Prevention / Risk Management for the 2022 Fall Semester

We believe in the St. John’s College community and believe that students who return to campus will do so with a spirit of care and concern for others. If you intend to join us in the fall, we will need your commitment to following a wide array of health and safety protocols and your patience in understanding that the openness of the on-campus environment may shift in response to public health conditions.

Arrival to Campus

All students are required to take a test prior to their arrival to campus this fall. If positive, students must notify Christine Guevara, Executive Director of Campus Health and Wellness, and delay their arrival to campus and isolate at home until the 5-day isolation period has ended. Upon arrival, students who tested positive will be required to wear a mask for an additional five (5) days after isolation. At this time, we do not anticipate providing online options should a student’s arrival be delayed.

COVID Vaccination Requirement

The college continues to require the COVID-19 vaccine, including the booster, for all students and employees. All new students are required to provide us with proof of COVID vaccinations, including the booster, prior to the start of the fall semester on the student health portal. Questions about how to upload your documentation should be directed to the Student Health Center via email at santafe.studenthealth(at)sjc.edu. Students seeking a medical or religious exemption should contact the health center for details.

Masks

We have adopted a mask-optional policy, which allows all members of the community to use individual discretion in all campus settings apart from the health center. Masks will continue to be required to access services at the health center. Free KN-95 masks will continue to be made available at the mailroom for all members of the community. Additional masking requirements may be instituted at times for large gatherings or for lectures, concerts, or other large public events.

Individuals leaving isolation are required to wear a KN-95 mask (or equivalent) in all public settings for an additional five (5) days after isolation. Individuals who have not tested positive but would like to wear a mask are welcome to wear their preferred mask and are not required to wear a KN-95 mask.

Testing

The college does not plan to conduct any surveillance testing unless there is a dramatic change in the prevailing public health conditions. This includes surveillance testing for unvaccinated students and employees. At-home rapid antigen tests will continue to be available for students from the Student Health Center.

The Student Health Center will continue to perform COVID testing for symptomatic students. Employees should contact their individual healthcare provider for symptomatic testing or consider testing with Curative.

Isolation Requirements

The Centers for Disease Control recommends five (5) days of isolation after a positive test for high education communities with no additional testing required. We will follow their recommendation: students or employees who test positive will be required to remain in isolation for five (5) days with no additional testing requirements. On the sixth day, individuals can resume their regular routine if they have been fever-free for 24 hours and symptoms are improving. Individuals are required to wear a KN-95 mask in all public settings for an additional five (5) days after isolation.

Students who test positive will isolate in their assigned rooms—isolation and quarantine housing are not available on campus. Students who have been identified as high-risk based on pre-existing medical conditions are highly encouraged to have an identified alternate housing plan should their roommate test positive.

We will provide meal delivery to students who are in isolation if our overall count of positive students remains low. If counts rise considerably, then we will shift to allowing isolating students to obtain a to-go meal from the dining hall on their own. We will continue to provide medical support for students in isolation.

Any families who prefer to pick up their COVID-positive student and transport them home for self-isolation are welcome to do so. Should a student leave campus for isolation, they are required to notify Christine Guevara, Executive Director of Campus Health and Wellness.

Quarantine

Unvaccinated students will no longer be required to quarantine if exposed and, like other members of our community, are recommended to test on day 5 of exposure or sooner if symptomatic. Unvaccinated residents may be excluded from college housing if there is an outbreak of a communicable illness for which they are not immunized or if otherwise directed by a local, state, or federal public health authority. Unvaccinated residential students should refer to the residential life section of our 2022 fall semester plans for additional details.

Contact Tracing

If an SJC student tests positive, a notification will be sent to tutors and classmates, making them aware that an individual tested positive in a particular class. Students and employees who test positive are encouraged to notify their contacts outside of classes. We will not send broad email notifications to the community, and we recommend that individuals refer to the dashboard for updates on positive case counts. Community-wide notifications will be sent should the campus experience a significant outbreak.

Community members who are identified as close contacts and who are without any symptoms should wear a mask and test 3–5 days after exposure, per CDC recommendations. Students should continue to attend classes during this time and employees should continue to report to work and/or discuss telework options with their supervisor. Students who are identified as close contacts and are experiencing symptoms should test immediately and contact the Student Health Center for follow-up testing and/or treatment. Employees who are identified as close contacts and are experiencing symptoms should test immediately and contact their healthcare provider for follow-up testing and/or treatment.

Medical Accommodations

For students requesting a medical or health risk accommodation, determination of the accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Students may be required to provide documentation to substantiate their need for an accommodation. An accommodation may not include requiring someone to wear a face covering where it is not required. Requests should be made to Executive Director of Campus Health and Wellness Christine Guevara, christine.guevara(at)sjc.edu.

For college personnel requesting a medical or health risk accommodation, determination of the accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Personnel may be required to provide documentation to substantiate their need for an accommodation. An accommodation may not include requiring someone to wear a face covering where it is not required. Requests should be made to Director of Human Resources Aaron Young, aaron.young(at)sjc.edu.