CARES Act Information
CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting Under the CARES Act
VanderCook College of Music is grateful for receipt of federal assistance to cope with the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic, making a transition to distance learning, and providing a safe environment for our students and staff. To see the most the college's quarterly report of spending, click the link, below:
October 30, 2020: HEERF Quarterly Reporting
December 30, 2020: HEERF Quarterly Reporting
March 31, 2021: HEERF Quarterly Reporting
June 30, 2021: HEERF Quarterly Reporting
September 30, 2021: HEERF Quarterly Reporting
1. VanderCook College of Music acknowledges that the institution has received funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and signed and returned the Certification and Agreement to the Department of Education with the assurance that the institution has used, or intends to use, no less than 50% of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1)of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
2. VanderCook College of Music has received $79,113 from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is as follows:
• May 25, 2020 - $63,575.00
• July 7, 2020 - $500.00
• August 21, 2020 - $2,830.00
• October 5, 2020 - $0.00
4. The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 61. This includes students enrolled in the BMEd, MCert and TCEP programs.
5. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the following dates are:
• May 25, 2020 - 63
• July 7, 2020 - 1
• August 21, 2020 - 1
• October 5, 2020 - 0
6. The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is as follows:
• All full- and part-time Title IV-eligible students with a completed FAFSA on record and enrolled in coursework at VanderCook College of Music in May, 2020, were issued a check for $350 to offset the costs of the disruption provided by the coronavirus pandemic.
• Additional funds were made available to students enrolled in VanderCook’s pending receipt of an Emergency Grant Application, in which students were asked to request funds to cover specific costs associated with the disruption such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and/or child care.
• The first round of applications needed to be received by May 11, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. and awards were granted on May 30.
• Additional funding will be made available to students pending an application.
7. The instructions provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants encompassed the following:
• An email was sent to all students informing them of their eligibility for special assistance, when to expect their $350 check, and how to apply for additional funding (see above). A follow-up email was sent to all students who never completed a FAFSA informing them that they, too, may be eligible for funding pending receipt of the approved FAFSA. VanderCook’s financial aid officers were listed as contacts.
• In addition, the undergraduate dean and the college president met with VanderCook's Student Senate to inform them of this plan and to answer their questions about allowable purchases, eligibility and timing of funding.
The leadership team at VanderCook cautiously moved forward with plans to safely reconvene for the 2020/2021 academic year. Plans were based on the latest research and guidance from trusted sources, in addition to the guidelines set forth by the IBHE, CDC and the Illinois Institute of Technology whose campus we share.
Class sizes were adjusted to accommodate social distancing, and students are expected to wear face coverings while in the building. In order to accommodate students who are concerned about health risks on a particular day, all class sessions are streamed and available to view online.
Much of the VanderCook curriculum is grounded in experiential learning and ensemble experiences. Large ensembles will meet and divide into smaller sections to rehearse, until it is deemed safe to come together as a full ensemble. Chamber ensembles may meet in-person and online on alternating weeks. Some techniques classes may be divided to allow for students to attend in-person one day and online the other scheduled class day. All traditional lecture-style classes have been given an assigned time within the schedule, and faculty are encouraged to offer more opportunities for online gathering, flipped classrooms and flexible instruction as we move through the semester. We continue to develop relationships with area schools in order to provide internship and practicum experiences for our teacher candidates.
A practice room/space is assigned to a smaller pod of students who are responsible for scheduling time and sharing that space. For practice rooms, ensembles, and techniques classes the following guidelines must be followed:
• Hand sanitizing stations are placed around the college for frequent use by students, faculty, staff and visitors.
• Doors and windows must be open at the beginning and end of each class and practice session (weather permitting) to ensure that students will minimize touching door knobs or handles, and to allow for air to circulate around the space.
• Musicians should refrain from sharing classroom materials such as valve oil, pens or pencils, paper, iPads, instruments, or other supplies.
• Musicians should not touch or move other students’ instruments, music, mouthpieces or cases.
• It is the responsibility of the individual musician to disinfect shared equipment such as mallets, cymbals, or other percussion equipment.
• Frequently touched objects in the classroom, including music stands, door knobs, switches, keyboards, faucets, and other applicable objects, will be disinfected appropriately by individual musicians and cleaning staff.
Each classroom’s social distancing capacity is as follows (this may evolve when further information is available):
Room 100 (1152²) = 24 students + 1 faculty
Room 108 (352²) = 7 students + 1 faculty
Room 130 (1737²) = 37 students + 1 faculty
Room 219 (414²) = 8 students + 1 faculty
Room 221 (322²) = 6 students + 1 faculty
Room 225 (479²) = 8 students + 1 faculty
Q120 = (3479²) = 49 students + 1 faculty (under current guidelines)
Piano Lab = (345²) = 8 students + 1 faculty
M116 = (820²) = 21 students + 1 faculty
M100 = (270²) = 6 students + 1 faculty
M113 = (352²) = 8 students + 1 faculty
Shared spaces: Shared spaces include the break rooms, workspaces, classrooms, and practice rooms:
•Faculty, staff and students will be reducing the number of in-person meetings as much as possible.
•Seating must accommodate six feet or more of social distance in all instances.
• Classrooms have been provided only the number of chairs allowed in that space.
•Each classroom is equipped with sanitizing supply stations, and faculty and students should wipe down shared furniture and equipment at the start and end of every class.
•Whiteboard pens and erasers are removed in all settings, and individuals are encouraged to bring their own, as needed.
•Practice rooms will be assigned to small pods of students with attention given to those who live in the same space.
•Ensembles will be rehearsing outside or in large spaces, with an emphasis on chamber music and small ensemble or flex music. Social distancing recommendations of at least six feet (or more) will be adhered to in all techniques and ensemble classes.
•The appropriate PPE is provided for specific instrumentation. These include “singers masks” for all vocal majors, plastic shields for flutes, bell covers for all wind instruments, and plastic bags and rubber bands for all woodwind instruments.
•When given in-person, applied lessons will take place in a larger space than the practice rooms. The rooms available for lessons include M100, M113, M114, 108, 219, and 221.
Current COVID-19 Guilelines
Life at VanderCook in Fall 2020
Academic Course Schedule. The revised academic schedule is available online. The updated academic schedule provides the time, place and type of delivery that will be used for each fall 2020 course. All courses have been assigned a time and space for students to attend synchronous online classes in a room that is safe and provides internet connectivity.
VanderCook College of Music remains flexible and prepared to adjust, as needed, in dealing with the fluid situation presented by COVID-19. Weekly institutional decisions will be made on the delivery of instruction for the following week.
•Student organizations are encouraged to meet virtually. If meeting in-person, these should take place outside or in the 3125 Great Hall space.
•The IIT Health and Wellness Center continues to provide mental health services virtually and will provide in-person health services by appointment.
The best way to contact them is via email at student.health@iit.edu or by phone 312.567.7550.
Facilities. VanderCook is committed to providing a safe environment throughout our buildings and classrooms. Signage, markings, sanitizing stations and space modifications are some of the efforts being made to create a safe environment.
The Piano Lab has been moved to M116 to provide for social distancing.
Signage. COVID-19-specific signage and markings in the VCM buildings are present to inform/remind community members and visitors of required measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Compliance with posted signs and notices is required.
Elevators, Stairs and Hallways. Using stairs instead of elevators is encouraged, whenever possible. If using an elevator, no more than one passenger should be in the space at any one time. In the 3140 building, the South stairs will be used as the UP stairs and the North stairs used as the DOWN stairs. In the 3125 building, the East stairs will be used as the UP stairs and the West stairs as the DOWN Stairs.
Lockers are assigned to individual students with spacing between lockers to allow for distancing.
In hallways, signage will emphasize maintaining social distancing as people pass each other.
Housing/Food Services