CEMS Statement Fall 2020 COVID-19
Pursuing graduate studies against the backdrop of COVID-19 presents a range of challenges, which is why the Center for European and Mediterranean Studies (CEMS) and NYU in general are aiming to provide maximum flexibility for our students. This fall all CEMS graduate courses will be capped at 15 so they can be offered in-person, in spacious classrooms that maintain social distancing. The specific format of each class will depend on the professor offering it, but they will all include substantial in-person components for those would like to meet face-to-face at a distance. Some examples include 1-hour weekly sessions where all students meet together, supplemented by pre-recorded mini-lectures as well as small group or individual meetings. But we welcome any student to take these classes remotely if they would prefer to do so. In fact, all NYU courses will be organized in such a manner to ensure that fully remote education is an option for fall 2020. This means that all CEMS courses and all NYU courses will have zoom components that are either live or recorded for those who would like to remain outside the physical classroom. Even more than normal, moreover, this fall CEMS professors are committed to and enthusiastic about making sure that you have the chance to speak with them one-on-one—most in-person and all remotely—to ensure that you get the personal interaction with our faculty that is an essential part of our Master’s degree.
If you are taking classes offered by a different department you will be able to view the format of that course after July 1 in Albert, NYU’s online class registration platform. The format will depend, among other things, on the size of the course and the department in which it is offered, and will fall into one of three categories: small in-person classes (15 or less) with remote options available for those who choose so; medium-sized blended classes (16-30) that mix some in-person meetings with remote components; or large, remote only courses (31 or larger). If a course is designated as blended, you can email the department offering the course to clarify which components will be in-person and which will be remote.
To provide further flexibility, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at NYU will be mounting a more robust program of elective graduate summer classes in 2021, while CEMS itself will be offering independent studies and hopes to offer summer graduate courses. In the event that you decide not to physically come to New York this fall, NYU’s enhanced summer program will allow you to spread some of your coursework over the spring and summer semesters, to ensure that you have the chance to take full part in our academic life when the COVID-19 health situation is hopefully further improved.
In addition to its courses, CEMS is organizing a dynamic programming schedule for the fall that will feature both our own scholars and others from around New York City, the United States, and the rest of the world. This fall all our programming, including the European Seminar at NYU, will be fully remote, with potential topics ranging from the impact of COVID-19 on European Democracy to the Green New Deal in Europe and Beyond. While remote programming may change the tenor of our speakers’ series in some respects, in other ways it will offers major advantages. Above all, with fully remote speakers this fall we will more easily be able to invite scholars from around the world, and put them into conversation with our academic community at CEMS.
As always, we are looking forward with immense pleasure to welcoming our newest cohort of Master’s students to New York University, whether this be virtually or in person. If you have any questions at all about our plans, please do not hesitate to contact director Stephen Gross or assistant director Mikhala Stein Kotlyar.
