Weather conditions warrant a two hour delay for opening the College today (classes and offices). Essential employees should report to campus as usual.

SJC Alert for Friday, February 4: This is a message from Saint Joseph’s College. Due to prevailing weather conditions, classes will be canceled and offices closed. Essential employees should report to campus as usual. Please monitor the campus website, e-mail, voice, and text messages for further details about what services will remain available and for potential parking lot closures or plowing announcements.

SJC Alert for Monday, January 17: Due to a predicted winter storm, classes will be canceled and offices closed. Essential employees should report to campus as usual on Monday. Please monitor the campus website, e-mail, and text messages for further details about what services will remain available and for potential parking lot closures or plowing announcements. Important: COVID entry testing will NOT be offered – please do not arrive on campus Monday. Revised entry testing schedule to come from Pandemic Response Team.

Due to weather conditions today, Feb. 16, 2021, classes will be conducted remotely and staff will work remotely. Essential employees should report to campus.

For the latest on Covid-19 developments at Saint Joseph’s College, please visit SJC’s Campus Health Dashboard.

UPDATE: On 7/21/2020, Human Resources updated the Face Covering Policy.

As a learning community, we can each play a role in enhancing the level of security and personal health on campus, and at the same time, we can all work together to limit the spread of infectious viruses, germs, and other illnesses. Collectively, we can all take small actions in our daily lives that significantly reduce the spread of these illnesses and allow each of us to pursue our goals at Saint Joseph’s College.

One of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of viruses such as COVID-19 is by covering your face, especially when you are inside and in close proximity to others.  Consequently, data on the effectiveness of face masks are clear – when an entire community establishes a culture of wearing face masks indoors and in other settings when social distance can’t be ensured, the risk of transmission from one person to another is significantly lowered.

In advance of a new semester, it’s important to communicate to all College community members, (students, faculty, and staff) the expectations we will have for everyone as they complete their studies, teach their classes, and perform their work, with respect to social distancing, PPE (personal protective equipment) and other forms of face coverings.

Starting Monday, June 22nd, all faculty, staff, and students working in classrooms or other indoor environments will be required to wear an appropriate form of face covering (mask, face shield, or other covering of the nose and mouth). Not only does this expectation increase our own safety and the safety of others, it is also in compliance with State law.

Of note, we anticipate this requirement will be in place for most in-person classes on campus, and as such, all students and faculty in on-campus classrooms will be required to wear appropriate PPE on campus. When students, faculty, or staff can maintain appropriate social distancing on campus, either by being outside, in a private residence hall room, or in private offices, face coverings are still recommended, but not required.

Recognizing that this decision impacts all members of our community, face masks and other PPE will be available to all students, faculty, and staff, at no cost. Information on when, and how, these will be made available will be sent in a separate communication to the specific groups in our community. Although we anticipate a large quantity of PPE will be distributed across campus, all are still welcome to wear their own personal face masks, face shields, and other PPE, as long as they are clean, appropriate, and worn in a way that covers both your nose and mouth.

Covering your face with an appropriate mask does more than protect the wearer. It also protects other people around you, and those close to us. Using appropriate methods to socially distance ourselves when we can, and covering our faces when we can’t, protects our parents, children, spouses, partners, friends, and other family members, especially those in our lives who are particularly at risk. Simply put, distancing ourselves and covering your nose and mouth with a face mask is an extension of our shared College value of compassion.

As we have done since the arrival of COVID-19, the College Pandemic Virus Response Team, the College Leadership Team, and department directors across campus will continue to evaluate relevant information about the pandemic throughout the summer and into the fall semester. Any changes or modifications to these expectations will be communicated directly to all members of the College community.

Thank you all for your commitment to our community’s health and safety.

Dear Colleagues,

As you undoubtedly know, Governor Mills this afternoon issued an Executive Order that further limits which businesses can operate in Maine through April 8th.

The College, and all institutions of higher education in Maine, are defined by the Department of Homeland Security and, therefore, the Governor’s order, as an “essential business.”  As such, we will continue to operate in a safe and healthy way.

Nevertheless, in the interest of supporting the Governor’s Order and in the interest of public health and safety, the College will continue the process it has begun to limit the number of employees who are working on campus.  Those who are approved to work on campus will, of course, need to follow the CDC guidance on appropriate social distancing and workplace safety. While we are grateful that the measures we have taken thus far appear to be keeping our community members safe, we are staying in touch with all members of the campus community in order to keep everyone current on the latest recommendations as well as to monitor the health of our community.

Over two thirds of our campus community has already transitioned to remote work and learning and we are continuing to move our workforce in this direction. Over the next few days, Leadership Team members and managers will be working with their teams to continue developing protocols–including formal approval to work on campus– that will allow us to function safely and effectively. You will be hearing from them as to how your department or unit will operate during the time of the Governor’s Order.

More importantly, we want you, your families, your neighbors and friends–both on campus and off–to be safe and healthy.  Please take the Governor’s message to heart: limit the contact you have with people beyond your immediate household cluster, shop only when you need to for only the essentials you need, and be mindful that we are all in this together.

Best wishes,
Jim Dlugos
President

Dear Saint Joseph’s College Community,

The constantly changing landscape surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus means that our response must be equally dynamic in order to keep our community safe and healthy. That has been our approach from the beginning of this global crisis: to move thoughtfully, with great care to protect our students, sustain their education, and uphold our community values.

The landscape has changed once again. Maine is now seeing the same potential community spread of the virus that other states have experienced. Many people have not heeded urgent warnings about social distancing, both in our community and across the globe. Meanwhile, both the President of the United States and our Governor have issued State of Emergency declarations that shift the guidelines of social distancing, self-isolation, school closings, and more. These broad-based orders – along with our specific awareness of life in our college community – has led us to develop enhanced measures to protect students, faculty, and staff and their families from this outbreak.

Today we are announcing the beginning of a process to reduce all non-essential operations at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. All students must leave campus by 5 PM on Wednesday, March 18th. 

Today, Monday, March 16, will be the final day of in-person classroom learning for the semester. As previously announced, all classes will move to distance learning formats no later than Wednesday, March 18th. Faculty members are already coordinating with students to make the learning experience as enriching as possible. Our Library/Learning Commons and Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) will communicate directly with students about the support available to enhance their distance learning experience. Our Nursing, Education, and Social Work programs have suspended their clinical and field placements indefinitely, and faculty have informed those students. We are following guidance from the relevant accreditors to allow flexibility in students finishing their field/clinical work and all students in these programs will be able to finish their semester course expectations at a distance.

All student services, including dining services, will be closing over the next few days. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be an opportunity for residential students to move out of their residences for the remainder of the semester. Students should hand their keys to the Campus Safety Office in Standish Hall, or Student Engagement & Residential Living in Heffernan Center before they leave. Please take what you need. If you must leave belongings behind, the College will help you retrieve them at a later date. Please call Residential Living at 207-893-6603 if you have questions, but please realize that our staff is handling many calls, and they will respond as soon as possible.

We know that every decision of this magnitude inspires more questions, especially in a scenario as fluid as this one is. We ask your patience as we continue to focus on the most critical concern: keeping our students safe, healthy, and educated. However, there are pressing concerns you may have that you can direct to specific departments:

• Our policies on rebates to room and board charges are currently under review. Because of the number of students affected, the individualized nature of these costs, and the need to assess the potential impact of any changes on students’ Federal aid, this review will take some time. We will be communicating updates on this process in a separate communication at a later time. Meanwhile, please write to studentfinancialservices@sjcme.edu if you have questions.

• Non-essential student employment will end beginning today. In some cases, remote work may be possible. Students should contact their supervisors to discuss arrangements. We know this will be a hardship for some students, and we are committed to working with you to ease the impact of this moment.

• All on-campus admissions events will be cancelled beginning today, including the two Admitted Student Days that were scheduled for March 21 and April 4. The Admissions Office is in the process of rescheduling these events and will let you students know when there is more information. Please call Admissions  at 1-800-338-7057 for more information.

• All community classes and workshops will be cancelled beginning today. The Alfond Center and the College’s Art Studios will be closed.

• Commencement and all end-of-year celebrations will be suspended. We share in the disappointment this news will cause seniors and their families, and we are actively exploring alternative ways to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates. You will be recognized for the amazing strides you have made, your contributions to the life of this college, and the limitless potential that your commencement represents for you and the world as Alumni of Saint Joseph’s College.

• We continue to work on telecommuting transition plans for staff in roles where remote work can be accomodated, while maintaining essential staff on campus to support the needs of students and support the continued business of the College.

These transitions and closures at Saint Joseph’s were decisions that we tried mightily to avoid. We always strive to create an educational and community experience that is welcoming, fulfilling, and uninterrupted. We have made these decisions as part of our effort to “flatten the curve” of this spreading virus, in the hopes that we can get back to what we do best, as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, we will continue our work of building and nurturing community, albeit temporarily at a distance. You can expect to hear from us in the days and weeks ahead as we introduce new channels of communication, additional digital resources, and new programs designed to sustain the Saint Joseph’s family during this time. From the beginning, the Sisters of Mercy made adaptation and innovation a hallmark of their approach. Now it’s time for us to take up their mantle.

Thank you, as always, for your patience, your compassion, and the encouragement that many of you have sent to me and my colleagues over the past week. I’ve said it many times before, and even more frequently this week: we are a community that takes care of each other. Thanks to each and every one of you for fulfilling that promise in this difficult time.

Sincerely,
James S. Dlugos, Ph.D.
President

Good afternoon students, faculty, and staff,

Today we are announcing the transition from all classroom-based instruction to alternative/distance formats at Saint Joseph’s College, for the duration of the Spring 2020 semester. This means that the last in-person classes will take place on Tuesday, March 17th, and only distance learning will be offered starting Wednesday, March 18th. Students in clinical/field placements should consult with their faculty with regards to what this transition means to them.

Our faculty have been preparing for this eventuality for several weeks and are ready to support you in finishing your Spring coursework at a distance. The faculty teaching your courses will be in touch with you this coming week to explain the details of the transition, and how your specific courses will operate once this change occurs.

Students and their families should begin the process of deciding their best path forward that takes into account their individual needs. While we are taking appropriate precautions to make our campus as safe as possible for all campus constituents, we are allowing current resident students to make the decision to stay on-campus. In addition to the link below, all resident students will receive a communication from our Residential Living staff outlining a process to guide your transition.

Some of our students may need to remain on campus because of specialized field work and clinical placements. Other students may wish to remain on campus due to campus-based or other area employment. And still others may choose to remain on campus if that option feels safer for them, instead of traveling to areas that have seen wider outbreaks of coronavirus.

Whether you decide to remain in residence or not, all instruction is moving to a distance format starting next Wednesday.

This transition will impact different members of our community in different ways, but it will also be an orderly shift that honors our values and our strengths as a community. Above all, we are committed to helping our students complete their education this semester.

In order to minimize possible transmission scenarios, students who decide to move off campus will not be permitted to return for the remainder of the Spring Semester. If you decide to remain on campus, you will need to fill out a Housing Request Form. Once you do, the appropriate member of our staff will reach out to you. Alongside discussions with their professors, students should also check in with their on-campus employer to determine possible accommodations for continued student work.

Campus will remain open. The Learning Commons, Health and Wellness Center, Counseling Center staff, and other offices will all be available to assist students who remain on-campus. If a student is experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 or the flu, we ask that they call the Health Center before visiting any of these locations to set up an appointment so that alternate service delivery might be arranged. The Alfond Center will remain open with modified programming.

However, we are announcing other immediate changes to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible:

• Following the NCAA announcement on Thursday afternoon to cancel all remaining winter and spring championships, and recognizing the spread and ongoing threat of COVID-19, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Presidents Council voted unanimously last night to make the difficult decision to call off all spring competition, practices, and championships for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.

• We are developing different methods for enhancing the safety of our campus food services. Pearson’s has a to-go policy, and starting today we are waiving the surcharge for to-go containers. We will announce other measures as they are developed.

• We are looking closely at all planned events on campus. Admitted Students Day is currently being reviewed. And while we are focused on the next few weeks, it is clear that Commencement may be impacted by this pandemic.

Finally, if you have been in a high-risk environment, you should not return to the Saint Joseph’s College campus. If you have questions about your possible exposure, or which locations are currently considered high-risk, please call the Health Center.

This pandemic has created uncertainty and anxiety not just for students and parents, but for people across Maine and around the world. All of us at Saint Joseph’s College are focused on reducing uncertainty in order to reduce anxiety and maintain good health. We are not taking steps based on panic, rumors, or because other institutions have reacted differently. We are monitoring developments by the minute, and then proceeding thoughtfully to make decisions that keeps our community safe.

Thank you for your attention to these communications, and your help in making this a successful transition for yourself and others. If you have questions, please email coronaquestions@sjcme.edu, and they will be routed to the appropriate member of our staff.

I often get asked by people who are just discovering Saint Joseph’s, what makes this place special? My answer is that we are a community in all senses of the word. We care for each other. We learn from each other. And we develop learners who are prepared to sustain communities all over the world. Times like these can test communities, but they can also make our shared values much clearer. I am so grateful to every person here for their empathy, patience, and community-mindedness throughout this situation. The best way to get through this is together, and I know that’s just what we will do.

Sincerely,
James S. Dlugos, Ph.D.
President

Good evening students, faculty, and staff.

This is an update on coronavirus preparations from the Saint Joseph’s Pandemic Virus Response Team. We use these communications to keep our community prepared to respond as events unfold, which will help us support each other with respect and integrity through this period. Keeping you safe and informed is our highest priority.

What you need to know today:

• At this time, there have been no cases of COVID-19 coronavirus identified in Maine or on the Saint Joseph’s College campus.

• The College continues to follow the latest recommendations from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | CDC and World Health Organization: WHO on such incidents regarding college and university campuses.

• Students, faculty, and staff who have returned from Spring Break travel in areas known to have experienced outbreaks of coronavirus have informed the College. The Response Team is working closely with the Maine CDC to handle each case in a safe and responsible way, to keep our community safe. We are approaching these cases from a place of compassion, treating each person with the respect and personal attention they deserve.

Effective today, the Response Team, in coordination with the Leadership Team, is issuing the following guidelines for all faculty, staff, students, and community members:

• All College-related international travel is prohibited.

• All personal international travel is strongly discouraged.

• All College-related non-essential domestic air travel is prohibited.

• We strongly urge extreme caution and judgment for your personal domestic travel.

• We are prepared to move the campus community to online instruction if events necessitate it.

• We are actively monitoring the feasibility of holding larger on-campus gatherings, and will continue to make decisions about these events on a case-by-case basis until further notice.

• The Silver Sneakers program will be postponed for two weeks out of an abundance of caution for at-risk populations in our community

Finally, we would like to extend our gratitude to our cleaning and food services staff members. They are going above and beyond to keep campus safe and healthy. You can join their efforts by doing your part to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes.

• Stay home if you are sick and off-campus.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash, using your elbow if a tissue is unavailable.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. (The campus has initiated heightened cleaning protocols focused on frequently touched surfaces in public spaces; office staff may use their P Cards to purchase CDC-approved disinfectant wipes or alcohol-based hand-sanitizer).

• Social distancing (efforts to limit where and when people come together).

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.

We will continue to provide regular updates as this situation develops. As President Dlugos mentioned in the last update, you will also find this information at our SJCME Alerts blog.

This is a fluid situation that continues to shift and change on an almost hourly basis. We will continue to do our best to get information out to students, faculty, and staff as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience, concern and good ideas.

The Saint Joseph’s Pandemic Virus Response Team