Start with Music: CIM Announces Plans for Fall 2020 Semester

In an eagerly anticipated announcement, Cleveland Institute of Music President & CEO Paul W. Hogle and Chief Academic Officer & Dean Judy Bundra, PhD, declared that the Conservatory’s fall 2020 semester will start with music, in person, on Monday, August 10.  

The first two weeks of the new term will focus on performance-related activities – lessons, chamber music, orchestra and opera – that take place in person in spaces adapted for physical distancing requirements. Classroom-based learning will commence on August 24. All performances and in-person instruction will conclude on Friday, November 20; classes will shift online for the final two weeks.  

“This plan prioritizes making music – while observing best-practices in distancing,” said Hogle. “Our students and faculty did amazing things this spring, to ensure that as many musical activities as possible could continue remotely, and I’m so proud of their progress and dedication. But now we must look to the future of classical music, which means returning to campus to resume the musically rigorous education that defines CIM.”  

Bundra added: “Based on what we know today, our Start with Music plan gives students the most performance opportunities possible, as well as creates some safeguards to curtail potential disruptions. The safety of every CIM student, faculty member and employee has been our guiding principle throughout this health crisis, and we continue to consider every decision through that lens.”  

To prepare CIM’s campus, a variety of measures are being put in place, including: application of a medical-grade disinfection treatment that provides six months of protection from the transmission of 99.9% of germs and viruses on treated surfaces (read more); additional cleaning focused on commonly touched surfaces, in addition to the regular nightly building cleaning; building and installing clear plastic shields for offices, studios, security desks and classrooms; and installing additional permanent hand sanitizer stations throughout the building. Additional preparations will be made in the coming weeks; follow cim.edu/return-to-campus/safety-measures for details.  

Students and employees will be required to wear facial coverings in all shared spaces on campus (with specific exceptions for wind players), as well as maintain appropriate physical distancing and complete a daily self-assessment of possible symptoms of infection. At this time, access to CIM’s campus is limited to CIM ID holders only, other than a small number of vendors and contractors, in order to promote a healthy campus community. 

CIM has not yet determined when audience members will be welcome on campus for performances or when the Preparatory & Continuing Education division will resume in-person instruction. Announcements will be made when more information is available, but is expected in the coming weeks. 

CIM contracts with campus partner Case Western Reserve University for student health and mental health services; CWRU has committed to providing safe, isolated housing for students of CWRU, CIM and the Cleveland Institute of Art who are diagnosed with COVID-19. 

More details about CIM’s Start with Music plan are available at cim.edu/return-to-campus.