This email was sent from CalArts Provost Tracie Costantino to all students, faculty and staff on the continuation of online learning for the winter and spring semester.
Dear CalArtians,
Our foremost goal from the start of the pandemic has been and remains the health and safety of the entire CalArts community. Today, the Board of Trustees endorsed a plan which would keep course instruction in the spring semester and winter session remote so that we may continue to prioritize the health and safety of our students and employees.
Colleges and universities in Los Angeles County currently remain barred from offering on-campus and in-person classes – a restriction that will continue into the foreseeable future. And so we announce today, in accordance with public health guidelines and our deep concern for the community’s safety, that all undergraduate and graduate courses will be conducted remotely for both winter session and spring semester, as well. As many of our fellow higher education institutions in Los Angeles are doing, we will also continue to endeavour to use campus facilities and make campus resources available to students for artmaking as is safe and as we are permitted.
To reach this important and difficult decision and bring it to the Board, we drew on input and consultation from the Deans, the Chair and all members of the Academic Council, with the Student Union president in attendance, as well as leadership in Student Experience.
Making and sharing this decision now was important for all of us to provide certainty. It is critical to faculty to have a timely decision so that they can plan for their classes and for students to have a full picture of winter and spring classes as they progress and make choices in their academic journey.
In the next few weeks, you will receive more information about winter and spring registration. Here are key points of our Spring 2021 plan.
COURSES and REGISTRATION
- All Winter session and spring classes will be conducted online, with asynchronous and/or synchronous (real-time) sessions.
- Winter session will begin online Monday, January 11.
- Spring classes will begin online Monday, January 25.
- Registration will take place online.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
- We will continue to work to provide increased access to key technology, including the metier-based technology kits and a laptop loan program through our Information Technology Department and Library.
- CalArts has in place a comprehensive set of campus health and safety standards to help protect everyone’s health and well-being during the coronavirus pandemic. We will provide carefully controlled access to equipment checkout.
- The majority of administrative office staff members will continue to work remotely, but will be available to assist us through phone and online communications.
- As a student, if your circumstances have changed or you have questions about your current financial aid package, please reach out to Financial Aid at finaid@calarts.edu.
We know that you will have many more questions about winter and spring offerings. In the next few weeks, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Experience Anna Jablonski, Registrar Erin Collins, and I will host a student information session where we’ll review class and registration details and important support services.
In these extraordinary circumstances, it’s crucial that we all sustain our growth as artists. We stand together in maintaining that forward momentum. Thanks for your commitment to safety and to one another.
Tracie Costantino
Provost