Coronavirus Timeline
The timeline below is an up to date list of all stories and new information obtained by The Hawk relating to the coronavirus. Please direct any questions to [email protected].
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March 27, 2020
Pennsylvania’s 2020 primary election is postponed until June 2. The last day to register to vote is now May 18, and voters now have the option to vote by mail-in or absentee ballot rather than going to a polling place on election day.
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March 24, 2020
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March 23, 2020
Undergraduate students given the option to designate spring 2020 courses P/NP.
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March 22, 2020
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March 19, 2020 – 12:55 p.m.
The university will offer students prorated refunds and/or credits for room and board and select fees. Decisions about this issue will be made and communicated to impacted students by mid-April, according to a March 19 announcement to faculty and staff by Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., provost and vice president for Academic Affairs
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March 18, 2020 – 4:12 PM
BREAKING: St. Joe’s will continue virtual teaching and learning for the remainder of the spring semester, and all other university-sponsored spring events will be canceled, postponed or transitioned to a virtual format until further notice.
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March 16, 2020 – 3:30 PM
The White House coronavirus task force recommends all Americans avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people for at least the next 15 days.
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March 16, 2020 – 1:10 PM
Philadelphia officials have ordered all non-essential businesses shut down effective 5 p.m. through at least March 27. Essential commercial establishments, including supermarkets, pharmacies, banks and gas stations, can remain open. Restaurants must be take-out only.
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March 15, 2020 – 8:25 PM
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March 15, 2020
CAPS offering telephone call-in consultations, in-person individual counseling temporarily suspended
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) will operate telephone call-in consultations Monday through Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm.
All individual counseling appointments scheduled prior to Spring Break have been canceled. Individual counseling services are temporarily suspended.
More information about call-in consultations is available at this link: https://sites.sju.edu/counseling/2020/03/13/coronavirus-update/
For mental health emergencies please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.
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March 13, 2020 – 4:33 PM
In an email to off-campus students on March 13, Bill Bordak, director of Community Standards discouraged students from hosting social gatherings, particularly as St. Patrick’s Day approaches.
“We ask that you strongly consider the impact and potential risk related to the hosting of parties or social gatherings with your friends at your house during this time.”
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March 13, 2020
UPDATE | For precautionary measures, Mass will not be celebrated in the Chapel of St. Joseph until further notice. Archbishop Nelson Pérez has dispensed the faithful of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass during this time.
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March 13, 2020
UPDATE | Given Gov. Wolf’s guidance yesterday, St. Joe’s is now encouraging all students to remain at or return to their permanent residence as soon as possible. In situations where returning home is not possible, the university will make accommodations.
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March 13, 2020 – 4:30 PM
We’ll be compiling a list of services companies are offering college students impacted by the coronavirus on our resource page.
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March 13, 2020 – 4:15 PM
Health Commissioner announces two additional presumptive cases in Philadelphia
Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley announced two additional presumptive confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Philadelphia on March 13, bringing the total number of cases to three. The City is awaiting test results on 62 other cases.
In the announcement, Farley recommended residents follow health department updates on their Twitter, @PHLPublicHealth.
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March 13, 2020 – 3:55 PM
President Trump declares national emergency over coronavirus
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March 13, 2020 – 3:45 PM
Gov. Wolf announces two-week shutdown of all Pennsylvania schools
In his March 13 statement, Wolf said school districts will not be penalized for failing to meet the 180-day requirement.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education announced today that it received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow eligible schools to serve meals to low income students in a “non-congregate setting” during the closure.
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March 13, 2020 – 3:30 PM
School District of Philadelphia will shut down schools for two weeks
Superintendent William R. Hite, Jr., Ed.D. announced at a press conference on March 13 that all schools within the School District of Philadelphia will close March 16 through March 27. To date, there are no suspected coronavirus cases in the district’s schools or offices.
The School District of Philadelphia is coordinating with offices and nonprofit partners to provide meal services and programming during this time.
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March 13, 2020
The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) is keeping an updated list of Jesuit schools’ responses to the coronavirus. As of March 12, 24 of the 27 AJCU institutions have decided to move instruction online for at least part of the semester.
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March 12, 2020 – 9:30 PM
Montgomery County non-essential facilities to close, City of Philadelphia bans large-scale events
Non-essential personnel, including all professors, are expected to telecommute, University President Mark Reed, Ed.D, announced in an email to the university community on the evening of March 12.
The change follows Governor Tom Wolf’s issued guidance restricting non-essential services for Montgomery County, where St. Joe’s Merion campus is located. There are currently 13 presumptive positive cases of the coronavirus in Montgomery County.
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March 12, 2020 – 6:35 PM
The Atlantic 10 Conference has cancelled all 2020 spring sports competitions.
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March 12, 2020
International student update
Meryl Halpern, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars, notified international students of communication from Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SVEP) stating the previous rule that forbids F-1 students from taking several online classes per semester is being adapted in light of circumstances due to the coronavirus.
“You do not need to worry about your immigration status during the switch to a virtual format as long as you continue to enroll as a full-time student,” Halpern wrote in the email.
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March 12, 2020
SJU Campus Recreation announced O’Pake Recreation Center and the Maguire Pool located in the Athletics Center will be closed for recreational use, effective immediately and until further notice.
Post Learning Commons and Drexel Library will remain open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. A St. Joe’s ID will be required for building access.
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March 12, 2020 – 2:15 PM
Students on the Appalachian Experience (APEX) are being sent home early. Updates to come.
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March 12, 2020
SJU Athletics announced schedule changes due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Baseball games to be held at Smithson Field March 13-15 are canceled. Matchups for women’s lacrosse and women’s rowing scheduled for March 14 are postponed.
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March 12, 2020 – 8:30 AM
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March 10, 2020
St. Joe’s to test run online classes for coronavirus preparation
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March 9, 2020
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March 1, 2020
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Jan. 28, 2020