On Friday, March 20, 2020 New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered all nonessential employees in New York State to cease reporting to workplaces. All SVA buildings, except residence halls, were closed on Monday, March 23, at 5:00pm, to everyone but essential employees in security, facilities, office services and Residence Life. All MFA Interaction Design staff, faculty, and students have been working, teaching, and learning remotely since the closure.
At the moment, SVA plans to start the fall semester on September 28, 2020, with in-person classes. Specific details about our reopening will be made available soon. The semester is scheduled to be 12 weeks in length and end on Tuesday, December 22. The spring 2021 semester is scheduled to start on Monday, January 11 and run for 15 weeks.
Upon reopening, SVA will follow government guidelines and best practices in higher education for social distancing, which could include some or all of the following measures: limiting class size, wearing face coverings while inside campus buildings and limiting the size of campus functions and activities in accordance with state and local requirements. Among other health and safety precautions, all classrooms, studios, labs, student lounges, and offices will be sanitized each night.
The College’s leadership is following the guidance of local, state, and federal health authorities in adapting its policies. This page serves as a resource for the SVA community during this ever-evolving and unprecedented global crisis, and is updated as periodically.
