Students in Randall, Pinkney, Paca, Humphry’s, Chase Stone, and Campbell should not travel to campus to retrieve their belongings at this time. Additional information about the move-out process for these halls will be communicated later in the semester. We are asking students to not return to campus at this time in an effort to maintain social distancing. These buildings will remain secured, with key-card access disabled.

We understand that you may have materials and books in your room that are necessary to complete the semester. Students are encouraged to visit the Greenfield Library webpage to search for e-book versions of program texts that may be available online. Manuals for classes are available as electronic files; you may email annapolisassistantdean(at)sjc.edu to request an electronic version of a manual. Additional information will be sent to students this week regarding instruction for the rest of the semester.

In very limited circumstances, students may be granted access to retrieve a limited number of items from your room. To request access, please email the Assistant Dean’s Office at annapolisassistantdean(at)sjc.edu.

Dear Spector and Gilliam residents,

You received last night instructions for moving out of your dorm room in the next week and a half. We wanted to speak directly to you to communicate that we know how disruptive this time has been for you, and that we know everyone’s situation is different and will require some flexibility.

As we mentioned in the instructions, we are consolidating the students who are remaining on campus because of constraints on the ability of those students to travel home right now. We wanted to remind you that this is an act of compassion for those who do not have another place to go at this point in time; we deeply appreciate your understanding at being displaced so that we can support these students, your peers.

We also understand that some of you will be unable to travel back to pack up your rooms: you may be too far away to travel back to the college, especially at short notice; you may be in locations where you have been instructed by state and local officials to minimize travel. If you are unable or think it imprudent to return to the college at this point in time, please contact us to let us know and we will make alternate arrangements with you.

Know that we are grateful for your patience and your resilience in the face of these extraordinary and adverse conditions.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or questions, about move out, or anything else.

Kind regards,
Mr. Dugan

In order to provide on-campus accommodations for students who are unable to return home because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, students in Gilliam and Spector are required to remove all of their personal belongings from their room between March 20 and March 29. Students in these buildings should follow the Move-Out Process outlined below:

• Remove items from your room and ensure your room is clear of all trash/personal items. Please bring trash bags and boxes with you. If you need boxes, tape, or other materials, please visit:
  • uBoxes
  • Cheap Cheap Moving Boxes
• Remove all trash from the space and bring to dumpster between Spector and Gilliam.
• Turn off all lights and close and lock all windows and blinds.
• Keys should be dropped-off with Public Safety. If you are a Senior, please also return your key card.

If you are unable to return to campus during this time, you may designate another person to pack-up and remove your belongings by emailing the Assistant Dean’s Office at annapolisassistantdean(at)sjc.edu. Students who are unable to return to campus should make reasonable efforts to identify a person who is able to come to campus and pack-up and remove their belongings. If you are unable to identify another person to assist you with this process, please email the Assistant Dean’s Office at annapolisassistantdean(at)sjc.edu.

IMPORTANT: If you or anyone in the household in which you are currently residing is showing or has shown symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough) in the last two weeks, do not return to campus to pack your room. Contact the Assistant Dean’s Office at annapolisassistantdean(at)sjc.edu, and we will make alternate arrangements.

Students are expected to take all of their belongings with them; on-campus storage is not available. Additionally, the college is unable to accommodate PODS or other movable storage systems.

For students remaining on campus or in Annapolis, the Health Center staff wants to help you stay well during this challenging time. If you have a medical need or concern, please email the health center at annapolis.healthcenter(at)sjc.edu or leave a voice message at 410-626-2553. Health Center staff will be responding to email and voice messages regularly Monday through Friday.

As a reminder, please follow CDC guidelines and tips for keeping yourself and others well. See the CDC’s latest recommendations for COVID-19 prevention.

Spring is in the air and with that comes peak seasonal allergies. This is also a time of many other respiratory ailments such as the common cold and the flu. Symptoms may overlap between illnesses. How can you tell the difference?

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America provides a chart of common symptoms that may be helpful. Keep in mind only a qualified medical provider can offer a definitive diagnosis. If you experience shortness of breath with a cough or fever, please seek immediate medical attention.

There are several options for your health care needs when the Health Center is not available.

Telemedicine services are available to all students from “Healthiest You”. These services are free to students enrolled in the College Health Insurance and available to other students for a $40 fee. Additional information is available at firststudent.com (PDF).

Patient First at 2051 West St Annapolis is available seven days a week, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. for walk-in urgent care evaluation. Their number is 443-603-0758.

Anne Arundel Medical Center Emergency Room is available 24/7. Their number is 443-481-1000.

While most students are away from campus, all counselors and our psychiatrist will be following the recommendations of the Maryland Department of Health by practicing social distancing and providing care through telemedicine and/or telephonic communication. Staff will not be onsite in the Counseling Center for the rest of the semester.

Counseling clients will have brief check-in telephone calls (10–15 minutes) with their therapist during their regularly scheduled time unless agreed upon otherwise. Counselors will be using the phone number you provided at the onset of counseling. When we call, it may be from a blocked phone number; so, please be prepared for this and answer the call at your appointment time.  

Psychiatric appointments will be by telephone or via telemedicine with Dr. Schweitzer, depending on various factors (e.g., your current location). See below for more on accessing telemedicine services.  

Clinicians will utilize these calls/sessions to help clients transition to outpatient providers near them, as we are unable to provide continued therapy at this time.

Scheduling remains the same and will be handled as though you were being seen in-person at the Counseling Center on campus. Should you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, the best method is to contact your clinician directly:

• Dr. Heather Lopez, Psy. D.: heather.lopez(at)sjc.edu 
• Dr. Gillian Schweitzer, M.D.: gillian(at)schweitzermd.com
• Ms. Charlene MacPherson, LCSW-C: charlene.macpherson(at)sjc.edu 
• Mr. Cole Jaeschke, LCSW-C: cole.jaeschke(at)sjc.edu

Just as when you normally come to the counseling center, we will not bill insurance.

When we call you, we will do what we can to ensure privacy/confidentiality on our end by using private office spaces. You will also be responsible for ensuring privacy/confidentiality on your end.

Dr. Schweitzer uses Doxy for a video link with patients that are located in Maryland. Doxy incorporates network and software security protocols to protect the confidentiality of both audio and visual data.

If you are currently in Maryland (or will be during your appointment time) and you would like your appointment via telemedicine, please email Dr. Schweitzer (from your SJC email account) prior to the appointment with the following statement: “I have read and understand the Telemedicine Consent Form, and I agree.” You can sign into Dr Schweitzer’s virtual waiting room at doxy.me/gillianschweitzermd.

If you are a current client, you should have received an email with the Telemedicine Consent Form that outlined the process to get you started. If you have not, please contact Dr. Lopez at heather.lopez(at)sjc.edu.

For those not in Maryland, telemedicine services are not available. Instead, Dr. Schweitzer will give you a telephone call at your appointment time, just as the counselors will be doing.

If you need refills for your medication prior to your appointment time, please reach out to Dr. Schweitzer as soon as possible. Please do not wait until you are out of medication.

As clinicians are practicing social distancing, walk-in hours will not be held during this time.

If you are having a mental health emergency and you are on-campus, contact Public Safety at 443-336-2348 or ext. 2000. If you are having a mental health emergency and you are not on-campus, contact your local emergency services or go to your nearest emergency room.

Groups will not be meeting for the rest of the semester.

If you would like to talk to your psychiatrist via telemedicine or counselor via check in phone calls you are more than welcome to do so. No clients are being seen in person at this time.

Since we are very limited in the services we can provide, new client appointments are not being accepted at this time. It is recommended you seek outpatient services. Should you need assistance with this, feel free to contact Dr. Lopez at heather.lopez(at)sjc.edu. Please also see the question below for more information on setting up outpatient services.

There are many different options available for counseling.  What is listed below represents just come of the options.  If, after reviewing the list below, you need assistance, please contact Dr. Lopez at heather.lopez(at)sjc.edu.

• If you have the SJC student/college health insurance through UnitedHealthcare (UHC), you may be able to access free online therapy through BetterHelp. This is a service that offers live video sessions, live chat, and/or email counseling. To learn more and get started with them, visit betterhelp.com. You should be able to filter for various therapy/therapist preferences (e.g., gender of clinician, type of issues they work with, language spoken, etc.).
• Regardless of your insurance or where you are located, you can…
  1. Call the customer/member service number on the back of your health insurance card. Ask them what therapists/ psychologists/ psychiatrists (depending on what service you are looking for) are near you and covered by your insurance.
  2. Search on PsychologyToday.com. You are able to search for therapists, psychiatrists, treatment centers, and support groups that might be near you. Once you do the first search, you are then able to filter for additional preferences (e.g., insurance, whether they do online therapy/teletherapy, in what behavioral health conditions they specialize, types of therapy approaches, etc.).
  3. Ask family members and friends for recommendations for providers near you.

If you are in need of emergency services, you should call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. If you are on-campus, you may also contact SJC Public Safety at 443-336-2348 or ext. 2000.

We know this is a difficult and stressful time. Creating a new routine and staying (virtually) connected with others will be important. You can set up group video study sessions, Facetime friends, and play online video games together. Do not isolate.  

Here are a few more suggestions and resources from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), Mental Health America (MHA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Wellness Society:

• MHA Mental Health And COVID-19 Information And Resources
• Tips For Social Distancing, Quarantine, And Isolation During An Infectious Disease Outbreak
• Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook

Please contact Dr. Lopez at heather.lopez(at)sjc.edu if you have additional questions or concerns.