Planning for the Fall 2020 Semester

It has been almost three months since St. John’s University closed its campuses in accordance with stay-at-home orders to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As states across the nation are gradually opening up, higher education institutions are planning and preparing for a return to campus in the fall semester.

On May 1, 2020, I announced the appointment of the cross-functional Return to Campus Task Force (RCTF) to develop a comprehensive plan for the safe and gradual return to campus of our students and employees in the coming academic year. The task force, co-chaired by General Counsel Joseph Oliva and Provost Simon Møller, is comprised of administrators and faculty from various units. Guided by local, state and federal public health guidelines, the RCTF has focused on developing social distancing strategies, health and safety measures, outbreak responses, communication plans and mental health counseling initiatives. As always, the health and safety of students, faculty, administrators, and staff will remain our highest priority in developing plans for reopening the campus in the fall semester. 

As presented during the virtual meeting attended by members of the President’s Advisory Council (PAC), Academic and Administrative Assembly (AAA), and invited campus leaders on May 22, 2020, below is a summary of the University’s current plans pertaining to the delivery of academic programs, health and safety measures to protect students and employees, and preliminary timeline of activities to prepare for campus reopening in the fall semester.

Delivery of Academic Programs

The delivery of academic programs is a critical component in our campus reopening plans. Following social distancing guidelines, a flexible instructional format is being planned to provide students with a hybrid of face-to-face instruction and online instruction. Students on campus will be able to avail of both in-class instruction and remote synchronous/asynchronous instruction through various technology tools.

As part of the scenario planning for the delivery of academic programs, the Office of the Provost is working with deans, department chairs and program directors to determine which fall classes are best suited for face-to-face instruction or for online instruction. Three possible scenarios are being envisioned for class offerings which will be refined based on public health guidelines as the summer progresses:

• Hybrid Scenario 1: Mostly face-to-face instruction and less online instruction
• Hybrid Scenario 2: Some face-to-face instruction and some online instruction
• Hybrid Scenario 3: Less face-to-face and mostly online instruction 

Based on recommended health and safety measures, a preliminary assessment of the seating capacity for all classrooms in Queens, Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Staten Island campuses has been conducted. Using the six feet social distancing guideline, the existing seating capacity for each campus ranges from 34 percent, 49 percent, 53 percent, to 39 percent, respectively. To expand the face-to-face instructional seating capacity, the feasibility of repurposing non-classroom venues (such as Taffner Field House and DAC multi-purpose rooms) for instructional purposes is being explored. The option of adding other temporary classroom facilities is also being considered.

Since we started implementation of our strategic priority to enhance the teaching and learning environment, more than 85 percent of University classrooms have already been updated with technology tools that facilitate face-to-face, synchronous, and asynchronous instruction. These technology tools, including lecture capture and livestreaming, are being installed in additional classrooms this summer to provide more flexibility in the hybrid delivery of academic programs. Classes already being offered online in previous years will continue to be offered online in the fall. In addition, classes that transitioned successfully to an online format this spring semester and are anticipated to be offered in the fall will be considered to continue in an online format.

To enhance the delivery of academic programs using technology tools, Canvas, a learning management system (LMS), will be available for use starting this fall semester. Canvas is the leading LMS in higher education today. In order to teach hybrid and online classes, the Online Teaching Essentials (OTE) certification program will be offered during the summer. Faculty who are not OTE certified are encouraged to avail themselves of this professional development program by informing their department chair who will coordinate with the Office of Online Learning and Services. The Office of Online Learning and Services has also developed two self-paced foundational modules. The first module (3 hours) deals with Canvas, WebEx, and accessibility and inclusion, and the second module (6 hours) focuses on the fundamentals of online pedagogy. Faculty who are not planning on becoming OTE certified over the summer are encouraged to complete the two self-paced foundational modules.

In early March, when the campus was considering the possibility of transitioning to remote learning due to the spread of COVID-19, Provost Møller formed the Academic Task Force composed of faculty and administrators from various academic units and offices. The Academic Task Force has been working closely with the Provost, deans, chairs, and faculty in:

• providing virtual support to faculty seeking assistance in online teaching
• identifying gaps and solutions in course continuity from in-class to online instruction
• conducting the academic technology survey and faculty transition to online instruction survey
• reviewing various COVID-19 related academic guidelines, including the development of the optional pass/fail grading system, extension of mid-term exam due date and course withdrawal due dates for the benefit of students and faculty still in transition mode.

In planning the delivery of academic programs, there are additional questions being considered:

• Is it feasible to ensure that the majority of students will have at least one or two face-to-face classes in the fall?
• Should incoming first-year students be given priority when scheduling face-to-face classes since this is their first year in college?
• Is it feasible to adopt rotating classroom occupancy so that groups of students in the same class can rotate between face-to-face and remote learning using lecture capture and livestreaming technology tools?
• Can we offer sufficient flexibility to students so that they can livestream face-to-face, on campus courses if they are not comfortable coming to campus?
• Should we expand in-class instruction to seven days a week to allow for more classes to be offered and still maintain the recommended social distancing guidelines?
• Can we offer two terms in the fall semester to allow students to split course credit loads and facilitate the transition to online learning in case of an infection surge in the community?
• Should we plan for face-to-face classes to conclude during Thanksgiving break so that students do not have to return to campus, and instead allow review sessions, reading days, and final exams/projects to be conducted remotely during the last two weeks of the semester?

The Academic Task Force will take the lead in exploring these questions and will submit their recommendations to the President’s Advisory Council and Provost Deans’ Council. The deans will discuss these recommendations with their department chairs and faculty. Input and suggestions from the campus community are welcome and can be sent to Associate Provost Linda Shannon ([email protected]), Academic Task Force chair. 

Employee Work Environment

A risk mitigation strategy for employees such as rolling occupancy is being developed, including flexible on-campus and remote working schedules and office spaces. Steps are being undertaken to ensure appropriate physical distancing in all work areas to reduce office density. Installation of protective equipment (e.g., Plexiglass barriers/shields) in high volume areas on campus has already started. Offices are being mapped out to identify critical high-traffic areas or potential hot spots so that the appropriate risk mitigation strategies can be designed. Employees who are concerned about returning to campus due to pre-existing health conditions are encouraged to contact the Office of Human Resources. 

Health and Safety Measures

As part of the RCTF plan, adequate supplies of face masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for students, faculty, administrators, staff, and visitors to St. John’s campuses are being secured. All members of the campus community will be encouraged to wear face masks. Face shields will also be produced using the University’s 3-D printers as additional PPE. Plans are being developed to provide a sufficient supply of hand sanitizer, soap, and individual hand sanitizer dispensing stations throughout the campus. Enhanced cleaning protocols will be implemented so that all physical space on campus is sanitized and disinfected daily, and high-volume areas will be sanitized and disinfected throughout the day. 

Mapping the room configuration of residence halls has also been initiated to determine the appropriate density plan for occupancy. Based on public health guidelines, preliminary estimates show that the occupancy of residence hall rooms may have to be reduced to a range of 59 percent to 75 percent of pre-COVID-19 capacity. Similar mapping initiatives are being explored for cafeterias and other open spaces. Distance signage will be designed and placed in many key locations on campus to remind community members to practice social distancing whenever possible. 

A plan is being developed to implement comprehensive testing, tracing, and monitoring protocols in collaboration with a local healthcare system and public health officials. Voluntary temperature checks will also be considered as another precautionary tool. Due to the possibility that individual community members living on campus might test positive or be exposed to COVID-19, a temporary quarantine facility is planned to be designated on the Queens campus for those living on campus and who do not need to be hospitalized. Decision processes for shutdown plans and emergency communications regarding building closures, dorm closures, and/or University-wide closures will also be developed in the event that there is a surge in COVID-19 cases. In addition, plans will be developed to expand mental health counseling resources for students and employees, including teletherapy.

Preliminary Timeline of Activities

Contingent upon the release of and adherence to New York State (NYS) guidelines on campus reopening for colleges and universities, a preliminary timeline of activities has been drafted in accordance with the recommendations provided to the Governor’s office by the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities Restart Task Force. This includes a gradual restart (May 2020 – August 2020) in which there will be no in-person classes with limited exceptions, and opening of residence halls to prepare for fall semester move-in with full operations to start in August. During the next three months, the preliminary timeline of activities and plan of work are as follows:

• Continue ongoing development of strategies and action steps for campus reopening.
• Present preliminary and updated plans to Board of Trustees, PAC, AAA, and campus leaders.
• Communicate plan of action and provide updates to campus community.
• Implement gradual campus reopening plans contingent on NYS guidelines for employees (June-July 2020) and students (July-August 2020).
• Initiate return to campus plans, particularly those that will require lead time to implement.
• Closely monitor implementation, seek feedback, and adjust strategies as necessary.

As we continue planning throughout the summer, we will provide the campus community with regular updates and relevant information regarding reopening plans for the fall 2020 semester. I pray and hope that we can welcome all members of the St. John’s University community, most especially our incoming and returning students, to campus in the fall semester. 

Best wishes for a safe and pleasant summer.

Conrado "Bobby" Gempesaw, Ph.D., President