In-person tours have resumed on both the Queens and Staten Island campuses, as of Sept. 22. Private tours led by Student Ambassadors will be available with COVID-19 policies in place in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to an internal email obtained by the Torch from the Office of Enrollment Management.
Tours now consist of one Student Ambassador, one prospective student and a family member from the same household. This is a stark difference from the large groups of up to 15 people that could often be seen touring the campuses during previous semesters.
“We have created a Visitor Policy to which all visitors must adhere including the necessity to wear masks while indoors and outdoors, the requirement to complete the University’s Wellness Survey and limiting the number of people in each party,” Jorge L. Rodriguez, vice provost and chief enrollment officer, told the Torch.
All visiting families are also required to check in at Gate 1 with the Department of Public Safety, which the email states has been “instrumental in assisting our office as we move forward with our recruitment and enrollment initiatives.” The wellness survey, taken via the St. John’s Connect app, is mandatory for prospective students and their family members, in place of taking a COVID-19 test prior to their campus visit.
Approximately 40 student ambassadors are actively giving tours in-person on the Queens campus. According to Rodriguez, the stops on the new tour routes are the Great Lawn, St. Thomas More Church, the Collins College of Professional Studies in St. Augustine Hall, the D’Angelo Center, Carnesecca Arena, Tobin College of Business, the exterior of the Media and Design Lab/Technology Commons on the third floor of Marillac Hall and the outside of the Residence Village. Now, tour groups are not permitted to enter the Residence Village or Montgoris Dining Hall.
On the Queens campus, tours are provided Monday through Friday, with three time slots available Monday through Thursday and two available on Fridays. On the Staten Island campus, tours are available Tuesday through Friday. Prospective students arriving from states that are on the NYS mandatory quarantine list are “advised to visit us virtually as they are not permitted on campus,” according to Rodriguez. Walk-ins will not be permitted. At both campuses, visitors are required to choose a time slot in order to attend a tour; these times can be found on the St. John’s website.
