1/17/2021
Dear Residential Student,
As President Trachte recently shared in his email to you on Monday, January 11, the Lycoming community lived and learned together in a spirit of social responsibility that nurtured a culture of compliance. As a result, we remained a healthy community and operated in a way consistent with our mission as a residential college. Our ability to remain on campus with in-person instruction was in large part due to your commitment to protect yourself, protect others and protect our community. As a community, we will again be asked to put community ahead of self and continue to commit to wearing a face covering, physical distancing and hand hygiene.
We have been busy over the winter break preparing for your arrival for the spring semester. I am writing to provide additional information on aspects of the Spring Repopulation Arrival plan that President Trachte outlined to help you prepare for your return to campus. Next week, I will write again with more detail on the arrival sequence to campus and the antigen testing process.
The links below include the following:
Residential Remote Classes – Jan. 27, 28, and 29
During our antigen testing period, ALL classes scheduled for January 27, 28, and 29 will be conducted remotely. You should plan to attend classes from your residential hall room, and instructions about accessing courses will be included in the video series that you will watch while awaiting your first antigen test results in the Keiper Recreation Facility. You may also receive individual course information from one or more of your faculty members.
Information Technology Services Support
Students who need a short-term loaner laptop or iPad for remote learning on January 27, 28, and 29 should submit a service ticket at servicedesk.lycoming.edu, by calling 570-321-4150, or by emailing servicedesk@lycoming.edu. All requests will be guaranteed if made by Monday, January 25.
Each student will be required to electronically sign an Information Technology Loan Agreement. The Service Ticket will then be updated with a locker # and pin where you will retrieve your equipment. Lockers are located in Pennington Lounge.
All devices must be returned to ITS by Monday, February 1 at 4:00 PM.
If you require any other assistance from Information Technology before February 1st, please contact the IT Service Center at 570-321-4150 orservicedesk@lycoming.edu. All IT Services support will be conducted remotely until in-person classes resume on February 1st. Only if necessary, will we make arrangements for a secure drop off outside of Snowden Library.
Campus Facilities
Many campus facilities will be closed to student use during the arrival testing period – January 24 through 31. These facilities include but are not limited to Snowden Library, Keiper Recreation Center, computer labs, and study rooms. The facilities will open to student use on January 31 at 6pm. The Keiper Recreation courts will remained closed until Feb 2. Public Safety will be open as usual 24/7 to assist and respond as needed.
Residence Halls
During the testing period, movement in the residence hall should be limited. The aim of limiting movement in the residence halls is two-fold: to avoid contact upon arrival with others that might trigger an outbreak and to prevent you from being a close contact of a person who is experiencing COVID like symptoms or may be asymptomatic. Face coverings must be worn in the residence halls at all times when you are outside your room. Face coverings may be removed while you are in your room, and you are able to maintain 6 feet of physical distance from your roommate e.g., sleeping in a bed or at a desk that is six feet from your roommates bed or desk.
Student access to the residence halls during the testing period will be solely to your assigned residence hall. To avoid incidental close contact, lounges, kitchens, and laundry rooms will be closed. These rooms will be open on January 31 at 6pm.
Getting outdoors for a walk around campus beyond meals and testing is encouraged. When outdoors with others and unable to keep 6 feet apart all persons are expected to wear a face covering. If walking alone it is not necessary to wear your face covering but you should have one handy at all times. Given the elevated rates of infection in Lycoming County at this time, travel off campus is strongly discouraged. With this mind, you should plan accordingly for items you may need from the time you arrive to January through February 1 e.g., toiletries, snacks, etc.
Resident Assistants (RAs) will be on their floor to assist with needs, address questions or refer issues or concerns to the appropriate offices or individuals. . Residential Life Coordinators will be available to support, assist and respond to individuals, floors and building needs.
Visitors (family and friends) are not allowed in the residence halls during the testing period. If you need assistance in moving into your residence hall, please contact Residential Life reslife@lycoming.edu not later than two days in advance of your arrival date.
Student Involvement, Campus Recreation and Outdoor Leadership and Education have planned virtual activities for the arrival testing period. Promotional and registration information for these activities will be sent during the arrival testing period.
Mail Services
Mail Services during the arrival testing period will be contactless delivery to your residence hall room. Mail delivery to residence halls will be from Tuesday, Jan. 26 through Friday, Jan. 29 and will only include textbooks and first class mail. Hours of mail delivery will be between 2:00p – 4:00p. You are strongly encouraged to be in your residence hall room at this to ensure timely delivery of your textbooks and first class mail. Staff working with Mail Services will knock on your door and announce MAIL DELIVERY. Upon hearing a response, they will leave your textbooks and first class mail outside your door.
Please note that during the testing period all other packages will be held in mail services until Feb. 1, at which time regular mail services with self-pick-up in Wertz will begin. Packages that are not textbooks or first class mail and arrive between Jan 24 through Jan 30 will be available for pick up on Feb 1 or thereafter.
Dining Services
Meals from January 24 to January 31 will be take out only from the from the Wertz Dining Hall. Residence Halls have been paired based on the occupancy of the buildings and each pairing has been assigned a specific time to pick up breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are 5 residence hall pairings and 5 time periods for meal pick up. Next week, we will be posting to the College’s website – Living and Learning during COVID 19 – the residence hall pairings and the assigned meal pickup times for each pairing. If there is schedule conflict e.g., class or testing with your assigned meal pickup time, contact your RLC.
I expect that you will have questions. I invite you to write directly to me or the appropriate office or individual with your questions. Again, more information will follow next week on the arrival sequence to camps and the antigen testing process.
Best,
Dean Miller