regularly throughout the day.

I agree to use provided cleaning supplies to wipe down desks and shared instruments prior to and after my use.

I agree to comply with applicable contact tracing protocols of both Manhattan School of Music and the NYC Health and Human Services, or other government health authority.

I agree to wear a mask that covers my nose and mouth at all times except in my own off-campus apartment or my dorm room in Andersen Hall, alone in a practice room, when eating/drinking and/or when playing a musical instrument that cannot be played with a mask.

I agree to promptly comply with Manhattan School of Music directives regarding isolation or quarantine. I understand that these directives may require me to be temporarily relocate to an off-campus location chosen by Manhattan School of Music or New York City health authorities.

I agree to comply with Manhattan School of Music physical distancing procedures, including in classrooms, elevators, common areas of Andersen Hall and the MSM Main Building.Travel, Off-campus expectations and Guests in Campus Buildings

I agree to adhere to Manhattan School of Music’s most current guidance on travel, which in the fall semester prohibits travel by airplane except under extraordinary circumstances as approved by the MSM Compact Response Team.

Given the guidelines enforced by New York State and NYC, it is unlikely a request for Limited Leave of Absence will be granted for students in Tracks A and B during the Fall 2020 semester. If a student experiences a personal emergency, and needs to request a Limited Leave of Absence, they should contact the Dean of Students and Provost’s Office for guidance. I understand that Manhattan School of Music may restrict travel and means of travel within New York City for Andersen Hall residents should the School designate the COVID-19 threat level high enough to warrant such restrictions. Commuter students may have non-essential travel within the City restricted, and in an extreme case may even be asked to shelter-at-home rather than come to campus for in- person, on campus instruction for a period of time. I agree to follow the above guidelines regarding physical distancing and masks when off-campus at all times, but especially when utilizing New York City public transportation

I agree to refrain from allowing visitors, including family members, any access to campus buildings.
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.
Tracking COVID-19 on Campus

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

0 positive cases

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

0 cases

Week of October 19 to 25

0 cases

Week of October 12 to 18

0 cases

Week of October 5 to 11

1 positive case

Week of September 28 to October 4

0 cases

Week of September 21 to 27

1 positive case

Week of September 14 to 20

0 cases

Week of September 7 to 13

1 positive case

Week of August 31 to September 6 (Move-In Week 2)

1 positive case

Week of August 24 to 30 (Move-In Week 1)

0 cases

Positive tests are reported based on the date of notification.
Technology and Digital Resources
- A new, integrated video platform, Kaltura, allows faculty and students to easily create, edit, upload, and share video recordings for coursework in Canvas.
- Wired and wireless internet in Main Building will be expanded to support hybrid and remote learning.
- The Library has increased its digital resources by 50%, with audio and video recordings available in a wider array of genres and more print resources (including non-public-domain scores).
- MSM will provide students with recommendations for microphones, speakers, recording devices, and internet connections to optimize sound quality for online courses, lessons, and performances; we are currently exploring agreements with a vendor to create “tech packages” at a discounted rate for MSM students.

Questions?

View Frequently Asked Questions

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!

Info For

About

The Fall Reopening 2020 at MSM

Fall 2020 Plan

Important Information for Students in Track B:

Track B Dates Update

Arrival and Testing

Ensembles

Thanksgiving and Winter Break

Changing Tracks

Specific Details for Fall 2020

Academic Classes (music history, theory, humanities, etc.)

Performing Ensembles and Performance-based Courses

Applied Lessons

Recitals and Concerts

Arriving at MSM

Campus Health and Safety

Campus Compact

2020-21 Campus Compact Student Commitment in the COVID-19 ERA

Tracking COVID-19 on Campus

Technology and Digital Resources

Questions?

About MSM

Manhattan School of Music