St. John’s announces remote learning for fall semester, Annapolis campus remains closed

St. John’s will not resume in-person instruction for the fall semester, instead, students and faculty will use online learning, according to an announcement sent out late July.

The college’s faculty and staff reviewed coronavirus testing as well as health and safety measurements to reduce exposure risk. Due to the state of the pandemic in Anne Arundel County, and in Maryland, the college decided to not offer in-person instruction for the fall semester.

“As we examined our plans for the return to in-person classes in the context of the evolving public health conditions, we determined that while this was an extraordinarily difficult choice, it is the right one for now,” President Pano Kanelos said in a statement to the college community.

The decision was announced the same day that the Naval Academy, located across King George Street from the Jt. John’s campus, will bring midshipmen back for the fall semester in a restricted format.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to sustaining an online learning environment where you will be able to engage with other members of the Polity. We will still exchange ideas with passion and integrity. And though we are separated by mountains, by oceans, and by this pandemic, our Polity will still hold.”

The college will use Microsoft Teams and Zoom for classes, group meetings and more individual time, said St. John’s spokesperson Michael O’Connor in an email.

Fall semester will start Aug. 26 and both the undergraduate and graduate programs will be held online, according to the release. The campus will remain closed to outside visitors, groups and events throughout the fall semester.

“We have been grateful for the patience, flexibility, and grace shown throughout the community as we have worked to navigate an ever-changing public health landscape locally, regionally, nationally, and globally,” President Kanelos said in the release.

“We must all work together to become our most courageous and compassionate selves, and to support each other in the face of an uncertain future.”

Tuition will remain frozen at $35,000.

St. John’s joins other Maryland colleges and universities that announced fall plans. Schools like Johns Hopkins University and Loyola University Maryland will also be online, while other colleges like Coppin State and Towson University presented plans to use a hybrid model of both online and in person classes.