A Message from President Kurt

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021

Dear Montserrat Community,

Happy New Year! I hope you all are enjoying your Winter Break and using this time to recharge and put your creativity to good use. The Fall Semester taught us a lot, and we’re ready to have the same success this Spring.

We currently intend to start Spring Semester classes, as planned, on January 25th. However, with COVID cases on the rise as we come down from the holiday surge, we have decided that all Studio and Liberal Arts classes will be taught remotely for the first two weeks of the term (January 25th – February 5th).

Although classes will be taught remotely to begin the semester, studios, labs and shops may be open with restrictions. For the beginning of the Spring 2021 semester ‘open’ classrooms in Hardie can be accessed once a student is out of quarantine. Specialized spaces that require a monitor including Printmaking, Photo, Sculpture and the Fabrication Lab are scheduled to open during the week of February 1st. Senior spaces will open the end of the last week of January. Additional information is available in the ‘Studio Access’ section below.

We have also implemented a revised academic calendar for the Spring, which removes the Spring Break in a further effort to keep our community safe. (Several days off from classes have been sprinkled throughout the term so that students still get the breaks that they need.)

We are planning a safe return of students to campus to ensure we can have everyone tested in order to start the semester on the right track. This update will outline our plan to safely open the campus for the Spring semester and remind everyone of the protocols in place. As always, we continue to monitor all of the guidance from public health and government officials and will be ready to pivot as needed.

Be well,

President Kurt

RESOURCES
Academic Access Studio  Meagan Grant
Writing Center  Colleen Michaels
Financial Aid  Joanne Rakoc
Library Services   Cheri Coe
Student Affairs   Maureen Wark
Technology Services  cts@montserrat.edu
Health Services  sheryl.max@montserrat.edu
Registrar  theresa.skelly@montserrat.edu

… … …

INTRODUCTION

Testing

One of the many efforts Montserrat College of Art is undertaking to help keep the community safe and healthy is to offer on-campus COVID-19 testing. Montserrat is working with the Safe for Schools Program with the Broad Institute for this testing program.

We are requiring COVID-19 testing for all students, faculty and staff who will be living/studying/working on campus prior to the start of classes. Those members of the community who will be studying and working completely remotely do not need to be tested since they will not be returning to campus.

Commuter students, residents who are currently on campus, faculty and staff can be tested on campus on Wednesday, January 20th and Thursday, January 21st from 10am – 3pm. You do not need to ‘schedule’ an appointment, but it would be helpful to know if you are planning to come for testing on those days. Please complete this brief form (3 questions!) so that we can plan accordingly: https://form.jotform.com/210116087797056

Resident students will be tested upon arrival for move-in. Move-in will be by appointment on January 23rd and January 24th, like in the fall. Each resident student will receive an email by Friday, January 15th with instructions on how to schedule a move-in time. Everyone moving in will need to get their COVID test upon arrival to campus, before moving in. Each resident may bring one person to help them move-in.

MONTSERRAT SURVEILLANCE COVID-19 TESTING PROGRAM OVERVIEW

In addition to the start of classes testing, surveillance testing for COVID-19 will continue to be conducted throughout the spring semester for the community.

Please note, this testing program is for individuals without symptoms of COVID-19. Any individual with any symptoms of COVID-19 should remain home and follow up with their medical practitioner for testing and complete isolation. If a student is symptomatic of COVID-19 during the registration process, they will be directed to return home and will need to submit documentation of testing and clearance from isolation before returning to campus.

Initial Surveillance COVID-19 testing will be done on campus. Resident students must quarantine until a negative test result is received.

COVID-19 Testing procedure for the start of the semester:

On all testing days, masks and social distancing are required.
Commuting students, faculty and staff will be tested on January 20 and January 21st. An email with details will be sent by January 15th.
Resident students will be tested upon return to campus on January 23rd and January 24th, by appointment. Details will be sent via email by January 15th.
Everyone being tested will be given verbal instructions on the process and on receiving results.
At check-in, each participant will confirm their name, date of birth and phone number.
For the spring semester, there is no need to sign a consent form unless you are new to the process. New students under the age of 18 are required to have a consent form for testing completed by a parent or guardian.
Once checked in, the participant will receive a test tube with a barcoded label on it and be directed to the next station. The Participant will proceed to the next station to blow their nose and sanitize their hands.
Participants will then move to the self-swab testing station. The Montserrat Health Director or designee will observe the participant performing the self nasal swab and ensure that proper technique is being followed. During testing, the testing staff and participants will remain 6 ft apart and wear face masks, and will be separated by a plexiglass barrier as a safety precaution.
AT THE START OF THE SEMESTER ONLY, each participant must quarantine after taking the test. Residential students will proceed to move into their assigned apartments and begin quarantine until their COVID test results are received. Masks should be worn by everyone in the apartment until everyone in the apartment receives a negative test result. Commuting students, faculty and staff will return home and await their COVID test results.

TESTING RESULTS:

Testing results will be reported within 24 to 48 hours via CareEvolve, which is the webportal used by BROAD testing program. Participants will be sent an email from CareEvolve with a link for registration into the system, which allows you access to your results.
Only negative results will be reported to participants. Positive results will be sent to the campus Health Office, as well as to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Beverly Department of Health. You will be contacted via telephone at the phone number you enter during testing registration if you have a positive result.

ON-GOING SURVEILLANCE TESTING

Based on updated guidance from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Montserrat will be performing COVID testing approximately every 10 days during the spring semester. The testing schedule will be released during the first week of the semester. This testing will be mandatory for all resident students and available to those who fall under the ‘highest risk’ category:

Highest risk: Residential students and individuals with high contact hours with residential students. Individuals with limited contact hours with residential students who have medically defined risk factors for severe COVID illness.

Monthly surveillance testing will continue to be offered for those community members who fall into the ‘medium or low risk’ categories, as defined here:

Medium risk: Nonresidential individuals who commute to campus, have limited contact hours with residential students, and work in environments with appropriate protocols to limit the spread of infection.

Low risk: Staff who commute to campus who have little or no contact with students and others working in environments with appropriate protocols to limit the spread of infection.

IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS OF COVID and/or WERE IN CLOSE CONTACT OF SOMEONE WHO TESTED POSITIVE: Anyone who indicates that they are experiencing any symptoms or that they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID should reach out to COVID-19@montserrat.edu IMMEDIATELY so that there can be a follow-up conversation with the Health Director.

DAILY SYMPTOM CHECK:

Every community member is REQUIRED to use a free symptom checker app called CampusClear for daily checks, etc. This symptom checker can help to identify an individual who needs to be in quarantine or if medical follow up care is necessary. The app usage is checked daily. The app is CampusClear and you can download it now so that now you can get used to incorporating this task into your daily routine! There is also a web version.

Apple AppStore: https://apps.apple.com/app/campusclear/id1516163872
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.campusclear
Web app: https://ivy.ai/app/campusclear

This app does not use GPS.

Cleaning of Campus

We have added weekend cleaning and sanitizing of Hardie, 248 Cabot St and 301 Cabot St to the schedule. We continue to follow CDC guidelines in terms of process and products purchased.

Out-of-State Travel Guidance

Please consult the Mass.gov website for UP-TO-DATE travel information. At this writing, the Commonwealth is identifying only 1 ‘low-risk’ state (Hawaii), but this could change. If you are coming from a low-risk state, you do not need to do anything other than what is stated above in the ‘Testing’ section. If you are coming from a ‘high risk’ state, you must follow all guidance on this page: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order#lower-risk-states-.

If you are travelling back to campus via plane, train or bus, you will be tested on campus upon arrival for the spring semester and again 5 days later. A negative test result ONLY from the on-campus test will cancel the need for the 14 day travel quarantine. More details will be provided as the testing period gets closer.

FOR STUDENTS

Academic Schedules

It was an important part of the Spring 2021 course registration process that students had choices in the classes they selected AND in the way they chose to take classes. It is our intention to honor all of those choices in the best way possible. Should students need to make adjustments in their schedules because their own personal circumstances have changed, please contact Laura Ives, the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, by emailing laura.ives@monttserrat.edu. If Montserrat is required to adjust any of its plans because of the ongoing pandemic, students will be contacted as quickly as possible.

Students may also contact Alex Carley, the Academic Affairs Coordinator, to set up a call regarding their classes or any other class related issues by emailing alexandra.carley@montserrat.edu or calling 978-921-4242 ext. 1602.

Out-of-Class Studio Access

A list of workspaces will be provided at the beginning of the semester where commuter and resident students may access a remote class from somewhere on campus. In addition, ‘open’ studios will be available in the evenings and on the weekends. Resident students will be permitted to do some studio work in their apartments.

Specialized spaces that require a monitor, including Printmaking, Photo, Sculpture and the Fabrication Lab, are scheduled to open during the week of February 1st. Senior spaces will open the end of the last week of January. Restricted areas may be accessed before those times to retrieve materials and supplies by making an appointment M-F 11:00 am-12:10 pm with the relevant Technicians and Staff.

Fabrication Lab: Winslow Funaki winslow.funaki@montserrat.edu
Printmaking and Photography: Joe Saunders joseph.saunders@montserrat.edu
Sculpture: Holly Kelly holly.kelly@montserrat.edu
Senior Workspaces: Stacy Thomas-Vickory stacy.thomas-vickory@montserrat.edu

TUESDAY, December 15, 2020

TUESDAY, December 15, 2020

Dear Campus Community,

I would like to thank each of you for helping to achieve our goal of a complete – and healthy – fall semester! It was the entire community following all of the guidelines – mask wearing, hand washing, social distancing, participating in surveillance testing, etc – that got us through the entire semester with only one COVID case on campus. The winter break comes at a great time for our community to rest and catch our breath. I hope that you all have a chance to enjoy it.

It is our intention to begin Spring Semester classes, as planned, on January 25th. Until we all have access to a vaccine and the pandemic is under control, Montserrat will continue to operate in very similar ways to Fall 2020. The good news is that we have just proven to ourselves that our system is effective in keeping you all learning and keeping the community safe.

This update will outline the plan to safely open the campus for the spring semester and remind everyone of the protocols currently in place. Should the safety conditions in our community require us to take more drastic actions (including the possibility of delaying the start of classes), an announcement will be made during the first week of January, 2021. At that time, we expect to have a better sense of trends here in Beverly and in Massachusetts. We continue to monitor all of the guidance from public health and government officials.

Be well,

President Kurt

RESOURCES
Academic Access Studio  Meagan Grant
Writing Center  Colleen Michaels
Financial Aid  Joanne Rakoc
Library Services   Cheri Coe
Student Affairs   Maureen Wark
Technology Services  cts@montserrat.edu
Health Services  sheryl.max@montserrat.edu
Registrar  theresa.skelly@montserrat.edu

… … …

INTRODUCTION

Testing

We are asking everyone to get tested for the virus within 72 hours/3 days of coming to campus for the semester. You must present a NEGATIVE PCR test result in order to come to campus. A rapid test result will not be accepted. IF YOU CAN NOT get a test within 72 hours/3 days of coming to campus, you will be tested on campus, at no cost.

Commuter students, faculty and staff can be tested on campus the week before classes begin. Those dates will be noted in the early January announcement.

Resident students will be tested upon arrival for move-in. Move-in and testing will be by appointment. An update will be provided in the early January announcement.

MONTSERRAT SURVEILLANCE COVID-19 TESTING PROGRAM OVERVIEW

In addition to the start of classes testing, surveillance testing for COVID-19 will continue to be conducted throughout the spring semester for the community.

Please note, this testing program is for individuals without symptoms of COVID-19. Any individual with any symptoms of COVID-19 should remain home and follow up with their medical practitioner for testing and complete isolation. If a student is symptomatic of COVID-19 during the registration process, they will be directed to return home and will need to submit documentation of testing and clearance from isolation before returning to campus

Initial Surveillance COVID-19 testing can be conducted:

By providing a negative test PCR result within 72 hours/3 days of move in or return to campus or
By being tested on campus upon arrival to campus, before moving into campus housing, attending in person classes or returning to work on campus.

COVID-19 Testing Check-In Procedure:

Students, faculty and staff will be assigned a testing date and time frame prior to arrival on campus. Testing participants will be provided with self nasal swab instructions prior to testing date for review.
Testing participants will visit the campus testing collection site on their assigned date. Participants will be required to wear a face mask and maintain 6ft social distance from others at all times while at the testing site, e.g. while waiting in line, checking in, etc.
Participants will be provided with written instructions for self nasal swabbing and result reporting.
Participants will confirm that their name, date of birth, and phone number when checking in at the test site. Students under the age of 18 will be required to have a consent form for testing completed and signed by a parent or guardian.
Commuter students will need to provide their LOCAL address, at check-in, for testing and tracking purposes.
Once checked in, the participant will receive a test tube with a barcoded label on it and be directed to the next station. 6a. Participant will blow their nose and sanitize their hands at the next station.
Participants will then move to the self-swab testing station. The Montserrat Health Director or designee will observe the participant performing the self nasal swab and ensure that proper technique is being followed. During testing, the testing staff and participants will remain 6 ft apart and wear face masks, and will be separated by a plexiglass barrier as a safety precaution.

AT THE START OF SEMESTER ONLY:

Following testing, residential students will proceed to move into their assigned apartments and begin quarantine until their COVID test results are received. Commuting students, faculty and staff will return home and await their COVID test results.
Testing results will be reported within 24 to 48 hours via CareEvolve, which is the webportal used by BROAD testing program. Participants will be sent an email from CareEvolve with a link for registration into the system, which allows you access to your results.
Only negative results will be reported to participants. Positive results will be sent to the campus Health Office, as well as to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Beverly Department of Health. You will be contacted via telephone at the phone number you enter during testing registration if you have a positive result.

ON-GOING SURVEILLANCE TESTING

Based on updated guidance from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Montserrat will be performing COVID testing approximately every 10 days during the spring semester. This testing will be mandatory for all resident students and available to those who fall under the ‘highest risk’ category:

Monthly surveillance testing will continue to be offered for those community members who fall into the ‘medium or low risk’ categories, as defined here:

Low risk: Staff who commute to campus who have little or no contact with students and others working in environments with appropriate protocols to limit the spread of infection.

DAILY SYMPTOM CHECK:

Every community member is REQUIRED to download – and use – a free symptom checker app for daily checks, etc. This symptom checker can help to identify an individual who needs to be in quarantine or if medical follow up care is necessary. Anyone who indicates that they are experiencing any symptoms or that they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID should reach out to COVID-19@montserrat.edu so that there can be a follow-up conversation with the Health Director. The app usage is checked daily. The app is CampusClear and you can download it now so that now you can get used to incorporating this task into your daily routine! There is also a web version.

CampusClear 4+

Apple AppStore: https://apps.apple.com/app/campusclear/id1516163872
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.campusclear
Web app: https://ivy.ai/app/campusclear

This app does not use GPS.

Cleaning of Campus

We have added weekend cleaning and sanitizing of Hardie, 248 Cabot St and 301 Cabot St to the schedule. We continue to follow CDC guidelines in terms of process and products purchased.

Out-of-State Travel Guidance

Please consult the Mass.gov website for UP-TO-DATE travel information. At this writing, the Commonwealth is identifying only 1 ‘low-risk’ state, but this could change. If you are coming from one of those states, you do not need to do anything other than what is stated above in the ‘Testing’ section. If you are coming from a ‘high risk’ state, you must follow all guidance on this page: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order#lower-risk-states-

If you are coming from a ‘high risk’ state, you will be tested on campus upon arrival for the spring semester and again 5 days later. A negative test result ONLY from the on-campus test will cancel the need for the 14 day travel quarantine. More details will be provided as the testing period gets closer.

FOR STUDENTS

Academic Schedules

It was an important part of the Spring 2021 course registration process this Fall that students had choices in the classes they selected AND in the way they chose to take classes. It is our intention to honor all of those choices in the best way possible. Should students need to make adjustments in their schedules because their own personal circumstances have changed, please contact Laura Ives, the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, by emailing laura.ives@monttserrat.edu. If Montserrat is required to adjust any of its plans because of the ongoing pandemic, students will be contacted as quickly as possible.

Out-of-Class Studio Access

A list of workspaces will be provided at the beginning of the semester where commuter and resident students may access a remote class from somewhere on campus. In addition, there will be some outdoor space and ‘open’ studios available in the evenings and on the weekends. Resident students will be permitted to do some studio work in their apartments.

CAMPUS LIFE

Residence Halls

After the January announcement, resident students will be requested to submit their preferred move-in day and time. Each student will have a one hour block to get tested and to move in. Each student may bring one helper with them to move back into their residence hall and all protocols must be followed.

Dr. Kurt T. Steinberg | President
23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915 | 978.921.4242 x1110

FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2020 - PRESIDENT’S FALL REOPENING MESSAGE

PRESIDENT’S REOPENING MESSAGE

FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2020

Dear Montserrat Community Members,

After a preview last week of our fall reopening, please see the Montserrat College of Art Fall 2020 Campus Reopening Plan. This document is an introduction to the plans currently in place to create a healthy and safe place to learn, teach, study, live and work. We will continue to monitor the updates and changes to regulations being formulated by public health and government officials. This document will be updated as details are added and if guidance needs to be modified based on information from our consultants and official public health sources.

Over the next few months, this information will be shared again and again. We are living through an unprecedented moment, constantly learning new things, and frequently having to remind ourselves that things are not going to be exactly like they were in the past. There are many new behaviors we’ll have to learn and relearn. Through it all, I know that Montserrat will continue to be the very human and empathetic place it has always been. No matter the future, you can be assured that we will still be committed to ensuring that all of us will stay committed to our creative lives.

Most Sincerely,
President Kurt

RESOURCES
Academic Access Studio  Meagan Grant
Writing Studio Colleen Michaels
Financial Aid  Joanne Rakoc
Library Services   Cheri Coe
Student Affairs   Maureen Wark
Technology Services  cts@montserrat.edu
Health Services  sheryl.max@montserrat.edu

July 3, 2020

Hello Everyone:

This is an important link to a YouTube Interview with some key members of the staff working hard on preparing the campus for a safe and healthy return of Faculty, Students and Staff.

It is 30 minutes of great information done as a panel Question and Answer format. We will not cover everything but I think it brings into focus a lot of the efforts being planned and actively worked on as the Summer turns into Fall.

Our initial guidance will be posted on the website and distributed to you on July 10. This is a preview of our thinking so far and introducing some of the people dedicating themselves to the important planning.

Here is the link.

Please take the time to view it and look out for the more comprehensive guidance on July 10.

Be well.
President Kurt

June 12, 2020

FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2020

Dear Montserrat Faculty and Staff,

We are thrilled to announce that we are planning to resume on-campus, in-person classes as scheduled, in late August. We are eager to start a new academic year with both new and returning students.

Things will be different, in the classrooms, studio spaces and residence halls, with social distancing and new health and safety guidelines, but we are excited to be able to welcome our community back to Beverly!

The ‘official’ reopening of campus and academic year kickoff is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 27 when we are planning for the faculty and staff to meet and celebrate where we have been, and discuss how we are moving forward for the fall semester. (This will be online if we can’t meet physically.)

We are spending these next few months ensuring the cleanliness of campus through the use of many new tools and protocols, and everyone on campus will be provided with new guidelines to follow to ensure health and safety going forward.

All summer programs are being offered remotely to allow more time for cleaning, planning and preparing for the fall semester. They include Pre-College, STEAM and the Art Educator’s Workshop.

We are expecting to welcome back new and returning students to campus Aug. 28-Sept 1, using a staggered approach with appointments.

To comply with social distancing, the college is making changes to physical spaces in residence halls, classrooms and studios, which will be outlined in more detail as we are provided with more guidance from our public health offices and government officials. We will send more detailed information to you in July.

The faculty, staff and students were amazing at pivoting to online learning last spring and we will be prepared, should the need arise, to consider all options if future conditions warrant that.

I am happy to report that the admissions office has met its enrollment goals for the fall and that our retention numbers for returning students are very strong!

The last year will certainly be one to remember but my biggest takeaway is how proud I am to be a part of this community. I am looking forward to seeing everyone back on campus!

Sincerely,

President Kurt