Important COVID-19 Update from President Woetzel

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2020
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Community Message: March 17, 2020, 3:18pm

Dear Juilliard Community,

There has been an enormous amount of change in our community and in our city over the past week. Across the country, we are all grappling with serious changes to our lives, in an unprecedented effort to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. I understand this is a deeply stressful and challenging time for our community and that each day brings new uncertainties. At the same time, I am so proud of the way our community is coming together to support one other.

I write to you to share that last night we learned that a faculty member in the College Division has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Our thoughts are with this member of our community and their loved ones and we wish them a swift recovery.

We have consulted with the NYC Department of Health and our own medical consultant about this situation. The faculty member has not been on campus for more than 14 days. Individuals who have had close contact with an infected person typically become symptomatic 2-14 days after exposure. However, out of an abundance of caution, we are reaching out to those individuals with whom we are aware the faculty member last had contact with on campus so that they can monitor for symptoms. Should we become aware of other confirmed cases impacting the Juilliard community will we continue this practice.

Based on the unfortunate spread of the virus, and its impact on other college campuses, we knew a confirmed case among our community members was a possibility. And even though there likely will be additional cases reported with increased testing, hearing about the first case among our community is unsettling.

We continue to strongly encourage all community members to monitor their health. If you develop a fever or other symptoms, such as cough or shortness of breath, please isolate yourself and contact a healthcare provider for medical advice.

For the past two months, Juilliard has implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures in all of our spaces, and this continues to be our practice. By following the social distancing policies that are being put in place in New York and around the world, we will do our part to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Please visit our COVID-19 Response webpage for more information on Juilliard’s policies, best practices for staying healthy and links to the State Department, CDC, World Health Organization, and other resources. We will be updating it with developments that may impact our community, and we encourage you to check it regularly.

Please remember that Juilliard has many support resources for college students and employees who may have elevated levels of stress or anxiety related to this situation or who may have family or friends who have been directly impacted. Please see the complete list at the end of this email.

Thank you for your empathy and for all you are doing to keep our school community safe.

Sincerely,
Damian
Damian Woetzel
President
The Juilliard School

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Community Resources:

Counseling Services at (212) 769-3918. Additional support can be found at the Office of Student Affairs (x200 or [email protected]), the Office of International Advisement (x358 or [email protected]), or the Office of Residence Life (x7400 or [email protected]). Remote Medical, PT, OT and Nutrition appointments may be made by calling Health Services at x282 or emailing [email protected].

All Juilliard community members can visit the Assessment and Care Team page for more information on how to assist college students.