Archive for January 2022

Will students receive room and board refunds because of the remote start to the Spring 2022 semester?

Yes. During the time courses are delivered online, student accounts will be credited room and board for the time they are not authorized to live in campus residential facilities or use dining services. The College will distribute refunds of any remaining credit balances after the close of the semester.

Do individuals who recently had COVID-19 need to quarantine if they have been exposed?

If a student who has recently had COVID-19 has been exposed to an individual who tests positive, LVC’s healthcare providers and contact tracers will triage and advise the students on what to do. Our providers treat each case as a unique one based on many factors including symptoms. Typically, students who had COVID-19 within the last 90 days have not had to quarantine, but as we have seen over the last two years, guidelines can change at any time.

Remote Start to Spring 2022 Semester

Dear Students, 

Given the regional surge in COVID-19 infections and the transmissibility of the omicron variant, LVC will begin Spring 2022 semester courses remotely for two weeks, starting January 17. The College made this decision in consultation with Penn State Health in the hopes that infections will be on a downward trajectory by the end of the month. However, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and make further adjustments as necessary.

*In-person classes are now set to begin January 31. (Note: Provost Cowart is working with health professions programs that have a pedagogical need for some students to begin in-person learning January 17. If you are a health professions student or an education student with a teaching placement, please look for messages from your program director or chair.) 

*Students—residential and commuter—should delay their return to campus until January 30. Those who need to return earlier than January 30 must complete this Request for Early Move-In form by Thursday, January 6, at 4 p.m. Exemptions will be granted on a case-by-case basis for students with exceptional circumstances. 

*Student-athletes will be contacted by their coaches with their report dates. 

*Vaccinations and boosters are highly effective in mitigating the spread and severity of COVID-19, even the latest omicron variant. In fact, the majority of those hospitalized and critically ill are unvaccinated. Higher vaccination and booster rates maximize our ability to return to and sustain in-person learning. 

*Any student who has reported being boosted will be entered into a weekly drawing for a $100 gift card starting January 17 and continuing through the end of the semester. Report being fully vaccinated or boosted here. Please get your flu shot as well.  

*The CDC has made changes to its quarantine and isolation recommendations. Students who have received their boosters or have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last five (Pfizer) or six (Moderna) months or have completed the primary series of J&J vaccine in the last two months will not be required to quarantine if exposed to someone who tests positive.* Otherwise, you will be required to quarantine if you are a contact of someone testing positive. 

Upon your return to campus: 

*We will not require re-entry testing. However, we encourage you to get tested before your planned return. If you have symptoms of an illness, delay your return to campus until you are well. 

*If you are experiencing symptoms of any illness—even if it is a sniffle and even if you are fully vaccinated, fill out the Daily Symptom Tracker in MyLVC. Shroyer Health Center staff will contact you. DO NOT visit Shroyer without an appointment, and please do not visit an urgent care center in lieu of seeing the healthcare professionals at Shroyer. 

*Please wear surgical masks, N95s, or cloth masks of at least three layers. Universal indoor masking will continue, including in residence halls. Residential students are required to mask up inside residence halls. The only exception is when roommates are inside their room with no other visitors. 

*Please follow all masking, testing, isolation, and quarantining guidelines. Contact tracing and surveillance testing of unvaccinated individuals will continue. Those who do not comply will be subject to disciplinary action under the student conduct code. 

*Classroom distancing of at least three feet will continue. Practice social distancing of at least six feet whenever possible. 

*If it is determined that you must isolate or quarantine, you may be required to go home until you are cleared to return to campus. 

Contact information@lvc.edu if you have questions. 

Thank you for your flexibility and understanding.  

President MacLaren 
*Please check the CDC and FDA websites for the latest information about vaccination protocols and timelines for your age group.