Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information

Watch a video message from Berklee President Roger H. Brown. 

Watch a video message from Cathy Young for the Conservatory community.

Student Survey

Schedule Reminder for the Boston Campus

• No classes will be held on Monday, April 20.
• Wednesday, April 22 is an alternate class day and will follow a Monday class schedule.

Based on information provided by health and government authorities relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to deliver the college’s summer semester through remote instruction. While we are all looking forward to getting back to our physical campus, we are committed to supporting you and enabling you to progress toward graduation as planned.

Below you’ll find important information about the summer semester and registration for both the summer and fall 2020 semesters.

Summer Semester

• Summer semester for undergraduates begins May 26, 2020.
• Courses, including private instruction, will be delivered remotely by Berklee faculty, who are committed to providing powerful learning experiences in this context.
• This remote summer semester experience will include many of the same benefits and services that are offered as part of our traditional campus experience, including institutional scholarship support, academic advising and tutoring, and career services, along with an expanded catalog of courses, selected to help you progress in your academic program.
• Tuition for the summer will be about a quarter less than the traditional on-campus summer tuition, for a total cost of $15,000 for full-time study. We have achieved this reduction in tuition by taking a few important measures. We have pared down the course catalog by about 25 percent, focusing specifically on those courses needed by the largest number of students to progress toward graduation. Additionally, we will utilize Berklee Online course materials for several classes.
• Students who have been awarded institutional scholarships will maintain their funding at the same percentage rate. This means that if your original scholarship award covered 20 percent of tuition, it will continue to cover 20 percent of this lower cost of tuition. Additionally, Student Financial Services will support students who are eligible for federal financial aid in seeking that aid for the summer term.
• Students also have the option to study directly with Berklee Online, where summer term tuition is about $7,500 for 15 credits. The Berklee Online summer semester starts on June 29 and ends on September 20. Please note the following with the Berklee Online option: There is a two-week overlap between the Berklee Online summer semester and the college fall semester; the Berklee Online course catalog is smaller; institutional scholarships and federal financial aid for Berklee Online study are limited; and the student services offered to our remote learners in the 12-week summer semester are not available to students exclusively taking Berklee Online classes.

Registration

• Registration for summer and fall 2020 will begin April 15.
• The registration process will remain the same as it was in previous semesters:
  • College students will register through my.berklee.edu. Fall course offerings for the college can be found by logging into my.berklee.edu, selecting "Browse Classes" in the Registration section, and then selecting “Fall Term.” Summer courses offered at the college are currently being updated and will be available no later than Wednesday, April 8.
  • Conservatory students will register through Self-Service. Fall course offerings for the Conservatory can be found here.
• Students will receive an email from the Office of the Registrar by Wednesday, April 8 with details about their assigned registration times, the updated summer course offerings and registration guide, and advising resources.

International Students

We continue to closely monitor information from the government about the impact of summer term enrollment on international students’ F-1 status. Updates and details will be posted on the ISS Coronavirus (COVID-19) page as they are available.

Update from Roger H. Brown

Update from Cathy Young

Career Services

To support students in their career and artistic development wherever they are, all Career Center services are now available virtually. Students can access virtual career advising and walk-ins, complete the internship seminar, and participate in virtual events. Read about offerings for Boston students and Valencia students.

CARES Act 

The CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020), signed into law on Friday, March 27, 2020, helps provide financial stability and relief for individuals and businesses affected by COVID-19. The legislation is very broad and impacts a range of industries and policies, including your benefits. Read about updates to your benefits (login required), including flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA), and your retirement account.

Requests to Reverse Course Withdrawals

Students who withdrew from a course before the pass/no-credit grading option was announced this spring may wish to re-enroll. First, please speak with your academic advisor and/or the instructor of the course. Next, you will be asked to file the petition to the committee for registrar standards and policy to make a formal request. The Office of the Registrar will ask the instructor to determine whether the student can rejoin the course. If amenable, the request will be granted. Note that if you withdrew from a course before March 11, the date remote instruction was announced, you will not be considered for re-enrollment.

Remote Learning Etiquette  

Now that we’ve moved to a remote learning format, it’s important to maintain the same standards of behavior that you would follow in a physical classroom. Review Berklee's remote learning etiquette and guidelines for best practices for communicating in live classes, email, and discussion forums. 

Temporary Changes to Grading Policies and Extension of Withdrawal Deadline

In response to the extraordinary circumstances brought about by COVID-19, Berklee will offer the following grading options for the spring 2020 semester. Please note that these are temporary adjustments to the grading policy.

• This semester, all Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee faculty will assign letter grades per normal and with the same deadline, Thursday, May 14.  

• Students receiving grades A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, or D can choose whether to keep the letter grade or request a “pass” (P) grade. Those receiving a grade of F can choose “no credit: (NC). P and NC grades will not impact a student’s GPA. They will, however, be treated as attempted credits for the purpose of calculating completion rate and, as such, may affect a student’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standing. International students’ F-1 status will not be affected by choosing the P/NC option.  

• With the exception of certain courses (such as those where grades are required for certification or licensure, and certain graduate-level courses), students can choose this option for any or all of their spring 2020 courses. A full list of courses not eligible for P/NC grades will be made available soon.  

• Students will have one week to decide if they’d like to choose the P/NC option for each class. Grades are due May 14, so students must indicate they’d like the P/NC option by May 21. Details about how to do this will be shared by the Office of the Registrar in the upcoming weeks.

• Latin honors at both the College and Conservatory will be calculated as usual using the student’s cumulative GPA. (See respective College and Conservatory policies.)

Additionally, we understand that due to the transition to online classes and other changes to your learning experience this spring, you may need additional time to make decisions about your courses. Therefore, we are extending the deadline to withdraw from a spring 2020 course to Friday, May 1, at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

The process to withdraw from a course has not changed. You must submit a withdrawal from courses form by the May 1 deadline. You will then receive a grade of “W” for that course. Please consult your academic advisor for guidance in making this decision and considering it in the context of the P/NC option now available.

Our hope is that these temporary changes will help you navigate this difficult time. We appreciate the dedication demonstrated by our faculty, staff, and students, and look forward to seeing everyone in person again as soon as possible. Until then, we remain steadfast in our commitment to you, our creative, collaborative network of artists and musicians.

Commencement 2020

Berklee will recognize seniors’ accomplishments with a virtual commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 9, and continue the tradition of a collaborative music, dance, and theater tribute on commencement eve, Friday, May 8.

View information about commencement for Berklee College of Music's Boston campus, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and Berklee Online.

Updated Practices for Community Notifications

Berklee will continue to notify students and essential staff on campus if they might have been in contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 or presumed positive, but will not trace contacts of new cases among community members who are now off campus. Please continue to report your symptoms and diagnoses so Berklee can provide you with support and resources.

Learn more about community notifications.

#BerkleeAnywhere 

As a Berklee student, you have access to a host of services, programs, and events designed to support your academic and artistic pursuits, career preparation, and overall wellness. Now you can continue to access them from wherever you are. 

Introducing #BerkleeAnywhere: Your Guide to Accessing Services and Staying Connected. Explore this page to learn how you can access student services, find emergency funding and support options, attend virtual events, and more.  

We encourage you to share the projects you’ve been working on and photos of your current workspace with the hashtag #berkleeanywhere. 

The following message went out to Boston students today. A similar message went to Valencia undergraduate and graduate students with Valencia-specific information.

As you resume your classes this week, we wanted to remind you that we are committed to making sure you get the support you need to focus on your education, creative and artistic development, and overall wellness. 

Here are some highlights of the resources available to you.

Academic Support

Library Services and Resources

Contact the library by submitting the Ask Us webform, through the library’s “Ask Us Live” online chat, or by emailing askalibrarian@berklee.edu. The library team aims to respond within 24 hours.

• Web conferencing software assistance: schedule an appointment with a peer trainer.
• Finding and accessing online library materials: for assistance with papers, projects, and class assignments, you can schedule an appointment with a librarian through online chat or by emailing askalibrarian@berklee.edu.
• Technology training: peer-to-peer and group technology training is available for a variety of production, notation, multimedia, game audio, and web-conferencing software.

Academic Advising (login required)

Berklee College of Music undergraduate students

• Schedule an appointment (login required) with your academic advisor via Google Hangout, from Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. EDT. Other times can be arranged if needed.
• Attend a virtual drop-in (login required) from Monday through Friday, with expanded hours.

Boston Conservatory undergraduate students
Advising is through your department. Please reach out to your faculty and chairs for more information.

Accessibility Resources for Students

To discuss accommodations for students with disabilities, schedule an appointment via Google Hangout, from Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Other times can be arranged if needed.

Core Music Tutoring

Berklee College of Music undergraduate students
Tutors are available for one-on-one online assistance for your core music courses from Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT.

Liberal Arts Tutoring

All undergraduate students
You can schedule an appointment for ESL, math and science, and English writing tutoring, from Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. EDT.

Health and Wellness

Medical Withdrawal or Leave of Absence

All policies as noted in the Policy Handbook for Students (page 16) still apply.

• Domestic students: If you need to request a medical withdrawal (Berklee College of Music) or a medical leave of absence (Boston Conservatory at Berklee), please schedule an appointment (login required) with Jeff Klug, associate dean of Health and Wellness, and be prepared to provide appropriate medical documentation for your request.
• International students: If you need to request a medical withdrawal (Berklee College of Music) or a medical leave of absence (Boston Conservatory at Berklee), please schedule an appointment (login required) with your assigned international student advisor, and be prepared to provide appropriate medical documentation for your request.

Counseling

If you would like support during this challenging time, the Counseling Services team is available at 617-747-2310 to help you find mental health resources in the area where you're living. Learn more about counseling resources.

Medical Care

Students who are physically in the U.S. may access telehealth medical care through Online Connect 24/7 (for students 18 years of age and older). Berklee will continue to cover the access fee for this service. Register for telehealth through the Online Connect account and use this service key: Berklee. You may also download the Online Connect app or simply go to myonlineconnect.org to get started.

Tell Us Your Stories

As we navigate this unprecedented time together, we encourage you to share your stories of collaboration and creativity. If you'd like to submit anything for us to possibly feature online, please send it to studentnews@berklee.edu or post it to your own social channels and include the hashtag #berkleeanywhere. You can check out some of what your peers are up to at the Berklee Anywhere page.

Students:

• Free Online Mental Health Platform SilverCloud Now Available for Students: You now have access to SilverCloud, a clinically proven online mental health platform that offers programs to help you build resilience, manage your anxiety or depression, and develop skills to manage stress and sleep issues. The programs use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and positive psychology to guide you as you build self-awareness and self-management skills for your emotional health. To sign up for SilverCloud, select "Berklee" from the School Name dropdown, and use your @berklee.edu email to access the site. 
• Telehealth: Students can get expert treatment with telehealth services through Online Connect, an online doctor visit platform provided by Tufts Medical Center. Until further notice, Telehealth through Online Connect will now be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for students 18 and older who feel they are sick or developing symptoms of illness. As before, Berklee will continue to cover the access fee for this service. Telehealth through Online Connect can be used to connect with licensed medical providers in lieu of going to a public urgent care space, and students concerned about their health for any reason may see a doctor online. Learn more about how to access telehealth.

Faculty and Staff: 

• Teladoc: If you think you are infected with COVID-19 and are a member of the Tufts medical plans, Teladoc doctors can answer questions about the disease, evaluate your risk, and advise you on next steps. Please register for this service now, so you’ll already be registered and ready to use it if you happen to feel unwell later on. You can enroll at the Tufts website and follow the link to “Access Teladoc Telemedicine Services.” In addition, please notify the core response team at covid19@berklee.edu and let your supervisor know that you are feeling unwell. If you have questions about your health care information, please contact a member of the Human Resources benefits team at 617-747-2375 or email benefits@berklee.edu.
• Changing Your April Commuter Benefits: If you have a commuter MBTA pass, you can return it for credit if WageWorks receives it by April 5, 2020. If you have a Perq/Charlie Card, the MBTA will provide a credit if there is absolutely no usage on the card for the month of April. Learn more about these options (login required) as well as parking and other commuter pass programs.

The Berklee community began remote teaching and learning today. Check out these resources to help students, faculty, and staff as we continue to adjust to changes in our regular routines.

Community Notifications about COVID-19 Diagnoses

It is likely that some members of our community will test positive for COVID-19, and we are committed to keeping you informed when we receive that information. To date, a small number of members of the Berklee community have been diagnosed as presumed positive for COVID-19. None of them have been on campus for more than two weeks. To our knowledge, at this time, based on self-reports to Berklee, there are no confirmed cases in our community. Although most students, faculty, and staff have now left the campus, we will continue to update this page with any presumptive and confirmed positive test cases in our community members. For updates on community notifications, please visit berklee.edu/covid19/community-notifications.

Community Support Services for Students

If you are a student in need of support during this difficult time, the Counseling Services team is available at 617-747-2310 to help you find mental health resources in the area where you’re living.

Community Support Services for Faculty and Staff

If you are a member of the faculty or staff and would like support to help you navigate this stressful time, you can get counseling services through our Employee Assistance Program (login required), E4Health, at 800-624-5544. Access the EAP with company code: Berklee.

Moving to All Electronic Mail and Communication

All departments who currently rely on the mailroom need to be prepared to continue operating without interruption if Berklee’s mailroom cannot be staffed, the state or federal government orders a “shelter in place” mandate, or carrier deliveries are suspended or stopped. Our goal is to transition to a completely paperless environment immediately with an allowance for very limited exceptions.

This presents an opportunity for us to accelerate the ongoing transition from paper and mail to electronic communication, not only for the health and safety reasons requiring social distancing on campus or to work remotely, but as a way to make our work environment more productive while also reducing paper, equipment, and handling costs. Making this change will help Berklee meet environmental and financial sustainability goals.

Follow these steps for a smooth transition:

1. Identify and list all external business partners and colleagues that you currently send paper documents to or from whom you receive documents during the entire year.
2. Contact all the business partners and colleagues on your list to inform them of Berklee’s new requirement by Friday, March 27, 2020.
3. Develop new communication plans and methods to achieve this goal with each colleague or business partner.
4. Identify any very recent mail/documents that either party has sent, but has not been received to date (e.g., USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL). Monitor this list until all the mail/documents have been received.
5. Update your supervisor on the status of this effort and communicate the names of any colleagues or business partners that cannot meet this request. Supervisors will work with these few exceptions to find a workable solution

The Berklee community continues to get ready for next week's transition to remote learning and teaching. Check out these resources to help students, faculty, and staff prepare.

Training and Support

For questions about the technology for learning, teaching, and working remotely, please reach out to Training and Support at 2238@berklee.edu or 617-747-2238. The service desk has increased the number of support staff in preparation for this transition and is ready to provide remote, timely help. 

Faculty and students: For urgent remote teaching and learning support, please call 617-747-2238 and press 1. You will be routed directly to a team of technicians with remote access and video conferencing expertise. Support staff will be available to help you during the following hours:

• Monday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
• Friday, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

To support faculty with the transition to remote teaching, the service desk will also be available on Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

For non-time-sensitive issues, support staff will be available during normal business hours, Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Please email 2238@berklee.edu or submit a ticket (login required) so the phone lines can be used to support students and faculty with urgent questions about their online learning and teaching. 

Platforms for Remote Learning

• Students: Review instructions to learn how to use WebEx, Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Berklee OL.
• Faculty: Read about Zoom, a video collaboration tool, and how it uses stereo audio for classroom collaboration.

• Comprehensive Fee: Berklee will prorate the comprehensive fee for all students for the rest of the spring semester, including the students who remain in the residence halls. The credit will be calculated as of March 18, 2020 and will appear on students’ accounts by Friday, March 27, 2020. The credit may be used to offset any outstanding balance on your student account. If you are not graduating, the credit will be applied toward your tuition, room and board, or other charges for the fall 2020 semester. If you are taking summer courses, and would like to apply your credit to your summer 2020 balance, please email studentaccounts@berklee.edu.
• Campus Access for Faculty and Staff: Faculty and staff who are not identified as essential will not be able to access campus buildings starting Monday, March 23.
• Mail Services: Faculty, staff, and student mail services will be modified until further notice. Students should change their forwarding address and not have mail or packages shipped to Berklee. Faculty and staff should use electronic mail for all business correspondence and change their subscriptions to the “paperless” option.
• Berklee Bookstore: The Berklee Bookstore will be closed to visitors starting March 19. If you still need to purchase or rent books, you can do so through the bookstore's website, which now offers free shipping. You may keep using your rental books; you do not need to return them early. Free return shipping for rentals is available through the bookstore's website.

Berklee continues to transition to an online/remote learning, teaching, and working environment. Faculty are attending supplementary training to ensure that they can continue to deliver the same quality education as always, and student support services are transitioning online so students have access to all the support they need for this to be a successful experience.

• Room and Board Credits: Berklee is prorating room and board (meal) charges for students who have paid room and board fees for the spring 2020 semester and who have completely vacated their residence hall by March 18, 2020; the credit will be calculated as of that date. Students will see a credit on their student account by Monday, March 23, 2020. The credit may be used to offset any outstanding balance on their student account. If students are not graduating, the credit will be applied toward their tuition, room and board, or other charges for the fall 2020 semester. If students are taking summer courses, and would like to apply their credit to their summer 2020 balance, please email studentaccounts@berklee.edu.

• Spring Break Trip Group Travel: All students who booked group travel through Berklee will be reimbursed for trip fees paid to attend New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Nashville Spring Break Industry Trips. This includes airfare, hotel, and ground transportation group travel that was booked through the Career Center and our travel agent. Read the full message.

• Faculty and Staff Travel Booked through Egencia: Employees who booked upcoming travel arrangements through Egencia must contact them to cancel your arrangements and request a refund or credit toward future travel. Until further notice, you should not book any new travel reservations for Berklee-sponsored business travel, which includes all air, hotel, conferences and transportation. You should cancel all existing Berklee-sponsored business travel arrangements for trips from now through at least April 30, 2020. This includes conference fees and any arrangements made outside of one of our travel partners. Securing full refunds, or credits toward future travel, is of top priority.

The following are among the most frequently asked questions we received yesterday, along with the most up-to-date answers we have for them. The situation continues to change rapidly, so please continue to check this page for updates, and use this form to submit additional questions. We are working to improve the user experience and have added individual sections with information for students, for faculty, and for staff.

Refunds

Out of an abundance of caution, and in collaboration with the faculty union, the chairs, and the deans, we are taking major steps to limit our community’s exposure to the disease. We shared the following messages today:

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Online Learning, Facilities, and Public Gatherings
  All students and families (Boston and Valencia)
  Online/remote learning begins March 23; all events are canceled starting on Saturday, March 14; students must move out of the residence halls by Wednesday, March 18; self-quarantine is limited to travel to level 2 and 3 countries; and limited dining services will be available during and after spring break.

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Online Learning, Remote Work, and Public Gatherings
  All faculty and staff (Boston and Valencia)
  Online/remote working and teaching begins by March 23; all events are canceled starting on Saturday, March 14; and self-quarantine is limited to travel to level 2 and 3 countries.
• Important Information for International Students Regarding Today’s Campus Announcement
  International students
  You do not need to worry about your immigration status: the United States government is allowing F-1 students to stay in valid status while completing all of their classes online; check the travel signature on your I-20 information; and learn about OPT.
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Student Employment: Work and Compensation Policy
  Student employees and supervisors
  Berklee Student Employment offers the possibility of working remotely to student employees, and all student employees will get compensated with their regular pay.
• Information for Residential Students
  Students who live in residence halls
  Students must move out of the residence halls by Wednesday, March 18; storage and shipping services are available; and students must submit an appeal by Friday, March 13 if they have extenuating circumstances and need to stay on campus. 

A detailed community update will be sent out via email tomorrow morning, March 11. 

• Berklee-sponsored travel: At this time, Berklee is restricting all domestic and international Berklee-sponsored business travel until further notice, including spring break trips. Exceptions may be allowed in extreme circumstances. Learn more.
• Personal travel: Until further notice, if you must travel for personal reasons, any community members traveling to or returning from countries designated as levels 2 or 3 or states where emergencies (currently California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Utah, and Washington) have been declared will not be allowed to return to campus until they have completed the required 14-day self-quarantine. Please be aware that this list continues to expand. If you choose to travel for any reason, please submit your travel information.

Read the full update here. 

• Friday, March 6
• Tuesday, March 3 (login required)
• Friday, February 28
• Friday, January 31
• Wednesday, January 29
• Friday, January 24