Dear New and Returning Jacobs Students, 

Let me offer a warm welcome to our new students who will matriculate in the fall of 2020 and send my best wishes to you all for a summer that is both productive and restful. We look forward to seeing you in August.

We know that you have many questions about what the fall semester of instruction and performance will look like given the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our faculty and staff have been deeply engaged in finding answers to these questions since the spring semester ended in May, and we are working closely with the university and campus administration to develop a plan for delivering instruction in accordance with the public health guidelines under which Indiana University will be operating.

Many of the general questions you may have about the fall semester are addressed on IU-Bloomington’s Fall 2020 website, and last week, IUB published a detailed Return to Campus guide for all departments.

For those questions specific to the Jacobs School, we are working diligently to develop answers, and we will provide further information very soon on these issues. We understand that some of the most pressing questions concern whether or not instruction, rehearsals, and performances will take place in person, and how we will offer these activities depending on the mode of delivery.

Classroom instruction is being considered in light of the recommendations made by the IU-Bloomington Registrar, and our Scheduling Office is working with our faculty to determine which classes will be offered online in the fall, which will be in person, and which will follow a hybrid model.

The mode of instruction for private lessons will be guided by the preferences of individual studio teachers, in coordination with IU public health guidelines. All new and returning students will receive information on private lessons directly from your studio teacher and/or department chair.

We have convened task forces to develop plans for large ensemble activities, chamber music, and recitals and juries. The large ensemble task force will complete its work and make its recommendations within the next few days, with the chamber music recommendations coming shortly after. We will have plans and procedures for recitals, juries, and Upper Divisional examinations well in advance of the start of the semester.

Our Opera and Ballet Theater activities will follow the recommendations of the large ensemble task force, and our plans for public performances will be made in accordance with IU-Bloomington guidelines on large gatherings in the fall.

We are also developing a system for assigning and scheduling practice room use, aimed at minimizing the number of unique individuals passing through each room on a given day, and we will be working with the campus facilities staff to provide as much cleaning and sanitation support for our shared spaces as possible.

In the coming days, we will share our detailed plans for Fall 2020 and our policies and procedures related to the areas and activities mentioned above. We know that you may also have questions on topics not mentioned above, and we encourage you to ask those questions by writing to jsomdean@indiana.edu.

Thank you,

Jeremy Allen
Eugene O’Brien Bicentennial Executive Associate Dean
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music