July 13, 2020

To: The John Jay College Community

RE: Update on Reopening Status & Support for Our International Students

I know that our students, faculty, and staff are eager to learn about our fall plans; and many of you saw a message last week from the Chancellor that described planning for a variety of reopening scenarios that is underway across CUNY. As always, while we plan for what’s next at John Jay, we are following guidance from the Governor, the Mayor, the CUNY Board of Trustees, and our CUNY Chancellor, Félix Matos Rodríguez. We don’t yet have all the answers about what the Fall 2020 semester will look like, but I’m reaching out to our community now to share with you what we know. This message will not answer all of your questions, but it will communicate our priorities, updates, and planning process for a successful fall semester.

Our Priorities

The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff always is, and will continue to be, at the forefront of our minds, guiding each of our decisions.

Regardless of learning modality, we are committed to providing all John Jay students with an excellent education that lives up to the mission of the College.

We are planning carefully to ensure that when New York City enters Phase Four of reopening, we are ready to proceed in a manner that’s coordinated, effective, and consistent with all public health guidelines.

Updates & Our Planning Process

John Jay’s planning for the fall semester has been led by our own Fall Planning Committee, chaired by Provost Yi Li, who is working closely with committee members including faculty, students, and staff representatives from all key areas of our College. Tackling a complex problem—such as planning for our upcoming semester—requires intricate planning, and I’m grateful for the diligent and thoughtful work of this committee as they have crafted options for providing instruction through different learning modalities, limited on-campus research activities, and accommodating different density levels on campus, all consistent with applicable health guidelines.

As explained by the Chancellor in his message last week, after evaluating both the challenges and accomplishments of our Spring 2020 distance-learning transition, we believe that the most prudent approach for now, is to plan for the fall semester as if we will continue in a distance-learning environment. Even with that approach, however, we understand that we may need some limited in-person classes and student services. For example, we know that in-person instruction and professional equipment can be essential for certain classes, such as science labs. We also recognize that some on-campus student services provide crucial support for student success, such as computer labs. We’re factoring needs like these into our detailed planning process. Of course, any in-person classes or services will be required to meet the New York State health guidelines for reopening under Phase Four, and distance-learning classes and services will build on the knowledge we gained during our Spring 2020 semester.

As I’ve already stated, we’re committed to providing all John Jay students with an excellent education—and that very much includes our talented international students. During a time when everyone in our country is facing tough decisions, experiencing heightened levels of stress, and navigating significant obstacles, it’s simply wrong to impose new restrictions on international students studying in the United States, as recently proposed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. All of our students should benefit from the maximum level of flexibility that we can offer to continue their studies and stay on track to graduation. As a community that values the voices and contributions of international students, we’re working closely with CUNY to ensure that we are providing supports and options for our international students so that they can remain in the country while pursuing their studies. The International Student Services office will continually share updates and work directly with impacted students, faculty, and staff.

As we know more, we will continue to communicate the details of our plans. I know how difficult it is not having all of the answers for the upcoming fall semester, but I want you to know that we are carefully weighing all of the options, working through all the details, and exploring every scenario in the best interest of our entire community. Thank you for your continued patience and support of each other.

Karol V. Mason

President

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