The Staten Island Campus of St. John's University recently announced that campus-housing will no longer be provided following the end of the Spring 2021 semester, which means its student residents will either have to find alternative means of housing, transfer to Queens, or leave SJU. This issue prompts the obstacle of housing insecurity for our current student residents, especially our international students.

Therefore we, a collective body of student organizers at the Staten Island Campus are calling upon St. John's University Administration to implement the following demands and address the following concerns in an effort to protect the stability of the student body members affected by this decision:

Demands:

1) SJU must freeze the SI tuition and housing costs for residents who can transfer to the Queen's campus. These residents enrolled in SJU under certain terms that have been drastically changed by no fault of their own; residents relying on SJU SI-housing should not have to decide between switching to a campus that is not in their financial capabilities or ending their academic progress at SJU.

2) SJU is urged to renew their lease agreements (on a smaller-scale based on current residents’ needs and commitments to dorm) to “phase out” the closure of housing; this would allow its current residents (who are reliant on university-housing and/or who are looking to stay on the SI campus to complete their academic progress) to finish their terms, while no longer accepting incoming resident students.

3) If SJU does not want to renew their own contract, they should aid their resident students (who want to lease but cannot because of international status) in arranging individual leases via specialized payment plans.

Overall Concerns:

Alternative Housing - Apartments: SJU suggested residents lease the apartments (that previously were affiliated through the school). 

- Due to Grymes Hills apartment rental agency’s criteria, international students are ineligible to lease. Those who rely on university dorming are left with limited options: transfer to Queens, or leave SJU completely if they cannot afford the Queens tuition/housing (which is more expensive than SI).
- Students who rely on RA/GA positions for free housing may not be able to afford the additional costs that would now be required of them if they choose to stay on the SI campus.

Transfer to Queens: Students are expected to abruptly leave their current academic programs/faculty, student organizations, and community on the SI campus. 

- This would be an enormous transition, especially for juniors, who would have to adjust their academic programming and campus involvement as a student leader for their last year at SJU; they would leave SI with no guarantee of taking their planned classes or holding similar E-Board, SGI, etc. positions on the Queens campus.
- Transferring to the Queens campus is not financially possible for all students, even with scholarship adjustment, because of the campus’ higher costs in tuition, housing, and meal-plans. Together, these add up to thousands of additional dollars, which parents and students were not financially prepared for.
SJU’s decision to cut housing during a pandemic has added even more financial pressure, feelings of uncertainty, and psychological harm to the well-being of students and their families.

Issues of Communication: SJU has failed its community in communication.

- They did not inform residents early enough in the process of this decision being made, leaving them inadequate time to organize new academic, financial, and housing plans. The decision is said to have been in the works for quite some time now, although there was no indication of this change;  SJU residents would have liked to be warned early enough of the potential that housing on SI would come to a close in order to sufficiently prepare alternative arrangements, rather than scramble to find resources and support with such a short deadline.
- Students have planned their professional and personal lives with the understanding that they would attend the school, more specifically the campus, they chose to attend. SI resources, opportunities, and connections that students have benefited from will be lost due to forced relocation or drop-out.
- SJU also did not inform their internal members of this change. SI faculty are committed to their mission and responsibility to support students, and were unable to do so, as they were not made aware during the decision-making process.

Unreflective of SJU’s Mission:

- SJU’s mission, especially in reference to its Catholic and Vincentian values, is not being reflected through their actions, as they are disrupting the academic and moral education of those who are affected by this drastic change. 
- Human dignity must be prioritized over profit; SJU cannot be complacent with leaving their students with limited or no options, exacerbating stress surrounding housing insecurity during a pandemic.
- This shows not only a lack of support, but also nuances of discrimation, towards vulnerable communities (housing-insecure, non-local residents, international students).

Decreased Opportunity: 
- Residence Life GA’s rely on their position to help pay for their graduate courses and housing.
- Scholarship programs that rely on housing for community building (Catholic Scholars and Ozanam Scholars) may cease as a result, taking away scholarship opportunities for incoming students on the SI campus.
- Various SJU job positions were recently confirmed for students to hold next semester; the news of housing cuts was released after this verification was due. Some resident students have confirmed jobs that they may no longer be able to keep if transferring to the Queens campus (these positions cannot be guaranteed), and SI organizations will lose valuable team members. 

Diversity:
- Diversity on the SI campus will drastically decrease with a commuter-only population. It discourages and lessens opportunities for students across state and national borders to enroll at SJU.
- Much of SJU SI’s diversity depends on residents and international students. Moreover, diversity-based programs, job positions, and organizations (Ozanam Scholars Program, Office of Multicultural Affairs, etc.) are currently composed of our diverse group of resident students.