Support Our Student Community

Dear Colleagues,

Students from around the country and international locations are making their travel plans to begin the fall semester at St. John’s University while Governor Cuomo continues to evaluate how to mitigate the risk of travelers to New York State. As of July 24, New York’s COVID-19 travel advisory includes 31 states and requires a 14-day quarantine of all travelers from these areas.

With the health and safety of all in mind, students that need to comply will be moving into the residence halls on Saturday, August 1, where they will quarantine for 14 days. The remaining resident students will schedule their time to return during the week of August 17.

Students who arrive on August 1 will be in their own room and must stay in that room at all times. They cannot leave the room for any reason—including socializing, walks, or shopping. Food will be delivered daily, and they will be encouraged to stock their minifridge. More than 100 of these students are starting their first year at St. John's University—and alone for 14 days. We are coordinating virtual events and programming during this time, but these students would benefit from connecting with members of the University community.

How can you help support our students? There are two very important roles that you may choose from to serve our students:

1. Johnnies Care Buddy

As a “Care Buddy,” faculty, administration, and staff will be introduced to 3–5 quarantined students. The Care Buddy will reach out to their matched students each day from August 1 through August 15 (including Saturdays and Sundays) by phone, WebEx, or Teams. We expect that each call may take up to 30 minutes and will be incredibly meaningful in resolving issues and building connections to St. John’s. If you can be a friendly voice, an empathetic listener, and are able to direct a student to answers, we ask that you consider sharing some time with our students.

Please indicate your interest by taking a few moments to complete the Johnnies Care Buddy form, and let us know how many students you are able to be matched with for these 14 days.

2. Residence Hall Lobby Coverage

While the students are quarantined, it is vital that the appropriate people are there to answer questions and ensure safety. We are asking for volunteers to provide a presence in the lobby from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

All who volunteer for this vital function will be in a protected area of a residence hall lobby and can effectively do their work from this space while providing general oversight of the lobby. There will be no interaction with the quarantined students.

There are multiple buildings and 14 days to cover, so there are many scheduling options from which to choose from on the Residence Hall Lobby Desk Coverage form.

We will host an orientation for our volunteers prior to August 1 to provide more detailed information about the experience and answer any questions you may have.

Thank you for your consideration and please contact us with any concerns or suggestions you may have.

Kathryn T. Hutchinson, Ph.D., Vice President for Student Affairs

Simon G. Møller, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs