Correction: New York City Public Schools remain closed currently until the end of the school year, according to the New York City Department of Education website. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo are currently publicly debating whether or not to close schools until the end of the school year.
All New School classes will be conducted remotely for the rest of the semester, university President David Van Zandt and Provost Tim Marshall announced Monday.
Residence halls will remain open, but students are encouraged to move out unless they need to stay on campus.
The New School’s announcement comes after officials across the tri-state area issued orders Monday shutting down restaurants, bars, nightclubs, movie theaters and concert venues across the region.
Restaurants and bars will be limited to take out and delivery service as early as 8 p.m. Monday night, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Twitter Monday. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced similar measures for New York City.
The measures come as the CDC urged against non-essential travel, and many parts of California have instituted a “shelter-in-place” order according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Mayor de Blasio also shut down city public schools through March 20 in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to a statement made on Sunday.
“Students will begin remote digital learning on Monday, March 23,” and “Beginning March 23, the City will provide supervision to children of healthcare workers, first responders and transit workers,” two texts from Notify NYC read Sunday.
The New York Public Library has closed all 92 of its locations until at least March 31.
The Latest on The New School
“All classes for the remainder of the semester will be conducted online,” stated President Van Zandt in an email announcing the changes..
The four New School residence halls remain open and staffed, but students are being asked to leave if possible. “As an additional step to reduce on-campus activity, we are assisting students who are ready to move out of the residence halls,” the email states.
“Residential Education staff will be communicating with students to help them manage their moves and to be sure that students who need to remain on campus are well supported.” Public communication regarding information on COVID-19 between The New School Housing Office and residents has been posted here.
According to the email, The New School buildings will remain open to students and staff as of now, but hours will be adjusted starting Wednesday, March 18. Staff will continue to work remotely, while all events have been canceled until the end of May.
A decision has yet to be made about Commencement, although the institution will be deciding over the coming weeks.
In-person student services at The New School’s New York City campus will be terminated for the week of March 16-22, the school announced in an email Sunday. These services, including the Financial Aid office and Student Health Services will continue to be in service through digital means such as telephone and email communication, according to the email.
Here is a list of university offices at The New School that will not be providing in-person services this week, according to the email:
- Academic Advising and Career Development (CoPA, Lang, Parsons)
- Academic Standards
- Admission
- Career Development and Experience
- Dean of Students
- Financial Aid
- Housing and Residential Education central office
- HEOP/IOP
- Orientation and Transition Programs
- Registrar
- Scholarship Advising
- Student Accounts
- Student Conduct and Community Standards
- Student Disability Services
- Student Health Services
- Student Leadership and Involvement
- Student Support and Crisis Management
- Student Veteran Services
- Study Abroad
- Title IX
Most offices will operate remotely from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. while the Financial Aid, Registrar, and Student Accounts offices will be open until 6 pm. Students will be able to schedule these appointments through Starfish, The New School’s main scheduling platform.
Student Health Services will offer online appointments that can be scheduled through the Student Health Services portal.
Other New York City universities have also taken measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Fashion Institute of Technology asked students to move out by March 31, in an email sent on Sunday, although the campus will stay open. NYU announced Monday that dorms will close March 22, with all classes being done remotely until at least April 19.
The Pratt Institute is on spring break this week, with next week’s classes canceled and remote classes starting the week of March 30. Students in residence halls are being asked to leave, but the dormitories will remain open. “Residence halls will remain open for students who cannot make alternative arrangements and will remain open through the completion of the semester for those students,” according to the Pratt website.
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