April 16, 2020
Dear USC Thornton Faculty and Staff,
The sun has returned after a week of overcast mornings in Los Angeles and brought some good news. Social distancing seems to be working. Despite the physical distance between us, I continue to feel such a strong sense of community within the Thornton School. I’ve said this before and I will say it again, your tireless response to this pandemic has been so heartening.
Updates from the University
While there has been some good news in flattening the curve in California, many questions remain. I am in daily briefings with the President’s Office, Provost Zukoski, and Deans across the university, and I remain in frequent contact with our partners in music schools across the world. I understand it is difficult when new decisions and policies are announced almost weekly, but this is a shifting landscape that does seem to be settling into a more predictable situation. For up-to-date information, check the USC coronavirus website regularly.
Looking ahead to Fall 2020
We are in active discussion about when and how USC Thornton will return to campus. Looking ahead to the Fall 2020 semester, we hope that Thornton will have returned to normal operations but we are also actively exploring contingencies if adjustments prove necessary. I’ve found that all of our partner institutions are adopting a similar mindset and we are sharing ideas with one another. If you have thoughts about what we can do if we are not 100% normal in the fall, I would love to hear them.
Faculty Promotions
I’m happy to announce that some things are proceeding normally despite the current circumstances. I’d like to extend congratulations to the following faculty members who recently received promotions:
- Jeffrey Allen, Associate Professor of Practice
- Rotem Gilbert, Professor of Practice
- Ted Hearne, Associate Professor, with tenure
- Chris Roze, Assistant Professor of Practice
Daily Trojan Features Arts Schools
There was a really touching article in Wednesday’s Daily Trojan showcasing the teaching being done online in the arts schools. Congratulations to all of you for making this happen. I think this article perfectly captures the dedication you have shown to our students and to their learning. It is nice to see it is appreciated by our students as well!
That’s all for now.
Thank you,
Robert Cutietta
Dean, USC Thornton School of Music