Summer & Fall 2020 Academics

This FAQ outlines important information about summer 2020 and fall 2020 operations.

Q: What is the status of future study abroad programs including Summer Travel Intensives?

MICA has canceled all Summer Travel Intensives scheduled for 2020. All program deposits will be refunded. Please know that this decision was made after much thought and deliberation and that our highest priority is to protect your safety and welfare. Factors, such as CDC and Department of State travel advisories, the WHO declaring a pandemic and the US declaration of a national emergency, combined with MICA policy and emergency risk management protocol all weighed into this determination. MICA hopes to resume travel programming in summer 2021. 

Q: What is the status of summer programming?

Regular, on-campus and in-person activities this summer are impossible at this time.  

Consequently, MICA is suspending on-campus programming for the entire summer of 2020. The College remains committed to delivering a quality learning experience for summer 2020, but now at a distance.

MICA is actively working on remote learning opportunities for our course offerings in the following programs:

  • YPS Summer Art Camp and Pre-College Art & Design Residency (two of our youth-centered programs)

  • Community Education and Professional Practice (two of our adult-centered programs).

Please note, a Professional Practice online course offering is currently open for registration.

For more information, please visit the Summer 2020 Programming FAQ here.

Q: What is MICA’s plan for the Fall 2020 Semester? 

MICA has released its R5 Roadmap, which is a clear, focused, pragmatic, aspirational, and campuswide approach to navigate through the COVID-19 crisis. It functions as both a shared campus mindset and a concrete action framework that will serve as our holistic strategy for campus reopening, predictive problem solving, and ultimately the shaping of a stronger, bolder, and more resilient MICA.

In planning for the fall of 2020 and Academic Year 2020-2021 (AY21), the College is considering a series of possible scenarios for campus reopening and educational planning. 

These scenarios are based on the most likely conditions we will face in the fall due to a combination of factors: the continuing COVID-19-related public health guidance, possible restrictions and delays in international travel, and the demands of an educational experience that is tied fundamentally to making and learning in the context of a critical community. 

Below is a summary of the scenarios. For a full outline, click here.

  • Scenario A — On-time start for all / public health measures in place: This is our primary scenario. The campus is open. Some level of physical distancing requirements will cause us to limit class size, residence hall occupancy, limit or virtualize large public gatherings, and deliver courses, exhibitions, etc., though a mix of in-person, online, remote, and hybrid modalities. In this scenario, there will also be pressure on some of our spaces and facilities caused by the extended activities of members of the Class of 2020

  • Scenario B—Delayed or online start for some / public health measures in place: The campus is open. Some students/programs are able to start on time while others need to observe a delayed start due to travel restrictions, public health measures, and other conditions. We will stage instruction and residence hall move-in appropriately to meet the needs of specific student populations. 

  • Scenario C—Delayed start for all / public health measures in place: In this scenario, we are not able to open the campus on time, but are able to open soon enough to deliver the full Fall 2020 Semester education within a modified calendar. This scenario would cause some disruption to the semester schedule and potentially to the annual calendar. It would also impact our ability to deliver on some of the ideas for extended access for the Class of 2020.

  • Scenario D—On-time or delayed start / mid-year disruption due to second wave of COVID-19: In this scenario, we begin the Fall Semester under Scenario A, B, or C but are then disrupted later in the term or the year by a second wave of the virus with heightened public health measures being mandated. This scenario assumes that the campus needs to be suddenly closed or partially closed while classes are scheduled to be in session. This circumstance would be highly disruptive and difficult to manage and, if foreseen, we would likely follow plans for Scenario E instead

  • Scenario E—Campus remains closed for fall / some online, remote, alternate instruction and/or entire academic year moved back: This is the least desirable scenario. Public health restrictions make it impossible to reopen the campus on a reasonable schedule for the fall thus compromising our ability to deliver on key components of the educational experience. Under this scenario, we would continue with online, remote and alternate instruction in some programs (such as Open Studies and Graduate online and low residency) but would otherwise suspend most operations and revisit the annual calendar with a view toward a January start with a summer trimester.

Q: How are International Students I-20s impacted for the Fall 2020 Semester? 

Under normal circumstances, international students would need to pay a new SEVIS fee if they're outside of the U.S. for more than five months. However, the US government has recently announced that F1 students can continue to stay enrolled in classes by completing courses online. As long as international students stay enrolled through spring 2020 and enroll in the fall 2020 semester, the five month rule will not affect them. International students will be able to return to the US with their current I-20.

The five-month period is not based on the date of the travel signature, it is based on being outside of the US as well as full time enrollment. It is best for international students to have a travel signature on their I-20 when they return to the US; however, International Education will be able to mail one to international students if they need one before Fall 2020 Semester. We will send more communication about this after the semester ends.