Messages to the Community

Coronavirus Preparedness and Response

This is to provide the Faculty with the most up-to-date information about the ways the university administration is responding to and preparing for the possible impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the New School community. It is important to remember that the university is open, classes are in session and all university operations and policies, including those pertaining to absences, are in force. Faculty who have particular issues or who are aware of students who have particular issues related to university policies should contact their respective dean’s office.

This is a rapidly evolving situation which is naturally causing great concern, and the extent to which it may impact the university is unknown. We are paying close attention and actively preparing for a range of possible contingencies. The global situation is changing rapidly, and specific plans are not yet fully formed. Please continue to check your text and email messages as well as The New School webpage on a regular basis. 

Our planning is focused on the following broad concerns: 

1. Keeping our community informed: Helping everyone to have facts and resources, and to understand the university’s contingency plans
   
2. Caring for our students: Providing additional support where needed
   
3. Carrying forward teaching and learning: Even if there is a disruption to traditional on-campus classes
   
4. Maintaining critical operations and services: Including making contingency plans should there be a period where the campus is closed
   
5. Helping our faculty and staff understand the implications: Responsibilities and resources for managing through a disruption in normal activities
   
6. Understanding potential longer-term implications: Including planned public programming, summer and fall terms, and study and research abroad

The President has formed a Steering Group to guide preparedness and action plans at the highest level. This group will be meeting daily; subgroups are focusing on plans in specific areas. 

Immediate Steps for Faculty
After health and safety, our highest priority is insuring continuity of teaching and learning. Should our campus be closed or regular classes become disrupted, remote instruction may allow us to complete the semester in many, though not all, classes. The Provost, deans and faculty, in partnership with IT, are quickly developing plans focused on strategies using available technologies to connect faculty and students. 

To this end, we would ask every faculty member to consider how it would be possible to deliver their class curriculum if face-to-face instruction becomes disrupted. Should a disruption occur, consider using Zoom to run the class from a remote location or using Canvas as a way to incorporate various media, video, discussions and the sharing or course materials to meet learning outcomes. Here is a brief technical overview. We are arranging for maximum available IT support should any of these instructional modes become necessary. 

In addition, for classes for which group presentations, collaborative work, or work where specialized on-campus facilities are required, we ask that you consider rescheduling these activities to earlier in the semester than originally planned wherever feasible. 

Decisions regarding student and faculty travel are becoming increasingly pressing. We are currently reviewing this very complex issue and will send a separate communication addressing it in a couple of days. In the meanwhile, we should all be cognizant of CDC guidelines which currently recommend no non-essential travel to Level 3 countries (currently China, Iran, South Korea, Italy) as well as avoidance of travel for those at risk to Level 2 countries (currently Japan).

We are continuously monitoring the situation and staying abreast of CDC and NY Department of Health updates, evolving national and local trends, and practices at other higher education institutions. In addition to information posted on the webpage, we will be sending an email update weekly. We encourage you to be in conversation with your students, peers, and school leadership to share ideas and concerns. 

We are grateful to every member of The New School community for their patience and contributions as we work to address the evolving situation.