Updated: SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 at 4:41PM EST
Dear NYFA South Beach Community,
Welcome to our Fall 2020 semester! Based on the positive trajectory of COVID cases in Miami-Dade, we are planning on beginning some in-person classes on October 5, 2020. Please keep in mind that this is dependent on conditions remaining favorable, and we will continue to diligently monitor the situation and keep our community updated.
The safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff has been, and continues to be, our greatest priority. With your compliance and help, we will be able to maintain some in-person classes. Please know that we are reliant on each other. If we have only a few cases on campus, we will be forced to go back online. So please do everything you can to follow all of the rules and requirements delineated below.
Our success in being able to sustain in-person instruction depends on you.
Requirements for Campus Entry
If you haven’t already done so, please read the NYFA COVID Safety Plan. Reading this document carefully will help you prepare for your arrival to campus. Below is a summary of information contained in the NYFA COVID Safety Plan that pertains specifically to your arrival to campus and requirements for entry to campus.
- Self-Quarantine: To mitigate the transmission of illness within our community, NYFA requires all arriving to NYFA South Beach from regions outside of Miami to self-quarantine for 14 days prior to your first day of in-person class or production.
- In order to begin in-person instruction on October 5, if you are from outside of Miami, you should begin self-quarantine on September 21, 2020.
- Please check your NYFA schedule to confirm your first possible day on campus.
- Faculty/staff: If for any reason you need to return to campus prior to October 5, please plan accordingly.
- It is important during these 14 days that you practice physical distancing and good personal hygiene. Further guidelines for self-quarantine are detailed in the NYFA Self-Quarantine and Self-Isolation Guidelines.
- Daily Symptom Tracking: All NYFA students and employees are required to provide NYFA a daily report of their symptoms with the use of the NYFA COVID-19 Symptom Tracker.
- You have received an email with instructions on how to access the NYFA COVID-19 Symptom Tracker App.
- It is important that you report your symptoms each day 14-days prior to your first day of in-person classes, whether you are in self-quarantine or not.
- October 5 will be the first possible day of in-person instruction, therefore, you should begin reporting your symptoms no sooner than September 21, 2020. Please check your NYFA schedule to confirm your first possible day on campus.
- Once your in-person classes begin, and you begin coming to campus, you will report your symptoms only on the days you are scheduled to be present on campus.
- Symptoms must be reported in the NYFA COVID-19 Symptom Tracker App prior to your arrival to campus for the day.
- You will be taking your temperature twice daily for the NYFA COVID-19 Symptom Tracker during the 14-day quarantine and/or during the 14-days prior to your first in-person class period. Be sure you have a thermometer at home!
- Your data will be FERPA protected and read and stored only by the NYFA COVID-19 Team Administrators trained to observe all relevant privacy laws.
- Testing for COVID-19: NYFA requires all employees and students to be tested for COVID-19, with a PCR COVID-19 Diagnostic Test, between 2-6 days before your first day on-campus.
- Before being permitted to report to campus, you will need to submit your test results to the NYFA COVID Team Administrator. Your test result must be NEGATIVE.
- Test results should be emailed to the NYFA COVID Team Administrator at covidteamsb@nyfa.edu.
- Once reviewed, you will receive a confirmation email from the NYFA COVID Team Administrator that your negative test result has been received and that you are cleared to come onto campus.
- If you report a positive COVID-19 test result, a COVID-19 Team Administrator will contact you to offer guidance, support and assistance on how to self-isolate effectively, monitor your symptoms, and/or seek medical advice, as noted in NYFA Self-Quarantine and Self-Isolation Guidelines.
- When you have recovered from COVID-19, you will be welcomed to campus provided you meet the conditions for entering campus as described in the NYFA Self-Quarantine and Self-Isolation Guidelines.
- Your data will be FERPA protected and read and stored only by the NYFA COVID-19 Team Administrators trained to observe all relevant privacy laws.
- The City of Miami and Miami-Dade County continue to expand COVID-19 testing sites. Access testing site information through these links:
- Before being permitted to report to campus, you will need to submit your test results to the NYFA COVID Team Administrator. Your test result must be NEGATIVE.
- COVID-19 Student Conduct On and Off Campus: Students are required to sign a pledge that they will use safe practices on and off campus.
- The pledge states: “I understand that if I break my pledge - if I fail to adhere to the aforementioned guidelines either on campus or off campus - I may face disciplinary action, up to and including revocation of permission to attend on-campus classes and activities, suspension, or expulsion from NYFA.”
- In addition, students who violate safe practices may be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.
- COVID-19 Student Training on the Hub: Students are required to successfully complete the COVID-19 Student Training prior to their first day on campus. Information about the training will be emailed to students during the week of September 21, 2020. Students will be able to take the COVID-19 Training on the Hub.
- Meeting with Chairs on Department specific COVID precautions: Chairs will reach out to each department to give information about specific requirements for Film Production Protocols as well as Acting Protocols
- COVID-19 Safety: Masks required on campus. Stay six feet apart. Wash your hands. Maintain COVID-19 safety while off campus.
Grading
In the Fall 2020 semester, NYFA will no longer be applying a Pass/Fail system for final course grades. Because we will continue to have some online learning in the Fall 2020 semester, all final course grades above an F will automatically be adjusted up by 1/3 of a letter grade. The following chart illustrates how this adjustment will impact grades entered by the instructors:
| Entered Grade | Adjusted (Final) Grade |
| A | A |
| A- | A |
| B+ | A- |
| B | B+ |
| B- | B |
| C+ | B- |
| C- | C |
| D+ | C- |
| D | D+ |
| F | F |
Please remember that : No student is required to attend classes in-person for the Fall 2020 Semester. Students may complete instruction remotely for the duration of the Fall Semester and may choose to Zoom in to on-campus sessions.
- Students who wish to complete the entire Fall 2020 semester remotely will be asked to declare their intent by speaking with their Department Chair.
- Film Chair: Herschel.faber@nyfa.edu
- Acting Chair: mark.mocahbee@nyfa.edu
Wishing you well,
Maylen Dominguez
Dean of NYFA South Beach