ANNVILLE, Pa. — Lebanon Valley College announced it will hold the first two weeks of its Spring 2022 semester remotely due to the regional surge in COVID-19 infections and the transmissibility of the omicron variant.
The semester is scheduled to begin January 17, LVC said in a post on its webpage.
The College said it 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.
But the school will continue to monitor the situation and will make further adjustments to its policy as necessary.
Under LVC's current policy:
- In-person classes are now set to begin January 31. (Note: The college is working with health professions programs that have a pedagogical need for some students to begin in-person learning January 17. Health professions students or education students with teaching placements are advised to look for messages from their 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 a 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.
The college also urged students to get a COVID-19 vaccination and/or booster, pointing out that "the majority of those hospitalized and critically ill are unvaccinated."
Higher vaccination and booster rates maximize LVC's ability to return to and sustain in-person learning, the school added.
The school also urged students to get a flu shot.
"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," the college said.
"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," the school announced. "Otherwise, you will be required to quarantine if you are a contact of someone testing positive.
Once students return to campus, the college said:
- LVC will not require re-entry testing, but encourages students to get tested before their planned return. Students exhibiting symptoms of an illness are asked to delay their return to campus until they are well.
- Students who are experiencing symptoms of any illness — even if it is a sniffle and even if you are fully vaccinated are required to fill out the Daily Symptom Tracker in MyLVC. They will later be contacted by Shroyer Health Center staff will contact you. Students should NOT visit Shroyer without an appointment.
- Students are asked to 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.
- Students are asked to 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 a student must isolate or quarantine, the student may be required to go home until cleared to return to campus.