SMC Included in Top Safest College Towns in the Nation
Safewise has included Saint Mary's in its Top 10 safest college towns in the nation! We're extremely proud of the way students, faculty, and staff, continue their efforts to protect and respect one another. As one of four colleges on the West Coast to make the list, we're happy that measures such as frequent testing, sanitizing, and planning help keep our campus safe. Our vigilance has led to the re-opening of our campus recreation center, campus library, and a new array of socially distanced activities. For up to date information, visit our COVID-19 information and resources, including our daily dashboard.
Fall semester at Saint Mary’s College is well under way and largely unscathed by the unique challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. After six-months of focused planning—spearheaded by members of the Executive Cabinet and led by targeted teams of College leaders, faculty, and staff—the collaborative effort is being lauded as a successful and resilient planning model. This is affirmed by the successful reopening of the College that includes on-campus housing and in-class instruction options.
Saint Mary's has been developing guidelines for the phased re-opening of campus that meets or exceeds the state guidelines and prioritizes the safety of students, faculty, and staff. By maintaining safety protocols, we are re-opening your favorite dining, recreation, academic, and athletic services. Below is a list of the first services to re-open.
“Our primary mission is to deliver a high-quality Saint Mary’s education,” stated Jane Camarillo, vice provost for Student Life and a lead member of the COVID-19 Response Group. “Academic Affairs and faculty at Saint Mary’s immediately began to plan for multiple modalities of instruction through their Academic Contingency Planning Group so that they were prepared for what the Department of Health would allow, as well as what the College aspired to provide.”
Preparing for the fall semester required a comprehensive look at all touchpoints throughout the College to ensure a well-intentioned and successful transition. “We recognized that we needed a consistent, clear, and principled approach in its fullest sense—physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual,” said Megan Mustain, vice provost for Student Academics and Dean of the Core, and a member of the COVID-19 Response Group.
Unlike several colleges and universities that had to quickly pivot to return to fully online courses after experiencing a rapid increase in COVID diagnoses, Saint Mary’s has instituted systems and protocols that have yielded a safe campus reopening. “If I had to sum up the characteristics of what attributed to our success for the move-in of residential students, it was our consistent communication with students and families, flexibility and innovation with every challenge thrown our way, and an unwavering commitment to our residential community,” said Evette Castillo Clark, dean of students and a lead member of the COVID-19 Response Group.
Campus Services Update:
Oliver Hall:
Oliver is now open for in-person dining. Visit the Good Eats website for up-to-date hours of operation. Please try to limit the time spent in Oliver to under 30 minutes to allow for proper cleaning and sanitizing of the area. There is a 70-person maximum.
The Gael Pantry Has Moved:
Gael Pantry has moved to the Mission and Ministry Center Lounge.
Eligibility: Any Saint Mary’s College student with a valid student ID number
Order online here: MMC webpage
Order online by Monday at noon, pick up on Tuesday
Order online by Wednesday at noon, pick up on Thursday
Pick up hours:
11:00am-2:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Mission and Ministry Center
8:00am-8:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Rheem Campus
Pick up locations:
On-campus residents: Outside the MMC lounge
Off-campus local students: Rheem Campus
Questions? Email: gaelpantry@gmail.com
Joseph L. Alioto Recreation Center:
On October 9th, 2020, The Joseph L. Alioto Recreation Center allows on-campus resident students to use the facility indoors while maintaining the 10% capacity limit. The following is available for on-campus resident students with proper registration and check-in. See our COVID-19 Related protocol here.
- Cardio Equipment
- Weight Equipment
- Lap Swimming
- Fitness Classes
- 1 x 1 Badminton, Pickleball and Table Tennis
- 1 person shooting on a basketball hoop (no sharing of the ball and no pick-up games allowed)
Students entering the facility will be asked to be prepared to show the “Safe” checkmark via the Daily Health Screening, check-in with the Campus Rec App and use hand sanitizer upon entering and throughout their visit. Students are expected to follow all Joseph L. Alioto policies and the Campus-Wide Health & Safety Protocols.
Visit our Calendar for updates on Hours of Operation. Beginning October 9th, the special hours are as follows: 12:00pm - 7:00pm
Operational Hours Starting Monday, Oct 12th: Monday - Thursday 9:00am-9:00pm, pool open 2:00pm-7:00pm and Friday 9:00am-5:00pm, pool open 2:00-5:00pm.
Visit the Joseph L. Alioto website for up-to-date information here.
Bookstore:
You can continue to order online from the bookstore website until it reopens.
Library:
The library will begin phased reopening on October 19 with hours of operation Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday 1:00pm-5:00pm. The library will essentially be at 25% capacity, and students can reserve spaces. Stacks remain closed; however, on-campus students will be able to pick up books in the library. Off-campus students will continue to pick up materials using the curbside pickup that is currently available. For more information visit the library website here.
Indoor Classrooms:
We are making no changes to the indoor classrooms for the fall semester. We are planning to increase in-person classes during the spring semester utilizing both indoor and outdoor classrooms.
Next steps:
Please continue to follow daily health and safety protocols so that we can continue opening up services and inviting more students to live on campus in the Spring.
Campus Housing:
On-campus housing is open and available for students for the remainder of the fall semester as well as Jan term and spring semester. Questions? Contact Housing at 925-631-4241 or housing@stmarys-ca.edu.