Block 2 Update

Dear Students,
 
We are incredibly proud of the high health and safety standards demonstrated by the community thus far, and we thank you for your support in these efforts. Throughout Block 1, we have been following governmental guidance and available scientific research, as well as assessing available safety guidelines for private instruction and performance-based work. We have also been tracking the practices and experiences of other schools and performing arts organizations that have already resumed in-person activity so that we may learn from their experiences.
 
After careful planning and consultation with our medical consultants, we have concluded the general activities planned for Block 2 can move forward with appropriate safety precautions in place. While much of what we do will remain online (as previously announced), we will begin adding in-person activities including small ensemble work, individual vocal coachings, performance projects, and in-studio dance and drama classes.
 
The most important element of our plan remains our commitment to each other. To that end, I want to remind everyone of our Community Pledge, which everyone coming to campus for Block 2 will once again be asked to read carefully and agree to follow.
 
Even if you have been in the building for Block 1, please read these updates carefully as some elements are new. This communication will provide information on the following:

Block 2 Activities:

• Guidelines for Approved Activities
• Face Covering and Instrumental PPE Requirements
• Testing Update—including an important update on baseline and routine community testing
• Quarantine Reminder

Building Access:

• Block 2 Building Hours and Access
• Using Space in the Building
• Community Pledge
• NY State Covid Alert App and NY State School Report Card
• Contact Tracing Case Managers

Block 3 Update:

• Quarantine Period Before Block 3
• Travel Reminder

Finally, we want to once again encourage everyone to take full (and safe!) advantage of the fall break. Take a break from zoom, enjoy some physically distanced social time, read a book for pleasure, volunteer online for a cause you care about, or simply get some extra sleep. Self-care is more important now than ever.
 
We can’t wait to see you – whether in person or online – for Block 2.
 
Sincerely,

Adam Meyer
Provost
 
BLOCK 2 ACTIVITIES
 
Guidelines for Approved Activities
 
During Block 2, we will limit the overall Diamond Building density to approximately 25 percent of its use under normal conditions. In addition, each room will be subject to either a maximum occupancy based on social distancing and ventilation guidelines or a maximum number of participants, depending on the specific activity. In addition, each artistic activity will have a maximum length of use allowed, followed by a minimum “rest” period where the room will sit empty to allow any viral particles to settle, then disinfect the rooms. You can find a chart that provides this information here. Each department/division’s artistic and administrative leaders are hard at work planning exciting in-person performance work that will fall within these guidelines.
 
The majority of seminars, practicums, and performance labs will remain fully online in Block 2. This is to reduce building density as well as maximize room availability for core performance activities. Please contact your faculty member or department if you are unsure about whether your class will be in person or online.
 
For music students, lessons will function as they did in Block 1: if both the faculty member and student are comfortable doing so, in person lessons are possible, but space may limit how many lessons are allowed to be in-person. Please see the chart mentioned above for details on individual instruction, especially for singers. Starting in Block 2, in-person accompanists will be allowed assuming all participants are masked and proper social distancing is observed.
 
Practice room usage will continue to be by reservation only, and will be limited to two 2-hour practice sessions per day. Students who can practice at home or in their Residence Hall room should utilize those spaces to save room for those who must practice in the building. Residence Hall students will also have access to practice rooms in the Rose Building.
 
In the coming days, each department or division will reach out with more details about its in-person offerings for Block 2. Questions about performance projects should be directed to your department.

Face Coverings and Instrumental PPE Requirements

As stated in our Community Pledge, face coverings will be required at all times in the building unless you are alone in a private room with the door closed or if you are eating. Only two-ply (minimum) cloth masks or surgical masks will be allowed. Bandanas, neck gaiters, and masks with vents or valves will not be allowed. Masks should fit tightly and cover both the nose and mouth at all times.
 
Wind and brass players who are engaged in in-person lessons or ensemble work will be provided with adapted specialty masks, bell covers, and key bags. One set will be provided at no cost to the student, and additional supplies will be available for purchase. More information about how to obtain these supplies will be provided next week.
 
Testing Update
 
Testing will be a key part of our Block 2 plans. We will require testing in two different but equally important ways:

1. Baseline Testing: Juilliard currently requires that all students and faculty who have in-person interaction with students be tested prior to coming to campus. Important Note: ALL Block 2 participants will again be required to provide a negative COVID diagnostic test dated within 10 days of your first entry (or reentry) to the Juilliard facilities, even if you already had a baseline test for Block 1. Please read the testing section of our website for details, including information about where to get a test and how to submit student test results.

2. Routine Community Testing: We are instituting a pilot program for routine COVID testing of a portion of our on-campus students, faculty, and staff each week during Block 2. These will be self-administered saliva-based tests, which will be collected on campus, with results available within 1-2 days. Each week, a subset of people regularly accessing the building will be selected for testing. Juilliard will pay the costs associated with these tests.
   
   We expect and require that anyone selected for testing will cooperate. Shortly before beginning this program we will share detailed information about how you will be notified you have been selected for routine testing in a given week, a video of how to provide the saliva sample, and instructions about how to drop it off and check results.
   
   If a test comes back positive, the department of health, the school, and the individual will be notified, and appropriate steps will be taken to assist the individual and protect the community.
   
   As a reminder, individuals who test positive for COVID, who are symptomatic, who have been exposed, or who have any other medical concerns, can continue to use the Mount Sinai Patient Navigation service previously announced.
   
   In addition, anyone who is experiencing symptoms or who has been in contact with a COVID-positive person must immediately get tested using a PCR (nasal swab) test. Please be in touch with the appropriate office ([email protected] for students, [email protected] for faculty and staff), and be sure to fill out this form right away to ensure that you get appropriate medical attention and help keep our community safe.
   
   Please know that testing alone is not an effective strategy for preventing the spread of infection; it must work alongside other safety measures, including wearing masks, social distancing, staying out of crowds, frequent hand washing, and general good hygiene and cleaning.
    
3. Flu Shots: Flu shots are now widely available nationwide, and we strongly encourage everyone to receive their flu shot this year. The flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related doctor’s visits each year. Information on flu shot availability for students will be forthcoming from Health Services. While getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, there are many important benefits, including:
   • Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization, and other severe health consequences.
   • Getting a flu vaccine can also save healthcare resources for the care of patients with COVID-19.

Quarantine Reminder

The quarantine rules that applied for Block 1 will continue for those returning in time for Block 2. In addition, all students should be aware of any travel restrictions and quarantine requirements imposed or recommended by the CDC or New York State. New York State’s list of restricted states changes on a near daily basis—Ohio, Michigan, and Virginia were added this week. Should you find you need to adjust your travel plans due to a change in restrictions, please notify your department and they will make accommodations to your schedule to allow for your quarantine. If you are a Residence Hall student and your travel dates change, please also contact [email protected] immediately.

BUILDING ACCESS
 
Block 2 Building Hours and Access:
 
The Diamond Building will be open every day, including Sunday, 8am - 10pm. Community members should only come to the Diamond Building if they have a confirmed room reservation or are scheduled to attend an in-person class, lesson, rehearsal, or other event. Only school-related activities are allowed to take place within the building.
 
Students must first provide the following in order to be approved to enter the Diamond Building:

1. As stated above, ALL Block 2 participants will again be required to provide a negative COVID diagnostic test dated within 10 days of your first entry (or reentry) to the Juilliard facilities, even if you have already done a baseline test for Block 1. Students must electronically send a scan or photo of their negative COVID-19 test result to Student Health Services ([email protected]) or upload it into Medicat (located in OKTA).
   • Residential students who are currently quarantining in the Residence Hall do not need to provide an additional baseline test, as they submitted a Block 2 baseline test prior to beginning quarantine.
2. Please review the Juilliard Community Pledge using this form and confirm you have read and agree to its policies. Please follow this step even if you agreed to the Community Pledge ahead of Block 1.

Once you have completed both of these steps, you will receive an email from [email protected] confirming your approval to access to the building. Please note that it may take 1-2 business days to receive your approval email after submitting your requirements. We encourage you to submit these requirements as soon as possible so that we have time to process all requests.  

Anyone with a confirmed reservation or scheduled in-person class, lesson, or rehearsal in the Diamond Building will be required to complete a health questionnaire prior to entering. This questionnaire asks whether you are currently experiencing any COVID-19-related symptoms. It will be sent to you on the morning of your scheduled activity and you will be required to fill one out each day you’re in the building. Please be sure to fill out the questionnaire and have your QR code ready before entering the building to avoid congestion at the entrance.

In addition, there will be a contactless temperature check and verification of face covering prior to entrance.
 
Using Space in the Building
 
We ask that only those who need to be in the building for approved performance-related work or practice room/studio access come to the building, and that you leave the building when that work is finished.
 
Never enter a room that you are not scheduled to be in as it may be on “room rest.” Residence Hall students should always return to their residence hall room to complete online work.
 
For nonresident students, if you do not have time to commute to an off-campus location to do your online work (in between other scheduled on-campus work), we have designated locations throughout the building where you can go. More information about these locations and their availability will be sent in the coming week.
 
The Library continues to offer its curb-side pickup service, with materials available for pickup (Monday and Friday, 10 am to 4 pm). Limited access to the library reading rooms for study purposes only will be announced soon. A robust collection of electronic resources is available on JUILCAT Plus.
 
Lincoln Center has opened its outdoor spaces for socially distanced use. They have also set aside a designated area exclusively for Juilliard community members. Our space is a weather-protected balcony overlooking Amsterdam Avenue at the plaza level, right behind the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. It is reserved for Juilliard from 8 am to 6 pm, at least through the end of Block 2, except in extreme weather. You can access this area by crossing the President’s Bridge and then walking toward Amsterdam Avenue on the plaza level. There are tables and chairs as well as access to Lincoln Center campus WiFi, so you can enjoy an outdoor break or take an online class. Please be advised that there is no power source in this location, so please be sure your devices are charged beforehand.
 
For indoor eating in the Diamond Building, we have designated spaces in the Peter Jay Sharp Theater Lobby, in the Morse Student Lounge next to the café, and on the third, fourth, and fifth floors along the Broadway windows. Please be considerate of others and limit your stay in these eating areas to 15-20 minutes, and please wipe down the tables and chairs before and after you eat. Always remember to wash your hands before and after eating.
 
Community Pledge
 
Be safe: Review our Community Pledge as well as these safety recommendations from the CDC. When you socialize, do so outside (we do not permit indoor gatherings other than scheduled ensemble rehearsals at this time), properly wear a mask, maintain appropriate physical distancing (6 feet minimum), and wash/sanitize your hands frequently.
 
NY State Covid Alert App and NY State School Report Card
 
New York State has released a new app called COVID Alert NY that allows you to anonymously, privately, and securely track and get notified if you’ve been exposed to someone who tests positive. We recommend each member of the community take a moment to read about this new tool and download the app. You can also track cases at schools throughout New York, including at Juilliard, on the New York State COVID-19 School Report Card.
 
Contract Tracing Case Managers
 
The school has appointed a COVID Response team, which is led by Addie Johnson, our COVID Response Coordinator. If you receive a call from Addie or a Juilliard COVID coordinator, please respond right away and follow the instructions precisely so we can help you keep yourself and our community safe. To aid in this process, please be sure your contact information is up to date in WebAdvisor, including providing your US-based phone number.
 
BLOCK 3 UPDATE
 
Quarantine Period Before Block 3
 
Students who are required to quarantine before the start of Block 3 should plan to travel to New York on or before December 28, which will allow you to finish your quarantine by Sunday, January 10. This means you will complete the first three days of Block 3 (January 6-8) online while in quarantine. Individual departments will accommodate these students as needed. Students living in the Residence Hall will be allowed to complete this quarantine in their Residence Hall room, and should plan to return no earlier than December 28. Residential students who wish to quarantine off-campus will need to provide details on the quarantine location on the travel form. More information will be provided closer to the start of Block 3.
 
Travel Reminder
 
Avoid nonessential travel between now and the end of Block 2, including during the fall and Thanksgiving breaks. If after your initial return to campus, you do travel out of the tristate area (during an academic break, or at any other time this year), you should fill out this form. In addition to requiring all Block 2 on-campus participants to take a baseline test (see Baseline Testing above), any student who chooses to travel away from the tristate area will be required to submit a new negative COVID test result and will be expected to follow New York State guidelines for mandatory quarantines. Please be forewarned that any residential students who choose to travel to states and countries requiring a quarantine upon return will have to quarantine elsewhere as the residence life staff will be fully occupied providing for students who have remained on campus.