Emerson Los Angeles Fall 2020 COVID-19 Update

To our ELA students,

We hope the start of the fall term and the end of the first week of classes finds you engaged and healthy.

We’re writing to provide an important update following the most recent COVID-19 guidance from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

As of September 1, 2020, LA County is in the Widespread tier, showing 13.1 new COVID-19 cases per day, per 100,000 population, and a 5 percent positivity rate. The state website explains:

“Every county in California is assigned a tier based on its rate of new cases and positivity. At a minimum, counties must remain in a tier for at least three weeks before moving forward. Data is reviewed weekly, and tiers are updated on Tuesdays. To move forward, a county must meet the next tier’s criteria for two consecutive weeks. If a county’s metrics worsen for two consecutive weeks, it will be assigned a more restrictive tier. Public health officials are constantly monitoring data and can step in if necessary.”

As a result, the LA County Department of Public Health anticipates the earliest opening date for colleges and universities will not be until sometime in late November. Given this new information, Emerson has decided for the health and safety of all students, faculty, and staff to keep ELA closed for residence hall occupancy and in-person classes until the Spring term.

If you have an urgent housing problem, please contact Chad Myers (chad_myers@emerson.edu) to discuss your options.

If you have any questions about ELA classes or Boston class enrollments, please contact Dr. Mikhail Gershovich (mikhail_gershovich@emerson.edu).

We understand and agree that this is not the news we all hoped for, and that it is very disappointing. Regardless of these circumstances, the faculty and staff at ELA are committed to providing students with the best possible educational experience. We will be sharing professional development opportunities in the weekly newsletter and on our Facebook page.

Please know that we share your disappointment with this unwelcome news. If you would like to speak with us about your options, we are available for you. In the meantime, please feel free to contact either of us with any questions.

Allison Sampson
Executive Director and Vice President

Tim Chang
Associate Dean of Students and Chief Operations Officer