Several members of CalArts leadership participated in the Los Angeles Department of Public Health COVID update call on Wednesday. Public health officials are encouraged by vaccination and booster rates and the steps educational institutions are taking to protect their communities. They have been particularly pleased with our community—which is a testament to all of your actions mitigating the spread of COVID thus far.
Based on the update, their guidance, and our continuing low rate of cases, we are writing to confirm our plans for all spring semester classes, performances, and rehearsals to return to the originally published instructional mode on Monday, Feb. 7.
Individual schools will continue to implement specific safety protocols. These are program specific, so please make sure you are complying with these specific masking, testing, and behavioral requirements. Students who have specific and ongoing health issues and need health-based accommodations or support should contact Kristen Acosta at kacosta@calarts.edu before the Feb. 7 return.
It remains your responsibility, in and out of class, to conduct yourselves in a manner that keeps you and your fellow students as safe as possible. This includes following our all-Institute required policies:
- Daily check-in via the LiveSafe app before coming to campus;
- Wearing medical grade masks as required indoors, and in some outdoor situations;
- Wearing or displaying CalArts IDs;
- Putting your mask back on immediately after eating and drinking;
- Getting your booster as soon as you are eligible (required by Feb. 28, with an on-campus clinic taking place on Feb. 15, 10 am-2 pm);
Please also continue to observe the following healthy practices:
- Not coming to campus if you don’t feel well, and test before you return to campus;
- Physically distancing whenever possible;
- Regular hand washing;
- Testing regularly after group interactions or travel (in-person available on-campus Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; at-home tests recommended as well).
Provost Costantino has communicated to deans, program directors, and all faculty that keeping students and the community safe and well is a priority and should be taken into account for attendance policies. If you are experiencing issues with your attendance in your classes due to health reasons, please contact your program director, or dean’s office directly, as soon as you can for support and guidance.
We are excited to see you and your artmaking in-person as we increase our on-campus activity.
Thank you.
Ravi Rajan, President
Tracie Costantino, Provost
Kafele J. Khalfani, Ed.D., Vice President, Student Experience