Montserrat’s Reopening Featured In Boston Globe

Students at Beverly art college take community pledge to stay safe

By Andrew Stanton Globe Correspondent,Updated September 22, 2020

Nearly 360 students returned to Montserrat College of Art in Beverly this semester.

Photo: Sarina Green

Nearly 360 students returned to Montserrat College of Art this semester, signing a community pledge to keep others safe by following health guidelines, school officials said.

The students returned to an expanded campus to allow social distancing, the college said in a statement Monday.

The pledge requires students to adhere to the college’s COVID-19 guidelines, such as wearing a face covering inside and outside and following social distancing requirements.

”We are a community and there is an expectation that we will ALL work together to keep our community safe,” the pledge reads. “Everyone has a role to remind community members about the policies.”

In addition to signing the community pledge, students are required to report their health status everyday through an app, which allows them to attend classes, the statement said. All faculty, staff, and students who returned tested negative for COVID-19.

Community members are required to wear masks and follow safety measures ordered by Beverly, where the college is located, the statement said.

Montserrat has also increased cleaning and will remain in touch with the Beverly Health Department to ensure safety guidelines are being observed, the statement said.

“Our first priority is to keep our community safe while allowing students to continue their path to graduation,” Montserrat President Dr. Kurt T. Steinberg said in the statement.

Twenty percent of classes will be taken online, school officials said. Some students are opting for more online classes, while others are choosing more in-person options. Every student met with an academic affairs staff member to ensure their course schedules fit their needs.

The college is participating in a state-wide college testing program and will continue testing as the semester progresses, the statement said.

Students will be living in small groups in Montserrat’s apartment-style housing with kitchens, and additional residence halls are being rented to allow for more distanced spaces, the statement said. Montserrat also partnered with The Cabot to hold classes in its theatre.

The college may hold online classes open to the public later in the fall, but in-person classes will not be offered to the public , the statement said. The public galleries will launch several new shows this semester, which can be viewed in person by appointment.

See the Boston Globe Article here