March 10, 2020
In response to ongoing concern about coronavirus, and upon strong recommendations today from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to all colleges statewide, the Cleveland Institute of Art will suspend in-school instruction beginning next week in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Faculty and staff are working together to determine how best to use online technology to continue instruction this semester and to identify creative solutions for courses that require hands-on learning.
It is important to note that no cases of the virus have been identified at CIA, but the health and safety of our community is of utmost importance.
At this time, we expect it to continue until at least Monday, April 6. However, we will continue with online instruction after April 6 if state and local authorities believe that there is still a health emergency. We will closely monitor COVID-19 developments, both regionally and nationally, and communicate any changes to that end date as quickly as possible.
Classes will be canceled Monday and Tuesday, March 16 and 17, to give faculty time to plan for the new protocol and to give students more time to finalize their plans as well.
CIA residence halls will remain open, but CIA students who are currently at home for spring break and can stay there, or who have the option to return home, are encouraged to do so. Students returning from holiday travel will be able to gather belongings from their studios and residence hall rooms. We ask that students who stay on campus take deliberate care to minimize social contact, observe recommended hygiene practices, and seek medical advice if they develop symptoms of concern.
The CIA instructional building will remain open. Staff are expected to come to work unless they have made other arrangements with their supervisors.
Any students who have traveled internationally recently are asked to consult with the nurse on-call through University Health Services at 216.368.2450 to determine whether any precautionary steps should be taken. Students, faculty and staff are strongly urged to cancel all non-essential travel.
In addition, the following public programming will be canceled:
• Screenings at the Cinematheque are canceled beginning March 19 until further notice.
• Starting Monday, March 16, Continuing Education classes are canceled for the remainder of the spring session.
• Exhibitions: The opening reception for T ITL E TB D is canceled, but the exhibition will be on view March 26 through June 12 in Reinberger Gallery. In addition, all visiting artist events, including Lunch on Fridays, are canceled.
As noted earlier, we will communicate with you further as the situation develops. Followup details will be coming from:
- Nancy Neville or Matt Smith (to students)
- Kathryn Heidemann (to faculty)
- Charise Reid (to staff)
Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this challenging time. We understand that the situation is especially stressful to our graduating seniors. Please be assured that planning for your BFA is among our top priorities.
We believe that decisive action now can help minimize the spread of the illness, and we look forward to returning to regular operations as soon as we can sensibly do so.
Grafton
