Looking Ahead to the Upcoming Academic Year  

We are fast approaching the one-year anniversary of Seton Hall’s fight against COVID-19. It is a milestone none of us could have imagined last March, as we eagerly anticipated Easter, spring break and postseason basketball tournaments.

Since then, our community has made great strides in living and learning in the midst of a pandemic. Seton Hall was one of the first universities to announce last fall’s reopening plans, and among the first to submit a restart plan to the state. Ultimately, our planning and your daily commitment to our community’s well-being has driven our success. 

Thank you for your efforts to help keep our University healthy and safe, and for your perseverance throughout the pandemic. This is a moment to mark how far we’ve come over the last 12 months and look to the future with hope and optimism. Indeed, there are many reasons to be hopeful.

Increased surveillance testing is producing valuable insights that better help the University respond to the pandemic. The national virus count — though still elevated — shows signs of decreasing. Vaccine distribution continues to accelerate, and we have the benefit of a newly approved third vaccine. President Biden recently announced there will be enough doses to vaccinate every American adult by the end of May. Governor Murphy anticipates the state’s K-12 schools will be back, in person, this September. And springtime will be here in a matter of weeks.

Our community remains committed to making the right decisions as expressed through the Seton Hall Pledge.

Given these positive developments, I wish to share some important news about the 2021-2022 academic year. We are planning a fall semester that is primarily in person and look forward to welcoming students back to campus. We are creating a schedule that anticipates in-person classes and activities with a considerable number of faculty, staff and administrators on every campus. And we are anticipating that our physical infrastructure (academic buildings, residence halls, dining, athletic and recreational facilities, and the University Center) will return to full or nearly full operation.

As we have learned, COVID will be with us for the foreseeable future. But we also know that being together, safely and in-person, is a vital part of who and what we are as a University community. Our plan is to have Seton Hall operate to the fullest extent that is permitted under government guidance and appropriate health and safety protocols.

Guided by our existing Restart Plan and in consultation with the Health Intervention and Communication Team, we are developing approaches that will bring our fall 2021 plans to fruition. We will share additional details with you as they become available. Until then, please continue all you are doing to keep yourselves and each other safe and healthy; we must remain vigilant in our actions.

Together, we have persevered through circumstances not seen in more than a century. Together, we will overcome these challenges. I look forward to the days when we will again gather together to celebrate and enjoy all that unites us as members of the Seton Hall community.

Sincerely,
Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D.
President