We, the faculty, staff, students, trustees, and visitors of the Curtis Institute of Music commit to maintaining a code of ethics concerning our health, safety, and well-being.

We commit to being:

• Truthful and honest in the assessment of our own health condition and risk of exposure to COVID-19 when seeking to access the campus;
• Accountable for the ways in which our actions and choices might impact the health and well-being of others;
• Cautious and responsible regarding how we interact with others, both within Curtis and in the broader society; and
• Accountable to one another in upholding the highest standards and practice of our community health guidance and procedures.

Curtis requires all students and employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Curtis recognizes those vaccines which have received full approval and/or Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen) or have been pre-qualified for Emergency Use Listing by the World Health Organization (AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinovac).

All current and incoming students are required to show proof of immunization against COVID-19 prior to coming to campus and enrolling. Note: Unlike the meningococcal requirement (which is only required for Lenfest Hall), the COVID-19 vaccine is required for all students, living on-campus and off-campus.

Curtis currently requires individuals to wear masks while inside campus buildings. To mitigate the spread of any airborne illness, maintaining a distance of three feet is recommended.

The masking mandate applies to all indoor spaces on campus, including the dorms, lounges, hallways, administrative offices, etc. The masking requirement applies at all times of day. Masks may be temporarily removed while eating, drinking, or in a closed room by yourself.

Curtis recommends the use of well-fitting, high-quality masks, such as KN-95. A limited supply of masks is available for students and employees at the Lenfest Hall and 1726 Locust Street security desks, the Rock Resource Center desk, and the entry of the Rubenstein Centre (1620 Locust).

Routine Testing:
At-home testing kits can be obtained at nearby pharmacies.

Symptomatic Testing:

• If students or employees experience symptoms, they must immediately inform HR or Student Services, self-isolate, and get a COVID-19 test at an official testing facility—regardless of vaccination status.
  • Results must be reported to HR or Student Services. The costs of these tests will be covered by most insurance, but a doctor’s office referral may be required. If there is a problem obtaining the symptomatic test for free, contact HR for a reimbursement.
• Individuals who test positive must remain in isolation for 5 days from the onset of symptoms.
  • All close contacts (defined as cumulative contact of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period) will be notified by HR, asked to monitor symptoms, and get tested only if they exhibit symptoms.
• Individuals who test negative but still exhibit symptoms should take a second test 48 hours later. If that second test is negative, the individual may resume normal activities.
• Any individual who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has been on campus within the past 2 days is required to inform HR (employees) or a representative of the Student Services office (students).

Classes and musical instruction are taking place in person on campus.

On-campus performances will be open to in-person audiences.

Performances taking place off-campus are subject to the venue’s masking and vaccination policies.

Visit Curtis.edu/performances/calendar for the current performance schedule.

The Lenfest Hall dining room is open for dining. Bring your reusable Greenie container for to-go meals.

The Rock Resource Center is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please check the library website for any updates.

Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to visit the library to check out or return scores, browse the shelves, scan, print, etc. A library and archives staff member will be on hand to assist.

Librarians and archivists are available by e-mail to assist with class help and library and archive resources at library@curtis.edu.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• City of Philadelphia

This plan was created by Curtis’s Reopening Task Force, consisting of representatives from across the school, with input and advice from health experts and officials.

Curtis Institute of Music Staff Team:
Larry Bomback
Steve Casciano
Trisha Carpino
Ed Gazouleas
Kimberly Gould
Patricia K. Johnson
Julie Moerschel
Miloš Repický
Shea Scruggs
Bill Seiler
Meredith Tarditi
Emily Waters

Consultants:
Lydia Ogden, Ph.D.
James W. Buehler, M.D.

Not all campus buildings may be available and building hours may be limited.

Lenfest Hall:

• The Lenfest Hall dining room is open for dining. Bring your reusable Greenie container for to-go meals.
• The 5th floor lounge and the Dannenbaum Terrace are available to resident and non-resident students and their guests.
• Overnight guests are permitted in the Residence Hall at this time after the first two weeks of classes, subject to the procedures and rules established by Residence Life and in the Lenfest Hall Residence Life handbook.

The following items will be provided in each practice room:

• Sanitizing spray
• Sanitizing wipes or towels
• Instructions for cleaning

General Rules:

• Anyone who uses a practice room is required to disinfect music stands, doorknobs, light switches, and other shared surfaces before and after using the room. Only piano keys should be disinfected; do not use wipes or spray on the piano cases.
• All rooms, including individual practice rooms, must be reserved in advance through Asimut. There should be a time buffer scheduled between uses of the room.
• Curtis housekeeping staff will disinfect rooms daily.
• All rooms available for ensemble or group instruction will be equipped with HEPA air purifiers. Air purifiers must not be unplugged or turned off.

If a student needs to quarantine or isolate, Curtis has a limited number of spaces available in the residence hall for resident students.

To fully engage with the various activities and classes that may be scheduled during the year, students should own/have regular access to a laptop and external microphone. Many students also find a good pair of headphones useful as well. You can see a full list of Supported Personal AV Hardware for Remote Learning and Instruction here. Please contact Ms. McAuley regarding need-based financial assistance for technology purchases.

Physical wellness services, such as Alexander Technique and chiropractic care, can be provided safely within these guidelines. Penn Student Health Services will be fully open and operational for in-person visits with a physician or nurse. Mental health services will remain available via telehealth and may occur in person at the discretion of the clinician. Various other wellness programs will be offered remotely and in-person as capacity allows. Any student with a health or wellness need may contact a member of the Student Life team for assistance.

Individual lessons and classes are being held in-person. No in-person lessons may be taught off-campus (such as at a faculty member’s home or studio). This is a permanent change. Lessons will be held on campus or in an approved off-campus location that is leased, operated, or controlled by Curtis; or online.

If you need additional equipment or assistance, please contact Ed Gazouleas. Curtis may be able to subsidize the purchase of resources necessary to be fully engaged in the online delivery of lessons, coachings, and classes.

Curtis has been working with staff to provide necessary equipment and reasonable accommodations to continue any necessary remote work. If you believe you require additional, reasonable accommodations, please speak with Kim Gould about your specific situation.

Going forward, in consultation with managers and employees, the Human Resources Office will categorize staff according to their need to come to campus for essential work functions. Essential staff will be expected to work on campus five days per week in their designated workspace and will be categorized as fully on-campus employees. Most staff will have a hybrid schedule of working part-time on campus and part-time from home. There will be two categories of hybrid employees: the first will work three to four days per week on campus in their designated workspaces; employees in the second hybrid category the second will work one to two days per week on campus in a shared workspace. A last small group of selected staff members will be designated as fully remote and will work from home five days per week.

Anyone entering the Curtis campus is required to self-assess their own symptoms. Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms should get tested and stay home and away from others.

Staff should practice social distancing while on campus, maintaining physical distance as much as possible.

Staff members may bring outside, non-Curtis guests to campus for meetings and other work-related activities.

Curtis strongly encourages that all visitors to campus be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to help avoid serious cases of illness in the community.

All visitors to campus are currently required to wear masks inside all campus buildings, except while actively eating or drinking.

The application deadline for the 2023–24 school year has passed.

Information about auditions for acceptance for the 2024–25 school year will be posted when available. For more about applying to Curtis, visit Curtis.edu/apply.

For information, visit our website.

Our priority is the health and safety of our community, and we are constantly monitoring conditions and recommended protocols following guidance from local and national officials. Policies and safety measures will be updated as the situation around COVID-19 continues to evolve.

Curtis currently requires that all individuals wear masks while indoors on campus in the presence of others. Masks are available at all campus entrances.

A schedule of upcoming performances is available on Curtis.edu/calendar. Performance dates and repertoire is subject to change. Sign up for Curtis’s email list to receive updates.

Curtis currently requires that all individuals wear masks while indoors on campus in the presence of others. Masks are available at all campus entrances.

Curtis strongly encourages that all visitors to campus be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to help avoid serious cases of illness in the community. Proof of vaccination is not currently required for visitors and guests.

Performances taking place in off-campus venues are subject to the venue’s vaccination and masking protocols.

Guests and visitors are requested to assess their health and any recent risk of COVID exposure prior to coming to campus. Any visitor who is feeling unwell or who may have recently been exposed to COVID-19 should refrain from coming to campus.

Visitors are required to abide by the school’s health and safety measures, which are based on guidance from health authorities and government agencies.