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Dear alumni, supporters, and friends:

Life is not what it was a few short weeks ago. As we all face the unprecedented changes and disruptions to our lives that COVID-19 has caused, I want to extend our most heartfelt gratitude. Your commitment, service, and generosity to CIA's students and its mission are more important than ever. Thank you for being a valued part of our community and for all that you have done, and continue to do, to make CIA a strong and vibrant institution and an excellent college of art and design. 

I write to update you on the steps CIA is taking to educate our students and keep our CIA community of students, faculty, and staff safe. I also want to share all that our amazing community is doing to continue to operate during this public health crisis.

Based on directives from state public health officials and Governor Mike DeWine, we have made some difficult decisions. Last week the governor called upon all Ohio colleges to move classes online in order to minimize physical contact. Starting Wednesday, March 18, we transitioned all classes to online learning and all employees are permitted to work from home. You can find more details and answers to frequently asked questions here. 

We have also canceled or postponed our public events and programming scheduled for March and early April, and our building is currently closed to the public. You can find updates about specific events, programming, and public access by visiting the relevant sections of the CIA website

These decisions were not made lightly or without acute awareness of the sadness, frustration, and disappointment they would cause to our students, faculty, staff, and members of the public who participate in classes, visit our galleries, or attend Cinematheque screenings. However, we believe our first responsibility must be to guard public health and safety to the best of our abilities. 

While we love our campus and our facilities, CIA is not defined by our building alone. We are a thriving community of forward-thinking, compassionate, inquisitive artists, designers, and educators who have been creating, inventing, and contributing to our economy and our culture for 137 years, and we will continue to do so through this pandemic. 

As with any challenges we face, we know the CIA community will generate creative solutions that will carry us through this health crisis. Already, our faculty, staff, and students are adapting to new ways of learning and working. Our students have shown incredible compassion for one another and they continue to create in the midst of, and in response to, these uncertain times. Our faculty and staff have been resourceful and energetic about developing new ways to continue their excellent instruction to the students and service to the College. Every CIA team has contributed to these efforts, and your dedication has sustained the College and inspired us all to continue the important work of educating the next generation of creative leaders.

We will continue to update you in the coming weeks and months. In the meanwhile, as many of us may feel isolated, please keep in touch with us and with one another. I invite you to reply to this email and to visit our social media pages. While we may be physically distanced, we need not be socially isolated. I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.

Our building may be quiet, but our college is still here—for our students, for the community, for one another, and for you. We are still teaching, learning, working, and creating. 
Grafton J. Nunes
President + CEO
CIA
 
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