Message from the Conservatory Deans Office (March 11, 2020)

Dear Conservatory students,

I hope this message finds you well, all things considered.

I know that there is an almost unbelievable amount of information to consider and process, and numerous decisions which need to be made, sometimes in very short order.

The Conservatory Dean’s Office will be in touch in the coming days and weeks with updates regarding the remainder of the semester.

In the meantime, I want to take the opportunity to assure each and every one of you that you will be able to complete your Oberlin work for the semester. In some cases, the nature of the work you complete, and the ways you complete it, might be somewhat different than what you and your teachers had originally expected. However, you will, indeed, be able to complete your work.

The Conservatory faculty, staff, and I are committed to ensuring that these events do not negatively affect any student’s ability to graduate on time or progress through their degree.  

If you have any questions, I encourage you to be in touch with your teachers or the Conservatory Dean’s Office. You may wish to visit Dean Sherman’s or Dean Jenkins’ office hours. In some cases, we don’t yet have answers to all of the questions with which all of us are grappling.  In such instances, we thank you in advance for your patience as we—the Conservatory faculty and administration—consider next steps. We will share answers with you as they develop. 

Your well-being, your education, and your success are our top priorities. We know that these days bring a large amount of disruption. We guarantee that your education will continue, and we pledge our ongoing support for each and every one of you every step of the way.

Thank you, everyone, and please stay tuned for additional information in the coming days and weeks.

Yours,

William Quillen, Dean