We did it!

December 14, 2020

Dear Saint Mary’s Students,

We did it! 

As the fall term comes to an end and we take time to enjoy Christmas this year, we wanted to reflect and celebrate our success.

Thanks to your collective efforts to follow safety and health protocols, living on campus has proven to be a COVID-19 safe environment. We are delighted to share that, even though we had a small number of positive cases, we have had no cases of COVID transmission between SMC students this fall term. This has not been the case for many other universities throughout the United States, which have seen significant transmission of COVID-19 among students. And because of your efforts, SMC can now offer more in-person classes, increase access to amenities and in-person services, and welcome more students into on-campus residence halls. We expect between 750-900 students on campus in spring 2021.

Living on campus for spring semester (click link to watch video of a current student sharing her experience living on campus during the pandemic) offers many advantages, including registering for the broadest array of in-person classes. Our spring schedule provides students with flexibility by offering a mix of on-campus and remote courses and includes an expansion of in-person classes for both residential and non-residential students.

Another advantage of living on campus this spring is the quick and easy access to amenities such as the:

  • Rec Center
  • Library
  • Chapel
  • Oliver Dining Hall

We listened to your feedback and know that dining is important to you. We are expanding dining options and offering a variety of new food choices for you to enjoy. With more students on campus, we will be able to provide a more diverse food selection. We hope you will reach out to your friends and encourage them to join you on campus this spring. 

Campus housing is still available for students for the spring semester with most rooms converted to singles in traditional first-year housing, and double rooms available in the suites and townhouses. Applying for housing is easy, and there are still a number of choices available. Compared to fall semester more students will be living on campus this spring. In addition to virtual activities, we are developing a range of fun programs on campus, and student service offices will be available to assist you in-person.

We will need to continue working together as a community to keep everyone healthy this spring. We hope with the new COVID-19 vaccination, we may be back to a more normal campus earlier than expected. Until then, please be sure to wear your mask, wash your hands, and physically distance… it matters! Here is a quick reference to see what will be open on campus in relation to the County and State Health guidelines.

Thank you again to all of you for your perseverance in following safety protocols. We look forward to seeing you in spring 2021!

Sincerely,

Margaret Kasimatis, PhD
Interim Executive Vice President