CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Institute of Art announced it will open its education building and residential halls for the fall 2020 semester with some safeguards in place to protect students and staff.
"I'm proud of the work we did in spring to keep art and design education on track during the COVID-19 health emergency," CIA President Grafton Nunes said in a statement. "Now it's crucial that we move forward in a way that supports safety while allowing students access to the full CIA experience."
Nunes said plans are still underway but some of the requirements will include wearing masks in common areas, maintaining 6-foot social distance and taking temperatures before entering school buildings.
There will be increased cleaning of high-touch surfaces, installation of physical barriers and room capacity reductions.
In terms of classroom work, there will likely be a mix of some online work along with studio experience.
Residence hall policies will require students to wear masks when they are not in their individual suites. There are about 300 students who live in CIA’s Uptown and Euclid 117 residence halls. Unlike traditional college dormitories, which often require dozens of students to share a common bathroom, the halls are configured more like apartments.
“We recognize that this will feel a little different, but as a community, we will all be expected to do our part to minimize risk,” Director of Student Life + Housing Matthew Smith said.
