Good news @jupdancemom ! I think that sounds like a sensible schedule! A lot of schools are planning along those lines - many have already announced that classes/finals are online after Thanksgiving break. The funny thing is, the moms and dads I know are all like “Thank goodness - no expensive Thanksgiving flights/long road trips back and forth just for 2 weeks of classes!” I think that schedule change might stick for the long run, lol.
@CaMom13 for sure! I know when other schools started announcing their plans to not return after Thanksgiving I was hoping Belmont would go that route. I was dreading the expensive plane ticket and airport/airplane chaos that ensues when flying during Thanksgiving week and it would be a 12 hr drive one way so that wasn’t an option. So far the response from all the parents have been very positive and everyone is happy they’re not having to deal with the expense of bringing their kids home for 3 days then turn around an bring them home again a week or 2 later. I agree, it’s possible that schedule sticks (and school would maybe start a week earlier in the future to accommodate a fall break…).
@jupdancemom @CaMom13 , Dartmouth College shifted its fall quarter a few years ago so that it ends at Thanksgiving week. Made the travel plans easier for families (although it did have unintended consequences for the local retailers in a college town, who lost a core group of shoppers during holiday season). I agree with you that it’s likely more schools will adopt this model given the current climate.
I appreciate that all the colleges are starting to come out with plans for the fall. One thing that has me worried though is the ability for our kids to do the classes in their major. I just don’t understand how they will have dance, acting, or singing if they need to wear masks in the classroom. I also wonder about dorm life. I understand that they will Likely be able to keep the kids separated but again will they be expected to wear masks when around one another? Obviously that environment will be Tough to adjust to for all! Any thoughts or info about whether that will be the norm?
@CBSQandA the news from NYU is that Tisch is planning a “highly-coordinated use of our classrooms, studios, labs, and public spaces to decrease the density of people.” To me that means they are rethinking physical space assignments and class sizes. I assume any classes that can or must be taught remotely (like music theory can and voice must) will lose their classroom space and classes that can and should be taught in person (dance, acting) will have smaller classes and more of them or same class size in much larger classrooms. That’s conjecture on my part, the bit in quotes is what we’ve been told.
In terms of masks, I think they will be required in public most places that are college property. Dorm common rooms will likely be closed and gatherings of more than X (5, 8, 10?) people will be prohibited. Inside the dorm rooms the students will be the same as they are now - their roommates will be their families and they won’t have restrictions on how they interact normally. I assume large lectures of any kind will be done virtually and all sports events will be played with the audience tuning in via streaming.
I don’t know how they’ll handle food service - to-go only? Distanced tables?
Roosevelt CCPA is sticking to a normal school calendar. My D will be in a dorm suite that is an apartment with a full kitchen, so she can avoid the cafeteria. (Meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking will have their own learning curve!!) The CCPA Dean mentioned one possibility they are considering for voice lessons is a plexiglass wall that divides the room to separate the student from the teacher.
The CCPA Dean said this in part in a letter to students:
“In these uncertain times, some may question the decision to pursue a career in the arts or attend college in the fall, knowing that the delivery of performance instruction will be changed. Our answer is clear and unequivocal: We believe that new opportunities for learning, creating, and performing are arising every day, and that success in the future depends on persistence in the present.
The values and needs that make artistic activity persist—communication, collaboration, and creativity—are at the heart of what we teach. We are thinking now about how we can forefront those values through educational experiences that are safe and meaningful, even though they may be different from what we have been able to do before, and we will be here for everyone who wants to continue on with this work.”
@upstaged I believe – very much – in what the CCPA Dean said. I have been amazed at the imaginative transformation of the arts world since this virus has changed our entire community. I have started working on a digital version of a play with younger kids (tweens and young teens) as an experiment to see how well it might work and have been totally blown away by their creativity and end results. I will always prefer to be part of live theatre. Film and TV were never as much interest to me. But I think new things will be born from this. Things we might have never thought of before. And, if we end up on the other side of this, with new opportunities and and open minds to be more willing to “try” new forms, then that is even better.
In the short term, I am worried about programs, faculty, artists and others having jobs cut or suffering loss of income. In our area alone (Dallas-Ft. Worth), several arts organizations have closed for good. One has amazed me by converting to an online program when they lost their physical building. Instead of giving up, they are re-inventing! And I hope we see more of that in the future!
@upstaged My daughter will also be living in a dorm suite at CCPA. Hopefully we’ll be able to meet one day. 
@“2kids2dogs&aclass” I would love that! Congrats and welcome to CCPA! I will send you a PM to make sure you get connected with the Theatre Conservatory parent group.
DD got an unexpected offer off the WL for Emerson MT. UGH Already committed and mentally moved on. She is so not interested in putting mental energy into this right now. I hate to ask you wonderful folks… but does anyone have any advice about Emerson’s MT… I’ll take anything. Also, if you feel like mailing me a case of wine, I prefer a blush or anything super sweet and fruity.
@BlessedNStressed We really liked Emerson, but were offered T&P which was our deciding factor. The school is housed within a couple buildings in downtown Boston as you know, so not much of a campus feel. But if your kid wants that city environment it would be great. The BFA curriculum is very specific and full so not a lot of room for minors (if at all). I don’t have a lot of other info to share, but mine grappled with an unexpected WL admit last week, so I can relate. Ultimately we stuck with the original commitment. Factors were the environment (for us, nurturing vs seemingly impersonal), the relationships she had already made, and the quality of life outside the MT program. We didn’t doing as much of a deep dive into the newer school (ie talking to tons of students) because the offer caused more stress than happiness and we felt like that feeling was a good guide.
@BlessedNStressed - if your D is committed and already moved on, give yourself permission to do the same. One good school vs another is marginal differences and it won’t make or break her career. She’s done, let her feelings be the driver and go have a nice glass of rose.
I know someone who recently graduated from the Emerson acting program. She liked the program and the people, but ended up disliking the noise and expense of living in downtown Boston.
Thank you so very much. This was exactly what I needed to hear. I need to honor her moving on and starting to get to a healthy place. You are a truly beautiful group. So very thankful for you all.
So…D just got the email we were hoping not to get from Molloy/Cap21. The incoming freshmen (not the sophs - seniors) will not be on campus this fall. All of THEIR classes (not others) will be online. primarily academic gen ed stuff but it does include Musical Theory and Piano (not sue how that works). Full live theater course load in the spring AND a seven week summer intensive to get caught up prior to sophomore yr.
Not ideal. Think it likely has to do with spreading out the housing situation as juniors and seniors are off campus anyway and likely don’t want to disrupt the sophomores. Doesn’t make much sense otherwise as they all go into the city for training so it’s not about that.
D is bummed right now. There’s a zoom meeting on Thursday to discuss so will elarn more. Wish they didn’t put that at 2pm EST. I can make the meeting but I’m sure those with less flexible schedules can’t.
Feeling bad for my D right now…
I’m sorry @rickle1 . That does sound to be a less than ideal beginning. 
Sorry to hear the news @rickle1. Is that the situation for all freshman or just MT?
Sorry to hear that @rickle1, another bummer to add to the kids list of things this year. You might end up with the better deal if we get sent home after a few weeks or something, there’s no telling what will happen, 2020 UGH!
@prarie Just MT.That’s the weird part. Just freshmen MT. Not Soph - Senior MT or any class non MT. Using my analytical skills I have deduced it is for the following reasons:
- Molloy was a commuter school. Has 3 dorms now with approx 450 on campus but still many local kids.
- MT however is quite national in scope so most of the MT kids live on campus.
- Only stay on campus for two yrs and then move to the city so they are really only dealing with Freshmen / Sophomore MTs on campus.
- Now they are only dealing with Sophomore MTs on campus.
- About 40 in the incoming class which represents about 10% of the residential capacity. By keeping them out they free up space to distance the other kids a bit. No need for triples and probably fewer doubles.
- MT takes a cohort approach where each class is it's own "theater troupe". So they go through essentially everything together for the 4 yrs. My guess is they didn't want to disturb the existing track of the Sophomores. Easier to just reschedule / reposition everything for the freshmen.
Just my guess but can’t think of another reason.
@rickle1 bummed for you guys- what about the cap21 classes in NYC?