Dear Students and Families,

Our LVC community has shown such great endurance, flexibility, and understanding in the last five months. The faculty and staff have poured all their efforts into planning for a return to campus in the fall. As we get closer to the start of classes on Aug. 24, we have decided to make an important change: First-semester first-year students and new transfer students, seniors, resident assistants, first-year mentors, and other approved students will move into residence halls as planned ahead of the start of classes, and sophomores and juniors will move back to campus Sept. 11–13. Commuting students may attend in-person classes and use campus facilities as of Aug. 24.

COVID-19 testing capacity and turnaround time for results remain unpredictable, and the nation is experiencing surges in positive cases where there have been large group gatherings, particularly among college-age populations. Therefore, we have decided to take this phased-in approach to residency to reduce the number of students living on campus as we resume on-campus instruction. The good news is that infection rates in Lebanon County and the Annville ZIP code appear to be trending downward. If we all remain dedicated to physical distancing, wearing face coverings, practicing good hand hygiene, and self-quarantining if needed, we have the best chance of continuing on-campus learning throughout the fall semester. The phased move-in is part of this strategy to improve our chances of getting through the full semester with in-person learning. Based on public health recommendations, we strongly encourage all students to self-quarantine between now and the time they come to campus.

I understand you may have a lot of questions. A few key points for those with delayed move-ins:

• You will be credited room and board for the time you are not living in the residence halls/are not authorized to move into campus housing. This credit will be applied to the Fall 2020 semester and carried over to offset Spring 2021 semester charges.
• You may choose to attend classes in-person if you would like to commute until move-in.
• Or, you may choose to start your classes online.
• Or, you may choose the combination of in-person and online learning.
• You can find more information and FAQs on the LVC Forward blog.

We recognize that some sophomore and junior students may need to live on campus at the start of the semester. These include international students, students with academic requirements that require their presence on campus, and students with circumstances that would interfere with their ability to take classes at home (family circumstances, internet access, food security, etc.). Sophomores and juniors who wish to request to move into campus housing before Sept. 11 must complete this form by Monday, Aug. 10, at 5 p.m. to be given full consideration.

The College continues to monitor the situation and will communicate updates regularly. If the current plans change, LVC will let you know on or before Sept. 7. A lot can happen between now and then, and we will keep you informed along the way. Fortunately, LVC's faculty and staff have been planning for this contingency. They are well-prepared to deliver robust courses, support services, and engagement activities whether you are living and taking classes in person or living off-campus and taking classes and accessing services online. Email information@lvc.edu or call our hotline at 717-867-6555 if you have any questions.

The campus leadership and I will keep you updated regularly. Starting next week, I will write to you weekly with updates on the College, and I hope you won't be shy about letting me know what questions you have.

I appreciate your patience and resilience as we navigate these extraordinary challenges.

Sincerely,

Dr. James M. MacLaren, president