June 4, 2020

To the Saint Joseph Seminary College Community,

We have wrapped up our Spring 2020 semester and I have to say how proud I am of all of our students, faculty, staff, and administration. Though we experienced something unique and unprecedented, our community remained resilient, and we finished the semester strong. My thanks go out to all those involved in keeping the education of our seminarians moving forward. As we prepare for the fall semester, I am excited to announce that we plan to open as scheduled this fall with all of our classes being held on campus. As a community of faith rooted in the Benedictine tradition, our seminary program focuses on the preparation of future priests. As such, this preparation involves their development in the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral pillars of formation. For this reason, I believe the on-campus physical presence of our seminarians is vital to their priestly formation.

With the fall opening, we plan to have all seminary college buildings and facilities on campus open to our students. In accordance with CDC guidelines, certain protocols will be followed as we continue to put the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff as our first priority. Below is an outline of current plans for fall re-opening. As additional guidance is provided by the CDC and our government agencies, we will continue to update these plans. We will do this while keeping in mind the unique nature of our college as both an academic institution and a program of priestly formation.

Safety

Cleaning: We will continue to operate using the increased cleaning protocols recommended by the CDC to ensure that all campus buildings are cleaned and sanitized in a manner consistent with that guidance.

Hand Washing/Hand Sanitizer: All students, faculty, and staff will continue to be encouraged to wash hands frequently and use hand sanitizer when washing hands is not possible.

Physical Distancing: All students, faculty, and staff will be asked to maintain physical distance appropriate to our unique situation.

Facial Coverings: If recommended by the CDC this fall, all students, faculty, and staff will be provided with facial coverings to be utilized when deemed appropriate.

Academics

Academic Calendar: The Academic Calendar will remain the same with classes scheduled to begin August 17, 2020. We may be asking seminarians to stay on campus during holidays such as Fall Break and Thanksgiving. If this were to be done, it will be to prevent any exposure to Covid-19 that could potentially be brought back to campus upon their return.

Classrooms: All of our class sizes are small. Our classroom sizes are large enough to provide room for physical distancing within the classes. As such, we anticipate no change to the regular class times, methods of instruction, and locations. Should there be a need for remote instruction at any point throughout the semester, it will be done in an asynchronous manner using Canvas.

Online Instruction: As is the standard practice at St. Joseph Seminary College, we will not be holding any online courses in the fall semester. Our learning management system, Canvas, will be used as a complement to the in-person class, just as it has been in the last two semesters.

Campus and Student Life

Prayer Space: The seminary college will be using the Abbey Church for all liturgical gatherings in order to create additional physical space. Times will be adjusted so as not to interfere with the monastic community.

Housing: We do not anticipate any changes to our current housing configuration. The current set up conforms to all CDC recommendations as is. We will, however, ask that students keep all toiletries in their rooms rather than in the shared bathroom facilities.

Public Spaces: Common spaces such as the Refectory and Gym will be open this fall, but will likely need to operate differently. We are planning these changes now and will communicate those as soon as possible.

Pastoral Assignments: Off-campus pastoral assignments will be limited with the majority of the assignments taking place on campus.

Events: Activities such as Move-In Day, Bonfire Day, student events, and other large gatherings this fall may be altered. Plans are being made now for how these events will look, and decisions will be announced in the coming weeks. We are monitoring Louisiana’s phased re-openings to help us determine how to hold these events safely.

We realize that we don’t have all the answers yet, but we are constantly monitoring guidelines and recommendations. As we learn more, we can make better decisions for our unique campus community. We wish you a healthy and safe summer, and we’ll be in touch as we know more.

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Fr. Gregory Boquet, O.S.B.