Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic requires flexibility in the ways we teach, learn, and collaborate, NEC remains a community committed to supporting one another, to celebrating great artistry, and to sharing in the power of music.
If you have questions or concerns not addressed here, please reach out to our Student Services team at covid.questions@necmusic.edu.
Updated 2/4/22
Whilst the impact of COVID remains very real for us all, we are grateful for the resilience, creativity, and optimism so evident in our NEC community. Even with extensive health and safety protocols, we were able to keep in-person music-making happening at NEC last year because of the consistent commitment each person demonstrated to keeping our community—and, indeed, the broader communities in which we live—safe.
As we welcome you to campus, we know that ensuring public health will require ongoing vigilance, as certainly we will be living with COVID-19 and its variants for the foreseeable future.
NEC continues to offer an experience firmly centered in profound teaching, learning, and artistry. With limited exceptions, the vast majority of our activities this fall will take place in person. Enabled by broad availability of vaccines and the continued commitment of every member of the community to following our COVID-19 policies and protocol, we will continue to balance health and safety with making music together in person.
FAQ's for Faculty & Staff can be found here.
For all community members, if symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative COVID-19 PCR test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19. Community members who do not develop symptoms, should obtain a PCR test 5 days after the exposure.
Unvaccinated NEC College Faculty, Staff, and Students
Unvaccinated NEC Prep Community Members
NEC College Faculty, Staff, and Students Up To Date on Vaccination (defined as fully vaccinated with an approved COVID-19 vaccine and a booster shot when eligible)
As part of our continued efforts to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, NEC will require all faculty, staff, and College students to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster by February 1, 2022, or within fourteen days of eligibility.
Individuals who received Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna are eligible six months after completing the primary COVID-19 vaccination series. Individuals who received Johnson & Johnson are eligible two months after receiving the vaccine.
Documentation of the COVID-19 vaccine booster will be required by February 1 for those who are eligible. For those who become eligible after February 1, documentation will be required fourteen days after they become eligible. Exemptions may be requested for medical or religious reasons. Those with approved exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for the 2021-2022 academic year will not be required to resubmit exemption requests for the booster requirement.
Students should upload documentation of their COVID-19 vaccine booster to the NEC Student Health Portal.
Employees should upload documentation of their COVID-19 vaccine booster to ADP by logging in and clicking on ‘Myself’ and then ‘My Documents’. Please be sure to indicate ‘Vaccination Record’ as the category when uploading the document image.
Students requesting a new medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine booster requirement must complete a student vaccine exemption form and submit it electronically through the NEC Student Health Portal, along with all required supporting documentation, on or before February 1, 2022. The student vaccine exemption form is posted on the Health and Counseling website under FORMS.
Employees requesting a new medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine booster requirement must complete an employee vaccine exemption form and upload it, along with all required supporting documentation, to the Employee Documents portion of ADP by logging in and clicking MYSELF --> EMPLOYMENT --> MY DOCUMENTS no later than February 1, 2022. The employee vaccine exemption form is posted on the homepage of the ADP website.
All students, faculty and staff must follow CDC travel guidance for international travel and domestic travel as applicable before returning to campus. Please pay particular attention to self-quarantine instructions for those who are not fully vaccinated, unvaccinated, or those who have not been vaccinated with a FDA or WHO EUA approved COVID-19 vaccine. This includes a requirement that unvaccinated individuals complete a COVID-19 PCR test 3-5 days after returning from travel and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel except for medical or testing appointments. Quarantine space is not available in the residence hall. Please plan ahead and make arrangements for self-quarantine if required.
A negative COVID-19 PCR test is required for all community members before returning to campus, regardless of vaccination status.
If you cannot obtain a test at NEC’s COVID-19 Testing Center, you must obtain a COVID-19 PCR test at an off-site location before returning to campus and upload the negative result to CoVerified.
Many NEC community members have found the free testing at the Anna Cole testing center in Jamaica Plain to be a convenient alternate testing site (https://lcgboston.com/covid-
Information about other testing sites is available on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website. https://www.mass.gov/info-
The residence hall reopened on January 15, 2022 at noon.
You must complete a COVID-19 PCR test administered no more than 72 hours before returning to campus (the test may be done at NEC the previous week, see above hours).
You must otherwise remain off-campus until negative COVID-19 PCR test results are returned
If you do not complete the required pre-arrival COVID-19 PCR testing, you will not be allowed to move into the residence hall.
If testing offsite, upload negative COVID-19 PCR test to CoVerified before returning to the residence hall
A second COVID-19 PCR test is required on arrival to the residence hall
Weekly testing thereafter for non-voice, non-wind/brass majors
Twice weekly testing for voice, wind, and brass majors (classical, jazz and CI)
In addition to the above requirements, unvaccinated* students returning from travel outside of MA or the U.S. must:
Complete a COVID-19 PCR test 3-5 days after returning from travel
Self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel except for medical or testing appointments. Quarantine housing is not available in the residence hall. Please plan accordingly.
Fully vaccinated:
You must complete a COVID-19 PCR test administered no more than 7 days before returning to campus (the test may be done at NEC the previous week, see above hours).
You must otherwise remain off-campus until negative COVID-19 PCR test results are returned
If testing offsite, upload a negative COVID-19 PCR test to CoVerified, administered no more than 7 days prior to arrival on campus.
Weekly testing thereafter for non-voice, non-wind/brass majors
Twice weekly testing for voice, wind, and brass majors (classical, jazz and CI)
Unvaccinated*:
You must complete a COVID-19 PCR test administered no more than 72 hours before returning to campus (the test may be done at NEC the previous week, see above hours).
You must otherwise remain off-campus until negative COVID-19 PCR test results are returned
If testing offsite, upload a negative COVID-19 PCR test result, administered no more than 72 hours prior to arrival to campus, to CoVerified.
Weekly testing thereafter for non-voice, non-wind/brass majors
Twice weekly testing for voice, wind, and brass majors (classical, jazz and CI)
* Unvaccinated is defined as an individual who has not been fully vaccinated (completed 2 of 2 dose vaccine series or completed 1 of 1 dose vaccine series) with a FDA or WHO EUA approved COVID-19 vaccine.
Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days may still test positive, even though they are no longer shedding virus capable of infecting others. These individuals will be removed from the testing protocol for 90 days after their positive test and must:
Everyone coming to campus is required to complete and report a daily symptom check using the CoVerified app, described below. You will then be issued a "cleared” or “restricted” designation, depending on the results of this screening process.
Students who are designated as “cleared” will need to show this pass to NEC Public Safety staff when entering all NEC buildings. They will also need to scan their NEC ID card, as usual. Students who are issued a "restricted" designation should contact the Health and Counseling Center.
Employees, faculty, and staff who are designated as “cleared” will need to show this pass to NEC Public Safety staff when entering all NEC buildings. They will also need to scan their NEC ID card, as usual. Employees, faculty, and staff who are issued a “restricted” designation should self-quarantine if experiencing symptoms, and contact the Office of Human Resources prior to coming to campus.
Individuals that do not have a compatible smartphone or device for CoVerified app usage may complete a verbal symptom check with the Public Safety staff at building entrances.
- What if I can’t make it back to campus because of travel difficulties or COVID-related travel restrictions imposed by my home country?
If you encounter difficulty traveling to Boston, please get in touch with the Office of Student Services as soon as possible to talk through your options.
- How can I sign out a practice room?
You can find information about practice room policies on our Practice Room Reservations webpage.
- Where can I find room use policies and protocols?
Please find NEC's room use protocols here.
- Are masks required?
Masks are required in all public spaces and shared offices. Please see room use protocols for further details regarding masking in this area.
- May I come to campus if I am not yet fully vaccinated?
a.) If you are not fully vaccinated (defined by NEC as 2 weeks past the final dose of an approved vaccine), you must quarantine off-campus for 7 days.
b.) You may then come to campus if you upload proof of a negative COVID test no more than 72 hours before your arrival to campus.
c.) You must schedule an appointment for vaccination as soon as possible at https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/.
d.) All students, faculty and staff must follow CDC travel guidance for international travel and domestic travel as applicable before returning to campus.
- Should I show my vaccine card to security?
No. Vaccine documentation must be uploaded to the confidential Student Health Portal (students) or ADP (employees).
- Can I bring a guest on campus?
For a guest to be approved to come to campus, they must complete NEC's attestation form at least two business days prior to arrival.
- Will the cafeteria be open?
The cafeteria will be fully open during the academic calendar year - excluding holidays - and will also offer a grab-and-go option through the Transact program.
- Will guests be allowed in the residence hall?
Access to the dorm will be limited to current resident students and staff only.
- What happens if someone in the community tests positive for COVID-19?
Anyone in our testing protocol who tests positive is informed by a member of the HCC and contact tracing is initiated in conjunction with local board(s) of health. The positive community member will be instructed to isolate for a period of 10 days (or longer if directed by a healthcare provider), follow COVID-19 protocols, and to follow-up with their primary care provider. Appropriate cleaning and disinfection measures are instituted within NEC when necessary.
- Is NEC offering a fully remote option this year?
No. With limited exceptions for select classes, NEC is planning on a fully in-person academic year.
- What are the air quality measures in place in teaching spaces?
In preparation for the return to campus, our Facilities Services department has installed high-performance HEPA filtration devices and/or UV light systems for germicidal sanitization. Routine consultation with independent air safety specialists determine our best practices to enhance air quality and safety.
- How may I report a suspected infraction of NEC COVID protocols?
If you see or suspect a member of the community not following our guidelines, please notify Human Resources (for faculty and staff) or the Office of Student Services (for students) as soon as possible.
- Will I need to have regular COVID-19 tests this semester?
Routine COVID-19 testing of community members is one strategy that will help to identify infections on campus early and prevent the spread of infection. Please see our COVID-19 Testing Protocols page for more information.
- What are the hours of the Testing Center?
The NEC COVID-19 testing center is located in Jordan Hall 146-147 and operates Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (excluding holiday break). Please schedule your appointments in the CoVerified App.
- What should I do if I can’t make it to the Testing Center when it is open?
Please visit this website to find a testing location near you, and then upload a copy of your results to CoVerified. Please keep in mind that you must get a PCR test. Antigen tests are not accepted. Off-campus tests will not be reimbursed by NEC.
- Will I be required to quarantine if I am not fully vaccinated and determined to have been exposed to a community member with a positive test result?
People who are not fully vaccinated should quarantineand be tested immediately after being identified, and, if negative, tested again in 5–7 days after last exposure or immediately if symptoms develop during quarantine.
- If I am vaccinated and determined to have been exposed to a community member with a positive test result, will I be required to self-quarantine?
People who have been fully vaccinated, or who were previously diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last three months, do NOT need to self quarantine after exposure to an infected community member.
People who are fully vaccinated should get tested 5-7 days after exposure, and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result. They should also follow NEC masking protocols and monitor for symptoms for 14 days after exposure. A COVID-19 test should be repeated if symptoms of COVID-19 develop.
- What is the definition of a close contact?
The CDC defines a close contact as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). An infected person can spread SARS-CoV-2 starting from 2 days before they have any symptoms (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days before the positive specimen collection date), until they meet criteria for discontinuing home isolation.
In accordance with the Visitor and Guest COVID-19 Safety Measures Policy, New England Conservatory of Music (“NEC”) requires all visitors and guests to NEC’s campus, including, without limitation, all visiting faculty, guest artists, prospective students and/or their families, and other members of the general public to complete this COVID-19 Attestation Form and comply with NEC’s COVID-19 protocols as a condition of being on campus. This attestation form must be submitted at least two business days prior to arrival on campus. Any visitor or guest who has not completed this attestation will not be able to access campus.
- Who is making institutional decisions and protocols regarding COVID-19?
The Covid Response Team (CRT) has been meeting at least twice weekly throughout the pandemic to develop protocols, and make recommendations to the school’s senior leadership based on governmental and industry guidance.
Current members of the ERT are: Katrina Chapman (Counsel and Director of Compliance); Rebecca Bogers (Director/Dean of Prep School); Christina Davis (Dean of Students); Chris Hayden (Director of Facilities and Campus Safety Operations); Leah McKinnon-Howe (Director of Health Services); Nick Macke (Director of HR); Kristina Martin (AVP Finance); Lauren Puia (COVID-19 Test Center Coordinator and Nurse Practitioner) Benjamin Sosland (Provost and Dean of the Faculty); Valerie Szepiwdycz (Director of Marketing and Brand Strategy).
Members of the ERT are also in close contact with Boston Public Health authorities for the most up-to-date protocol guidance and requirements.
Have music to share? Send it to us via #NECMusicHub.
Information Technology Resources
Department Directory and Contacts
Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution Update: All people who live, work, or study in Massachusetts are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine regardless of residency status. We strongly encourage all members of the NEC Community to pursue COVID-19 vaccination.
Please follow these simple steps to:
Step 1: Check your eligibility
Step 2: Search for and schedule an appointment by entering your zip code. You will find 3 CVS stores that offer vaccine near at NEC by entering 02115.
Step 3: Prepare for your appointment
Please visit the Mass.gov website to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine or contact the Health & Counseling Center at 617-585-1284.
From platforms for classes to low-latency audio-visual for simultaneous ensemble playing, NEC is adopting new technology solutions to support a robust learning experience for online learning.
To ensure you have a smooth start, we are asking that you confirm you are able to access key technology resources as soon as possible to ensure that there is time to troubleshoot any issues.
If you are studying via the hybrid model and plan to use the computer lab, know that the lab will be operating on a reservation system due to COVID-19 protocols. Appointments will range from 15 minutes to a maximum of an hour.
We have heard from students whom, when purchasing personal technology, expressed an interest in more guidance on tools - hardware and software - that would reinforce their digital learning, recording, and music making experience. Below is a list of recommendations provided by our staff. If you do not have these items already, then consider purchasing them as soon as possible. We recognize that some of these items represent a financial investment. If you have experienced a hardship and currently have financial difficulty, then reach out to Financial Aid for potential assistance.
Recommended tech for students in order to benefit from low-latency remote connectivity:
Minimum computing recommendation: Quad core processor > 1.6ghz (ideally 2ghz or greater) with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. If your computer does not meet these specs, FastMusic is an alternative option. FastMusic is essentially a Soundjack audio transmission computer, and can be controlled with an older computer or even a smartphone.
Headphones: Open-ear designs are best for remote collaboration as you get a sense of your space. Closed-ear designs are best for recording, as the sound is isolated from the mic. Please consider your use case before purchasing. The AKG K240 is a semi-open headphone that may be considered for either use. Bluetooth will add significant latency so staying with wired headphones is recommended, and you may want to consider purchasing a headphone extension cable for more flexibility of movement.
Microphone: While no mic is ideal for every situation, we recommend a condenser mic (cardioid for front pickup or omni for 360-degree capture) and a low-latency interface. We have tested and can recommend the following, although please be aware of limitations of certain devices, as noted:
|
Device |
Notes |
|
Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 |
Currently does not work with Windows. |
|
Presonus Studio 24c |
|
|
MOTU2 |
Currently does not work with the Symphonics FastMusic Box. |
|
Audient Evo4 |
Requires a powered USB hub. |
|
Presonus Audiobox USB 96 |
|
|
Audient iD44 |
Requires wall power |
|
Audient id14 |
Requires wall power |
Don’t forget to get a mic cable and stand.
Other recommended gear and software:
Notation software (required for first-year undergraduates): NEC recommends using Sibelius
Recording software: NEC recommends that students use Reaper for recording as it works on both platforms, is very flexible, and has a lower price point than other options. ($60).
Required MIDI Keyboard for Theory Classes: M-Audio Keystation 49 MK3 49-key Keyboard Controller.
Purchasing gear:
While you may purchase from any dealer, the B&H EDU Advantage Program is free and available to faculty, staff, and students who are enrolled in accredited and approved programs. Signing up for the EDU Advantage Program entitles you to discounts with quick turn around when you order through EDU. Visit www.BandH.com/edu or email edumembership@bhphoto.com for more information.
The information on this page is designed for NEC undergraduate and graduate students in the College. Students in the NEC Preparatory School and the School of Continuing Education will continue to receive updates directly from their program. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our team should you have questions.