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 spring, 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 will shift with the tides of our public health conditions.
After careful consideration the college has decided to implement a COVID-19 booster dose requirement for all students starting in the spring semester. We feel strongly that our high community vaccination rate led to very few disruptions this fall, and we want to continue that success in the spring, as the Omicron variant is likely to surge across the country during the winter break.
Research shows that immunity to COVID wanes significantly six months after full vaccination and that the two-dose vaccine provides less robust protection from the newest variant than from earlier variants. The good news is that new research strongly indicates the booster substantially improves immunity to Omicron and dramatically improves outcomes: those who are infected and who have had the booster will most often have mild-to-moderate symptoms.
Waning immunity and the mutations of Omicron are two important reasons that the New Mexico Department of Health and the CDC strongly recommend that all eligible individuals get the booster.
Boosters are currently available to all individuals 12 and older who have had the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series more than six (6) months ago, or the J&J vaccine more than two (2) months ago. Please do not wait if you are eligible, as you will be required to provide us with proof of your booster by January 17, 2022. You can find a booster shot online at the CVS or Walgreens websites, and if you are in the state of New Mexico you can visit vaccinenm.org to schedule your booster.
All students are required to provide us with updated COVID vaccination documentation prior to January 17, 2022 on the student health portal. Students with approved exemptions do not need to take any additional steps at this time.
Questions about how to upload your documentation should be directed to the Student Health Center via email at santafe.studenthealth(at)sjc.edu.
Off-campus students, staff, or faculty should not attempt to access campus if they are sick or experiencing any symptoms consistent with COVID-19. On-campus students who are sick or experiencing any COVID-related symptoms will be required to quarantine, be tested, and, if positive, remain in isolation in the college’s isolation units. During this time, the college will provide three daily meals, wellness checks, testing services, and supports. Any families who prefer to pick up their COVID-positive student and transport them home for self-isolation are welcome to do so.
In order to help protect the health and safety of the St. John’s College campus community and the public, face coverings are required to be worn inside campus buildings at all times. Vaccinated individuals may remove their masks while outside on campus property. This requirement is in accordance with the regulations of the state of New Mexico and is in effect until otherwise communicated.
Beginning on Tuesday, January 18, 2022, St. John’s College, Santa Fe is requiring the use of KN95, N95 or KF94 masks in all campus buildings. The mailroom, public safety, bookstore and Dean’s office will have these types of masks available for those who are unable to purchase them on their own. This type of mask is reusable if care is taken to store and air-out the mask between use. If the mask is visibly dirty or damaged, stained, or gets damp, it should be replaced.
For the purposes of this policy, the KN95, N95 or KF94 must:
Fit snugly against the sides of the face
Completely cover the nose and mouth
Be secured with ties, ear loops, elastic bands, or other equally effective method
Be free of holes, tears, or valves that have the potential to release respiratory droplets
This policy applies to all college personnel, students, contractors, and visitors.
Face coverings are not required when:
Working or spending time alone in a personal office or workspace
Operating a single-occupancy vehicle
Teleworking (i.e., not reporting on site to a college work location)
Inside a private on-campus residential unit
Eating or drinking; physical distancing is recommended when eating and drinking
Vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks while outside campus buildings
While keeping a physical distance of at least six feet from other people, practicing good hygiene measures (e.g., frequent hand washing, avoiding touching the face, covering coughs and sneezes), and staying home when ill are the best-known protections against COVID-19, wearing a face covering that covers the nose and mouth can help protect others.
Face coverings do not replace job-specific PPE, such as medical/procedure masks, face shields, or respirators.
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 allowing someone to not wear a face covering where it is 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 allowing someone to not wear a face covering where it is required. Requests should be made to Director of Human Resources Aaron Young, aaron.young(at)sjc.edu.
The SJC community and guests are required to follow the face covering requirements at all times when on campus. If an individual is without a face covering, in accordance with this policy, members of the community are encouraged to begin with a polite verbal request for compliance to educate and persuade the individual to wear a face covering. If someone refuses to comply with the policy, please contact the Student Life Office or Public Safety for additional support. Students do not need to wear a face covering when inside a private on-campus residential unit; however, face coverings are required in common areas of residence halls.
Personnel are expected to comply with the face covering requirement as a condition of employment, as well as for the health and safety of themselves, their colleagues, and the campus community. Supervisors are required to ensure all of their personnel have a thorough understanding of the requirements outlined in this policy. Personnel who do not comply should be reminded of the policy by their supervisor and provided additional education and training as needed. If, after additional education and training, personnel refuse to comply, contact Director of Human Resources Aaron Young, aaron.young(at)sjc.edu.
St. John’s College is committed to maintaining a respectful, productive, inclusive, and equitable environment, and discrimination and other conduct that is inconsistent with our values will not be tolerated.
All persons on campus are expected to make all reasonable efforts to maintain distance from others. In addition, all members of the community are expected to follow posted signs about maintaining distance from others, directions within hallways, etc.
Ongoing and sustained conversation between tutors and students is integral to our academic model. Access to in-person conversations will expand and recede throughout the semester based on changing public health conditions, which can be monitored at our online dashboard. Tutors and students are expected to adhere to the following guidelines when meeting:
Every tutor and student should feel comfortable requesting virtual meetings, regardless of the public health outlook.
Except when the public health outlook is consistently “blue” on the college dashboard, meetings should follow all college and state guidelines. These include:
Maintaining social distancing.
Wearing masks at all times while in buildings except when eating.
Respecting gathering size limits.
Preferring outdoor meetings to indoor meetings.
If outdoor gatherings are problematic due to weather, indoor gatherings should meet all college and state mandates around space capacity.
All offices are expected to operate within the following guidelines. Director of Human Resources Aaron Young is the designated COVID-19 point of contact for all employees. Individual office operations will be managed by each supervisor with approval of the executive director of Campus Health and Wellness. All staff members are required to complete a COVID-19 Safety Protocol Training before returning to campus for work.
