@techmom99 That’s cool that they organized a graduation of sorts to help give them closure. I know that is what has been so hard on some seniors I know. Sorry some courses haven’t translated well to online.
My D’s school is also offering pass/fail option as well but most programs aren’t allowing it for major classes… just for gen eds.
Checking back in after the first week of online courses for my daughter. It went pretty well. The teachers and students are all still getting organized. My daughters zoom session this morning had an actor from the Book of Mormon tour join in. Lots of successful actors/actresses have time on their hands and are willing to talk to students right now which is nice! I truly appreciate all of my daughters professors for being flexible and for showing our kids love during this. I think the teachers miss being in the classroom as much as the students miss being there. And, on a good news note, my daughter got word that she got accepted to an apprenticeship for this summer at an Equity Shakespeare company (starts June 14th so hopefully will still be on!).
Has anyone heard about plans for the fall?
@2wuhanmom - The NYU FAQ for freshmen states “We anticipate that students will be able to begin their Fall semester studies on time”, which is a big relief for me (I have a junior there). Obviously, things can change at any time but I am cautiously confident that Fall semester will not be remote. Since NYU is in the middle of NYC where the epidemic is peaking right now I feel like that bodes well for other programs as well - higher ed institutions tend to act in parallel since they are all privy to the same information and have the same concerns.
@CaMom13 - That’s great news! Thanks for sharing!
@CaMom13 @2wuhanmom This line from NYU’s parent email gave me pause- “NYU is making preparations… both for the reconvening in person as well as for the prospect of having to carry on with remotely-held classes for some time.” I truly hope “for some time” does not mean next fall.
I think it doesn’t (yet, anyway) @yellahamma - I went to the main covid-19 info page at NYU and read the letters to the faculty as well. It looks like the school is still deciding about holding summer classes on site. I had already written off summer so that email initially gave me the same concerns but once I realized summer might go on and the published info says they currently expect Fall to go as normal, I relaxed a little. Obviously, the school (and all schools) could change things around if the coronavirus curve looks like it’s rebounding but for now I’m less concerned than I was.
@CaMom13 That allays my fear a bit. Thank you.
If there was a crossing fingers icon on CC, I would use it @yellahamma 
We’re all hoping for the best and we’ll probably know a lot more what’s going to happen going forward in a few weeks … so we wait and try to stay positive. No one is alone…
Following this with avid interest as I hope against hope that my incoming Freshman will be able to start on campus. Thank you so much for all of your input @CaMom13 and @yellahamma !
Recent article on the subject:
Just wanted to pop on and say how much I am enjoying this little peek into my son’s Otterbein education. His classes this semester included stage make up and. Speech and dialect. So sometimes I listen through the door as he is in a zoom class or practicing his Irish dialect by the pool - it makes me smile. Today he was working on transforming into someone he looks nothing like ( last week it was aging techniques) so I got to help him with his “smoky eye” technique to become Emily Blunt. Never thought I’d be sharing make up with my 18 year old son. “Always look on the bright side of life”. Tomorrow he has Gavin Lee ( from Spongebob musical ) in “class” Thank you Otterbein faculty for making this a creative success story
Another update for folks interested… remote classes are getting more useful as people settle into the groove. It’s not the same as “in person” but it is definitely getting better over time as teachers and students alike learn what is the best way to utilize technology, handle the different time zones and lack of face to face partnering… etc. Her online classes have had a stream of Broadway performers “sitting in” as contributors and that’s been amazing. My D is still looking forward to “real” school starting in the Fall (crossing fingers and toes here) … but remote learning is going well.
Thanks for that update, @CaMom13 ! Do you have a sense of what your D would want to do if school were online again next semester?
We are watching warily and worrying a bit. Online high school is not going well for my S. 
I don’t think she’d go for a full semester online @tsamuique . I’m not over-thinking that right now, though. So much of what’s ahead is still unknown - the sooner antibody tests and vaccines are available the better for all of us but it will take a while to get there. I’m expecting the schools to get creative so classes can be done in person while minimizing personal contact for the next year or until a vaccine is widely given. Similar to our cities and counties, schools can’t just reopen and get back in business as normal… but the “new normal” has yet to be determined. We’re planning on her being in NYC in August on until I hear otherwise…
@CaMom13 That’s our plan, too! Fingers crossed. And thanks.
@CaMom13 Et. al.
Everyone is just trying to make the best of a difficult situation.
I would think, if MT coursework / schedule was planned carefully, voice and at least monologue work could be done very safely in person (and without undue risk if comprehensive testing / protective equipment and supplies were readily available). Would this be an improvement over remote learning from your D’s perspective?
It’s the dance training (without partner work), which would require more significant re-work in schedule to be done in person … i.e., more spread out / individualized training in order to achieve a comparable level of safety … not sure there would be the appetite for this.
The students should be near classrooms too to minimize the need to be “out and about.”
In case anyone is interested in seeing how rehearsals have been going during this online learning, my daughter is in Shenandoah’s collaboration with The Farm Theater of “The Hierarchy of Fish” and they will be streaming the performance on Facebook this Sunday at 7pm ET.
The actors will be on Zoom and it should be interesting to see how they’ve adapted to this situation. My daughter is in the role of Sandy.
You can go to The Farm Theater (thefarmtheater6) Facebook page Sunday at 7pm to watch.
Here’s more info on the play itself
https://www.su.edu/performs/event/2020-04-the-hierarchy-of-fish/?fbclid=IwAR3Mb87JGLGmSrbSwQEabqVozifeU87z4AghGaVgjnkyAlbvZ_WGsXNfLcE
I dunno @Twelfthman - there’s so much that has yet to be figured out. I was talking to my spouse about this last night regarding conferences. All of his summer conferences are canceled but he has one in the Fall and he was saying it was absurd - do you sterilize each microphone after use? How you give presentations in a mask? Or have an audience when the rooms can only fit 1 person within a 6’ radius and each of them have to try to ask questions while muffled? Or do poster sessions when no one can get close enough to see the data or ask anything? He said in his opinion they just needed to cancel conferences or live stream them and have everyone stay home. I think that’s the same dilemma facing the performing arts - if distancing is still a “thing” when school recommences is in-person work even possible and if it’s possible, is it worth it? Can you redesign curriculum to accommodate on-site distancing? Can the schools afford that?
I’m not an expert or an educator so I’ll let them make those decisions but I’d say this next year is going to be a more beneficial time for actors who embrace online plays, self-taping, web-site building, on-screen training … and singers who find ways to benefit from virtual singing lessons and choirs. They have those options already and the options will just keep getting better. Dancers - I just don’t know how they will make the world of online classes and social distancing work. Maybe someone can make dance isolation suits… hmm, that actually might be a market someone can explore… anyone out there own a garment company?
I do know the line for the vaccine will stretch for blocks when/if they finally have one because everyone really wants to get back to a world in which we can stand next to one another safely. Until then, I think each institution is going to be trying new things and using whatever technology they have available to make the best of the time we’re in. It’s not like there’s a one best approach and everyone’s on a learning curve.
From the Fredonia Leader on Distance Learning in the Arts
https://www.fredonia.edu/news/articles/daily-routine-daily-plan-defines-distance-education