March 17, 2020

COVID-19 Student Bulletin: Reference Resources

Dear Students,

These days, the mere mention of “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” might lead some people to find some incorrect information or misinformation (especially in social media). Therefore, we recommend that you stick to official messages from public health and government agencies as your best sources of information to keep yourself and your loved ones informed when making decisions about responding to this global pandemic. Remember that information is changing quickly as the world learns more about this new virus/disease, so you should always check for updates and new data.

All official ArtCenter communications (including policies, procedures, and advisories) that are sent to students, faculty, and staff are also publicly available on the ArtCenter website.

Please share that information with all loved ones. Also, be aware that ArtCenter has no confirmed case of COVID-19 on campus.

For information about this global public health emergency, refer to:

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)
US Department of Health & Human Services
California Department of Public Health
County of Los Angeles Public Health
City of Pasadena Public Health Department

For general news, consider cross-checking mass media against other (international sources) and be critical of what is repeated and what gets left out of reporting. Some options are:

Associated Press (AP)
Reuters
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Al Jazeera

If you are a citizen or a resident of another country besides the United States, we recommend that you also follow the social media accounts of your home country’s foreign ministry, health service or state department to keep informed of any advisory messages being sent to your own community (especially related to health and travel).

Unfortunately, it is a real possibility that some persons will behave in criminal or otherwise inappropriate ways during times of crisis, like this one. Please conduct your due diligence to research any offer of a cure or vaccination or treatment to COVID-19. NOTE: As of March 16, 2020, there are none. Remember that official government agencies and financial institutions will not contact you and ask you to verify your identity or your online account names and passwords, etc.

Also, keep in mind that this is a global public health emergency and therefore this is not a topic for, or a time to be making jokes, insensitive or uninformed remarks, or making light of the seriousness of the global response to COVID-19.

People around you may already have been directly affected with a positive diagnosis, severe medical distress, death, separation due to travel restrictions or quarantine, loss of income or security, etc. So, remember that you can never know another person’s reality before you make a verbal, written, or online remark and that includes not knowing the other person’s identity, history, community, values, health, opinion, etc.

A final recommendation for your locally-sourced collection of realistic and non-alarmist facts is available at laist.com.

Now, more than ever, it is important for you to make informed decisions and be as compassionate and helpful as ArtCenter believes you can be.

Thank you,

The Center for the Student Experience
CSE@artcenter.edu