Planning for the Fall 2021 Semester

As we mark the first anniversary since the rapid expansion of COVID-19 forced St. John’s University and the entire higher education community to transition to remote activities, we pause to reflect upon all that the experiences of the last 12 months have taught us.

All of us have grieved over the losses we have suffered as a result of the pandemic. We prayerfully remember the 500,000+ lives lost to COVID-19, most especially members of the large and extended family of St. John’s as well as all who mourn the loss of loved ones. We recognize the serious emotional impact and economic strains that the ongoing pandemic inflicts on society. We hope that our losses may make us wiser in learning not to take anything for granted.

As we remember the past, we also prepare for the future. The University is eagerly preparing for the fall 2021 semester. Our operating plans call for a complete return to business operations that are safe and reflect what is often referred to as the “new normal.” There is no doubt that college campuses will look and act differently because of COVID-19, but as course registration for the fall semester begins, I want you to know that we are planning an academic schedule that will look like our traditional, pre-COVID-19 academic experience. An overwhelming majority of courses will be delivered in-person while still providing students with the option of having some academic program delivery in an online learning format. Our programming aims to resume a full slate of normal campus activities—including classes, extra-curricular events, increased residence life capacity, athletic competition, special events, internships, study abroad, and more—all beginning in the fall.

Our mutual commitment to campus health is at the center of all our planning and protocols. The well-being and safety of students and employees are always the highest priority of St. John's. We will continue to maintain a safe and active learning environment. All of our COVID-19 decision-making is guided by federal, state, and local guidelines and recommended best practices as we anticipate a return to relative normalcy in the months ahead.

During a typical academic year, there are regular and almost rhythmic routines to life on campus—crowded hallways, cheering fans, student gatherings—that we come to expect but may not have always appreciated until they had been temporarily taken away from us. The very idea of an academic year that does not culminate with Commencement—unfathomable before the start of the COVID-19 health crisis—is now an unfortunate reality. Be assured that the University remains committed to honoring the achievements of the Class of 2020 and 2021 in person in a meaningful way when circumstances permit.

As I walk the campus grounds, spring is in the air, our Lenten journey continues, and signs of new life and resurrection are present. Together, we have overcome many challenges, and together we will face whatever the future holds. I truly believe that hope and optimism will lead us to the other side of the pandemic. I am confident that we will renew ourselves as a community, grow into the University that God wants us to be, and continue to serve others in the Vincentian tradition. Let us continue to pray that God will keep our community safe and bless us as we build the new post-COVID St. John’s University.

—Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P.
President