ANNVILLE, Pa. — Due to an increase in COVID-19 numbers among students and staff, Lebanon Valley College announced it is ending in-person classes and on-campus residency and switching to an online learning model, beginning Saturday.
The school is "working hard" to plan for the spring semester and will issue communications about a return to campus in 2021, president Dr. James M. MacLaren said in a message to students last Friday.
But for now, he said, the school has made the difficult decision to end in-person learning.
"We have been fortunate to have continued in-person learning so far this semester, but the worsening county, state, and campus data trends are concerning," he said. "There has been an increase in the number of tests administered to campus community members and some recent positive results.
"There has also been an uptick in the number of students in isolation and quarantine, with growing numbers of individuals identified as close contacts. While there is no crystal ball to project the future, there is significant evidence that we should manage the situation before an outbreak occurs on campus."
According to numbers published on the school's COVID-19 dashboard, 70 students on campus have been tested for the virus since classes began in August. One student tested positive, and four were still awaiting test results as of Sunday.
Three off-campus students tested positive, with test results for one student still pending.
A total of 49 students were either in self-quarantine or self-isolation on campus, while another 59 were doing so off-campus, according to the dashboard.
Students have until 4 p.m. Saturday to vacate their on-campus residences, MacLaren said in his message. Remote learning will begin on Monday, Nov. 9.
Residential students will be credited at the end of the semester with pro-rated room and board fees for Nov. 8 through Nov. 25, unless they receive an exemption to remain on-campus after Saturday, MacLaren said.
"Though I wish we could have made it to the Thanksgiving break, winding down now — just two weeks ahead of schedule — is the most prudent thing to do," MacLaren said. "LVC’s faculty and staff have prepared well for this pivot. Campus resources such as the Breen Center for Graduate Success, the Center for Academic Success, tutoring, accessibility services, and counseling services will remain available remotely.
We are grateful for your patience and resilience in weathering this turn of events and appreciate how careful you have been in continuing to practice physical distancing, frequent handwashing, symptom tracking, and mask-wearing to keep yourself and each other safe. Please continue to follow these vital guidelines even after you return home."
