This email was sent to School of Flm/Video students on more details for Fall 2020, plus an upcoming Q&A session for Film/Video students.
Dear Film/Video Students,
By now, you will have seen Ravi's announcement that all CalArts classes will be remote for the fall semester.
This decision was made for several important reasons. First, we want to protect the safety and health of students, staff and faculty. Second, we needed clarity about the course mode for the whole semester so students could decide whether or not to return to the Los Angeles/Santa Clarita area. Southern California COVID cases are still very high, making the date of our return to campus unclear.
I know this news raises many pressing questions. Director of Technology Nathan Crow and I will have a Q&A session for Film/Video students next Wednesday August 5, 3:00p-4:30pm. Zoom link and info below. Note there is a passcode for this meeting (2020).
Below is some preliminary information. More will be shared soon, as we address this change of plans.
- All Fall 2020 classes will be remote. There will not be face-to-face class sessions.
- Campus access will be permitted when authorized by Los Angeles County. I know how important the Film/Video facilities are to students, but our studios, labs, classrooms, theaters and other spaces are still not approved to open. As soon as we are allowed to open them, we certainly will. We hope and expect they will open sometime in the fall, but this is not guaranteed.
- Cage equipment will be available for check out. Check-out periods for some equipment will be longer than usual to help minimize contact, and we are expanding our inventory in some areas to make more items available to more students. Please be patient as we adapt to the new set of circumstances. We expect to communicate with you about this soon. As planned, there will be strict COVID-related protocols for film production.
- Film/Video's Technology Access Program provides computing kits and software to support students with remote education during this academic year. There are eligibility requirements and a refundable deposit is required for a computing kit. To request a kit please fill out this application. Application deadline is August 5th, 2020. Deposit deadline has been extended to August 12th, 2020. Any questions can be directed to 2popsupport@calarts.edu.
- International Students: Continuing international students can come to the U.S. and be fully remote. New international students won't be able to get a visa for all remote classes, per Immigration & Customs Enforcement policy. Please direct visa questions to the International Student Office, intlprograms@calarts.edu.
- Academic matters should be discussed with your mentor and/or program director. There may be some temporary academic exceptions available to support remote enrollment. Please consult with your mentor or program director for specific criteria for these accommodations, as they differ in each program and are not available to all students.
I regret that this is yet another twist in a very difficult year. Thank you, as always, for your care and commitment to this community.
All my best,
Abigail
Abigail Severance
Interim Dean of the School of Film/Video at CaArts