Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 public health emergency is an unprecedented public health crisis. As the School of Cinema, we are unable to collaborate face-to-face, nor ambition to complete our work in the way we planned. The priority now is to prevent its spread and to ensure the safety of our faculty, staff, and students.

Faculty are revising and rethinking syllabi so that learning outcomes are met for students to complete courses and seniors to graduate. Students are not supposed to collaborate in person because prolonged face-to-face interaction within close proximity leads to the spread of the virus. Faculty and staff meetings are via Zoom until further notice. The list of remote office hours for faculty will be posted on our website and on campus by Monday, March 16, when the campus puts its classes online. Students will be able to access advising online, via email appointments, iLearn, or Zoom links.

To protect public safety, the facilities of the School of Cinema will be closed beginning March 16. This includes the Equipment Room, Labs, and Sound Stage. To be clear, classes are not able to check out equipment nor access computers in our studios, computer labs, editing suites, equipment room, nor shoot in our stage, as we cannot guarantee effective social distancing and effective cleaning of all equipment and surfaces between each usage. Staff are not to grant access to these spaces; doing so may enable faster spread of COVD-19. Staff will be available via email and phone during normal work hours to support instructional continuity and School operations.

Together, we must galvanize our creativity to accomplish our educational mission and to ensure student graduation. Currently, faculty are working with students under reimagined syllabi as we confront this pandemic. They are ready to accommodate students in various situations and have advocated for their needs.

For students without computers or internet access, the library is open and has 12 computers which support Premiere. They also have laptops for 4-hour check-out though these are not equipped with Premiere. If students are still unable to solve their lack of internet and computers with these resources, faculty will work with them to postpone work or secure incomplete grades.

Thank you for your patience, hard work, and innovation during this exceptional crisis. Please stay alert to any changes to these polices that may be announced due to rapidly occurring developments. Please be well and take good care in these uncertain times.

Celine Shimizu, Director of the School of Cinema