Follow Up: Important Student Info

Dear Students,

As you saw in President Walk’s message to the community this afternoon, the College is transitioning to a state of remote instruction as of Thursday, March 19, 2020. Please read the following message closely, as it includes a great deal of important information regarding the College’s change in operations.

TOMORROW: Wednesday, March 11

• Classes will be held on-campus as regularly scheduled.

Classes are suspended on the following dates to allow for faculty preparation for the transition to teaching remotely. Students do not need to report to class on:

• Thursday, March 12
• Friday, March 13
• Monday, March 16
• Tuesday, March 17

Classes on Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15 will be held as regularly scheduled.

Advisement Day: Wednesday, March 18

• There are no classes due to our normally scheduled Advisement Day for fall registration. Faculty and staff will provide remote (telephonic) advisement to students as much as possible.
• You will receive additional information about this from your faculty advisor in advance.

Remote Instruction

The College will fully transition to remote education delivery starting Thursday, March 19 and continuing through Friday, April 3. All courses will be conducted via electronic channels. Faculty will be in touch regarding specific attendance policies and any specific details related to individual courses.

Over the coming days, faculty teaching in performance and studio based courses will be working to develop solutions for delivering instruction. More information will follow. 

Technology Access, Library Usage, and Blackboard Support

• Students will be expected to fully participate in their courses remotely from Thursday, March 19 through Friday, April 3.
• If you do not have computer or internet access from home, please email studentaffairs@mmm.edu.
• The Library will be available for those students who require equipment and resources in order to support your academics, barring any unforeseen circumstances which would require the College to fully close.
• The reference desk will serve as a resource for all library needs. Please contact at 212-774-4808.

Monitoring Your MMC Email & Staying Connected

• It remains crucial for you to closely monitor your MMC email during this period of remote operation.
• If you have not yet registered for ConnectED, MMC’s emergency notification system, please do so here.
  • If you did not receive a text message notifying you of President Walk’s email to the community yesterday, you are not fully registered for this system and must update your contact information immediately.

Residence Halls

• Residence halls will remain open with no change in operations. This includes during the suspension of classes, during the remote instruction period, and during spring break.
• IMPORTANT: Students who plan to return home during this period should take with them any items essential to carrying on their education from home, such as laptops, textbooks, notebooks, essential papers, etc. Students should also plan to carry home valuables and indispensable items in the event that a sustained period will pass before they are able to retrieve them easily.
• Restricted Visitor Access: Effective Thursday, March 12, MMC students will not be permitted to sign short-term guests (including those with MMC IDs) into any residential facilities, including 55^th Street and Cooper Square. This policy will be in effect until further notice, and applies to both daytime and overnight guests.

Work Study Positions

Further details will be coming tomorrow.

Food Service

• Food service will be available on a reduced schedule. Monitor your MMC email for a message about exact hours of operation.

Dow Zanghi Student Health Center

• The Student Health Center will remain fully operational during this period. Normal hours of operation are:
  • Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays: 10:00am to 6:00pm
• If you develop cold or flu-like symptoms, call the Health Center at 212-759-5870 to report your symptoms and get guidance on any treatment or symptom monitoring that may be necessary. Avoid contact with others if you are ill.

Disability Services & Academic Access

• If you are a student who has registered with the Office of Disability Services or are a member of the Academic Access Program, a staff member will be in touch with you directly to coordinate any accommodations you may require for remote coursework.

What If There’s a Case of COVID-19 at MMC?

• Should a confirmed case of COVID-19 be identified at MMC, the College will close for at least two days to disinfect and thoroughly sanitize any campus location the individual may have accessed. From that point on, the College would work closely with the Department of Health and will follow any and all directives they provide regarding how long the school should remain closed thereafter, providing remote instruction in the interim.
• Any individual who is identified to be a “close contact” of a confirmed case will be instructed to isolate and self-monitor for a period of 14 days to minimize further spread of the virus.
• This plan is, of course, subject to change at any time depending on the current guidance from local, state, and federal health authorities. Please continue to check your MMC email and monitor mmm.edu/coronavirusfor timely updates from the College.

Important Health Reminders:

• If you have any cold or flu-like symptoms, please stay at home and do not come to campus. If you are symptomatic, you should also avoid contact with others and avoid using public transportation.
• If you are symptomatic, please call the Dow Zanghi Health Center at 212-759-5870 to report your symptoms and get guidance on any treatment or symptom monitoring that may be necessary.
• The best tools for prevention of COVID-19 and all respiratory viruses are frequent and thorough handwashingand staying home if you are sick.
• Cleaning Information: A deep cleaning will take place according to the following schedule:
  • Wednesday March 11: Carson Hall, Nugent Hall, Faculty Center, and Martha Graham
  • Thursday, March 12: 55^th Street Residence Hall common areas
  • Friday, March 13: Cooper Square Residence Hall common areas

Please read this information thoroughly. There will be additional follow-up communications over the coming days. If you have any immediate questions, please contact safety@mmm.edu.

Sincerely,

Carol Jackson
Vice President for Student Affairs

Published: March 10, 2020