Despite being under the 100-case threshold required by New York state to close, St. Bonaventure University has decided to end its in-session portion of the fall semester after classes on Friday, Nov. 20.

Residential students are required to turn in their keys by noon on Sunday, Nov. 22. Complete closing information for residential students can be found here. Students with extenuating circumstances who are unable to leave by Nov. 22 should email reslife@sbu.edu.

Students who signed up for the Wednesday, Nov. 25, break shuttle bus will now depart Sunday at 8 a.m. The bus company will contact each student who signed up.

Just one week ago, on Nov. 12, with only 12 days to go before the Thanksgiving break transition to online-only instruction, the university had only three active COVID-19 cases, and a total of just 26 since Aug. 1. The university community, the vast majority of our students included, did a tremendous job keeping the campus safe for almost the entire semester.

But a surge in positive cases that began Monday, reflective of a trend in the region and the nation, has continued throughout the week. Out of an abundance of caution, the most prudent decision for the well-being of the campus community is to cease classroom instruction and send students home. In-person instruction was scheduled to end Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Students who have tested positive for COVID-19 are required to complete their mandatory isolation period on campus or in their off-campus residence.

Given the dramatic spike in cases across the nation, I’m urging all students to abide by all the health and safety protocols when they return home, not just for the protection of their loved ones but as part of a communal effort across the country to stem the spread of the virus over the next couple of months in the hope that our spring semester can start at a better place than we’re at now.

Wash your hands. Wear your masks as much as possible, especially in public. Stay socially distant. Limit your gathering sizes. And if you absolutely can’t avoid traveling over the holidays, please do what’s required when you return home. Information about COVID-19 at St. Bonaventure, including testing data, can be found at www.sbu.edu/Covid-19.

As we approach one of our most beloved holidays, I want to express my thanks to everyone in the St. Bonaventure community for your remarkable efforts this semester. I do know that we fared so much better than many schools, some of which had to close their doors a week or two into the semester.

That’s a tribute to the collective will of so many people to make the absolute best out of an extraordinarily challenging situation.

I wish you peace and, more than ever before, good health over the holiday season.

Peace and all good,




Dr. Dennis R. DePerro
University President