Coronavirus Updates

TO: LR Campus Community
FR:. Dr. Fred Whitt, President
DT: September 14, 2020

Good morning, 

As we start the fourth week of classes in this unusual academic year, I want to share how extraordinarily proud and pleased I am of the way the entire campus community—our faculty, students and staff—have embraced all that we have asked of you: altered class delivery, new processes and protocols, wearing masks, keeping at least six feet apart, new technology. I know that some days are frustrating, and I appreciate the grace, patience and good humor that you have shown.

This week, I have a few things I wanted to share with you. 

• When we first shifted to online learning in the spring, we had hoped to have a commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 in August or September. It’s clear now that we will not be able to host an event of that scale this fall due to state guidelines on mass gatherings. We remain committed to properly celebrating the Class of 2020 and this week sent an email with a survey asking the Class of 2020 for their preferences. We will use their feedback as we make plans.
   
• Our on-going testing program began this week on the Hickory campus and will continue weekly. Next week we will extend the testing to our Asheville and Columbia campuses. If you are selected for testing, you will be notified and provided with details. Regular testing like this is an important part of our plan to keep our community safe. Testing numbers and positive results are available on our COVID-19 dashboard and updated weekly.
   
• Faculty member Dr. Randy Bergman, associate professor of public health, is working with a colleague at Florida Atlantic University to conduct research on anxiety levels among undergraduate students, faculty and staff as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more and participate in this online survey. 

Once again, I’d like to thank you for your dedication to keeping our community safe. The key to our success is continued adherence to our guidelines. Please keep up the great work and encourage your friends and colleagues to do the same.

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
DT: September 4, 2020

Good afternoon,

I have two important updates to share with you this week. 

I shared in my communication last week that we would soon begin a protocol for on-going testing of our campus community.

Continued COVID-19 Testing

After extensive conversations with the Catawba County Health Department, we will implement on-going testing of faculty, staff and students. As part of this, we will test a randomly selected group of approximately 60-70 faculty, students and staff every week. We expect to begin Wednesday, Sept. 9, on the Hickory campus and will extend to Columbia and Asheville the following week.

Those who are selected randomly will be notified by Monday, Sept. 7, and weekly thereafter. The testing will be free of charge and conducted on campus. This is in addition to testing of student-athletes, which is being done in accordance with NCAA guidelines. 

Visitors to Campus

Lenoir-Rhyne enjoys a strong relationship with our surrounding communities in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville, and we welcome and encourage visitors to participate in events, attend chapel, use our libraries and other facilities, attend lectures or patronize our dining establishments. This community engagement is something we value dearly.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 environment has made this commitment more difficult as we work to ensure the health and safety of our faculty, staff and students. Until we are able to navigate through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 environment, we are limiting visitors to our campus locations. 

During this time and until further notice, we are not permitting visitors to use our libraries, pool, exercise facilities, dining hall, and other similar facilities or meeting spaces. We also will not permit external events to be scheduled in campus facilities, including Grace or Christ Chapel, Belk Centrum, or P.E. Monroe Auditorium. In addition, there are no fall athletic events scheduled other than team practices.

You will see community members walking around our campus as these are city streets, but we are encouraging these folks to wear masks. Family members and children of our faculty and staff are discouraged from visiting campus during this time. Please notify the Office of the President if there are exceptions we need to consider.

Thank you for your support as we work to reduce the density on our campus and limit the chance of community spread of COVID-19.

TO: LR Students, Faculty and Staff
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
DT: August 28, 2020

Good morning,

Our new academic year is underway, and I would like to officially welcome all of our faculty, staff and students to Lenoir-Rhyne. It’s been rewarding to see the buzz of activity on campus and to see our students, faculty and staff so excited to get to work. 

Whether you are new to campus or returning to LR, I hope that you are prepared to have a productive and enjoyable semester.

Like every first week of class, I know there have been a few bumps as we adjust to our new protocols and processes, but the reports I have heard so far have been remarkably positive and encouraging. I appreciate the flexibility and grace you have all shown and am grateful to everyone for wearing masks, keeping their distance and following new traffic flows.

This week we rolled out two new items:

• The first is the LiveSafe app, a daily health screening for faculty, students and staff. Please be sure to complete the screening every day before coming to campus. You may be required to show your green check mark to access campus facilities, class or work. 
• The second is the LR Covid-19 dashboard, which is available on LR.edu/coronavirus. The data on the dashboard will be updated weekly.

Both the app and the dashboard are important parts of our plan to help us monitor the Covid-19 situation on our campus. Another part of this plan will be the continued testing of our campus community. Testing has been a key component in reducing the community spread and keeping our numbers of positive cases very low, and we will share details of our plan for continued testing next week.

As we get acclimated to the semester, it is critical that we remain vigilant in maintaining the three W’s—Wear a Mask, Wait at Least Six Feet Apart, Wash Your Hands Regularly. Please do your part to help keep our campus community healthy and safe.

TO: LR Students, Faculty and Staff
FR: President Fred Whitt
DT: August 19, 2020

Good evening,

This week we begin a staggered move-in process of our residential students, and we are excited to welcome these Bears to campus. The implementation of the health and safety protocols was impressive, and students are thrilled to be back on campus. Many indicated their desire to be engaged with their faculty, and their attitudes regarding testing was most positive.

Our move-in process and protocols are much different this year than in the past, and I’d like to thank the Student Life staff who have worked diligently to ensure a safe welcome of our students. I also appreciate the students and family members who followed the policies and made for a smooth transition. It has been a very successful first couple of days as things have gone according to plan.

In addition to students returning to campus, we are hosting two on-campus testing sites on our Hickory campus as we work to ensure every member of our community has easy access to testing. A special thank-you to Catawba Valley Medical Center and the Catawba Health Department, who sponsored our testing this week. Testing is a critical part of our Protect Our Den plan, and we will soon publish a dashboard on LR.edu/coronavirus that shares results of our testing protocol.

Our initial results have been extraordinarily encouraging. We have cleared 1,100 students to come to campus. Through testing, we identified eight students who tested positive, all asymptomatic, and will not come to campus until they are medically cleared. We also have two students who arrived to campus via mass transit, isolated upon arrival and then were tested, as our protocol requires. Those two students tested positive and are asymptomatic. They will continue to isolate until medically cleared. Our testing protocol is significantly reducing the chance of community spread and helping ensure the safest campus environment possible.

Later this week we will send detailed instructions to access and use our WorkSafe app. This daily symptom checker will be required of any faculty member, staff or student who will be on any of our LR campuses. It will help ensure that those who are taking part in the daily life at LR are not exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19. Please watch for an email with further information on this app later this week.

I know that many of you have seen what happened at UNC this week and wonder if there are implications for LR. It was not difficult to predict the outcome at UNC. Their researchers had indicated 3 feet distance in classrooms was appropriate for social distancing, and students were not being tested prior to their arrival on campus. While I cannot guarantee any outcome at LR, it has become increasingly clear that our Presidential Task Force has developed a well thought-out plan for us to implement. I can confidently say that by following our protocols and practicing the Three W’s---Wear Your Mask, Wait at Least Six Feet Apart, and Wash Your Hands—we are doing what we can to ensure the health and safety of our Bear Family.

Many of our students are much safer on our campus with the structure we provide than they would be by returning to their home environment. Our positivity and density rates are much lower within the LR community, and our classroom environment will be extraordinarily safe. We have consistently communicated our expectation for compliance with our policies and are serious about the consequences. Unfortunately, a few students were sent home Monday with additional consequences for not following our policies.

Thank you for all you are doing to make this a productive, enjoyable and safe year.

TO: Students, Faculty and Staff
FR: President Fred Whitt
DT: August 12, 2020

Good morning, 

In March, I appointed the presidential task force, comprised of faculty and staff representing all of our campus locations, along with the student government president, to work on our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the group has been working diligently to prepare for a safe return to campus this semester. The work hasn’t stopped with the taskforce, however. Many others on campus have been engaged as we address this highly complex challenge, and I’m grateful for every member of our community who has done so much over the past several months to welcome our students back to campus. 

In the past few weeks, I have held ~ 20 different Zoom sessions with faculty, staff, students and their parents to share our plans and to hear their questions and concerns and gather input. In addition, I have shared the document “Protecting Our Den,” LR’s Safe Return to Campus and this is now posted online. This document contains the policies and procedures that will support us this semester, and information about our testing protocol. I also plan to send out regular communications this semester to keep you apprised of the latest news, and you always can find information at LR.edu/coronavirus. 

As we approach the start of our academic year—a year which will be like no other—I would like to share highlights of our plan to create a safe and healthy living and learning environment on our campus. This plan was crafted in consultation with local and regional health authorities, as well as with the CDC guidelines, and we will continue to monitor the situation and amend our plan as needed. 

Classes will begin on Monday, Aug. 24, with our “blended” model recommended by provost and deans. Faculty have been working since the end of spring semester to revise their courses for implementation this fall. This approach includes an asynchronous component—including lectures, discussion groups, etc., delivered through Canvas—and a face-to-face or synchronous component in the form of small group discussion. Some classes will be offered online, while certain courses like labs or music performance, will be offered face to face and through virtual hybrid experiences. No matter the format of the class, I am confident our exceptional faculty will continue to offer high-quality educational experiences to our students. 

We have made numerous health and safety preparations to keep our community as safe as possible. These measures are based on the best research and public health expertise. As I shared recently, we will require all faculty, staff and students to provide a negative Covid-19 test before coming to campus, wear face coverings, practice social distancing, and wash hands frequently. We have been testing our student-athletes over the summer and that testing helped us identify asymptomatic cases, which we were able to isolate and keep from spreading. We believe testing is a crucial part of our return to campus plan. 

In addition, all students, staff, faculty and visitors are required to wear a face covering that covers the mouth and nose while anywhere on campus grounds, except in their own room, office or residence. We also will require students, faculty and staff to check for symptoms daily through a website or mobile app called Live Safe/Work Safe. Details on this process will be shared in the next few days. 

We’ll continue to work closely with local public health officials to perform contact tracing for any positive COVID-19 cases. Most of the individuals who have symptoms or test positive will return home. For those individuals who are not able to go home or have no safe home to return to, we will provide a 

limited number of living spaces and meals so they can quarantine or isolate safely. We also have been working with Aramark on the Hickory campus and our facilities vendors in Asheville and Columbia to put into place best practice cleaning and sanitization, and they have a plan to execute. 

As I have said many times in the last few weeks, all we can be certain of right now is that we are faced with uncertainty each and every day. I understand this uncertainty is stressful for every member of our community and the past five to six months have been unlike any during of lifetime. Thank you all for your patience, flexibility and support during these unprecedented times. There is no community I’d rather be a part of right now than Lenoir-Rhyne.

TO: All LR Students, Faculty and Staff
FR: Fred Whitt, President

Good afternoon! 

I trust everyone is doing well and staying safe. We are nearing the eight-week mark before fall classes begin, and I understand that you are eager to know the plans for the semester. While we would all prefer to have definitive answers, the reality is that this virus has its own timeline and does not take our needs into consideration. 

I’d like to thank the Presidential Taskforce for its work in helping to create the policies and guidelines that will guide us this fall and beyond. The members, who represent all major areas of campus, have been working diligently since March to respond to this pandemic and ensure the health and safety of our campus community and also prepare for possible disruptions to our normal operations. 

I plan to send regular updates going forward and would like to share the following with you today. 

Related Documents

• Class Periods, Meeting Times and Final Exam Schedule (PDF)
• Faculty Memo - June 10, 2020 (PDF)

Revised Fall Semester Calendar 

I have met with many campus representatives, including deans, representatives from the Asheville and Columbia campuses, Athletics, the presidential task force, the SGA president, and members of the Cabinet, to discuss the fall calendar. Our goals have been to implement best practices given the uncertainty of the virus and the prediction of another wave in late fall and early winter. 

The plan we have adopted is to start classes as scheduled on Monday August 24, eliminate fall break, and complete classes no later than Friday, November 20. Exams will be scheduled the week after Thanksgiving and will be given remotely or online. 

Ending classes before Thanksgiving week will prevent the concern of community spread, allow students time to travel home prior to the Thanksgiving rush, while also providing flexibility to complete the semester in December if we do get a disruption during the semester. 

We will also implement a revised class meeting time for fall so we can practice social distancing within our classroom environment. This format will facilitate a hybrid model for class delivery and should make any transition during the semester much easier. Please see the attached revisions to fall calendar, class and exam schedules. 

*LR university holiday on Monday October 19 will be moved to Wednesday November 25 

Return to Work 

We will begin phasing in return-to-work plans for LR staff beginning Monday, July 6. We will stagger return to work implementation and some areas will have to develop creative and staggered work schedules to ensure social distancing. Staff should contact their supervisor for details. 

Masks on Campus and Social Distancing 

Beginning Monday, June 15, all faculty, staff, students and visitors will be required to wear an appropriately sized mask when in the presence of others on the LR campus. While there will be some disposable masks available in campus buildings, faculty, staff and students and visitors should plan to provide their own. 

In addition, all face-to-face interactions should practice our social distancing policy of having at least six feet of space in between people, while at the same time wearing a mask or approved face shield. Faculty and staff do not have to wear a mask when alone in their own offices. 

We expect all faculty, staff and students to practice thorough hand washing at least five times daily while on campus. In addition, there will be hand sanitizing stations throughout campus. 

In certain areas on campus we also will install Plexiglas shields to reduce the spread of germs. You will find these shields in the business office and library, for example. 

While I understand that these policies will require a change in behavior, they are meant to minimize the chance of community spread of the coronavirus and to practice appropriate good hygiene behavior. 

Travel 

All LR-supported faculty, staff and student travel is suspended until further notice. The exception to this is student travel for clinical assignments, student teaching, internships, athletic teams, etc. Also necessary faculty and staff travel to our Columbia and Asheville campuses is permitted. Any exceptions to the travel ban should have the support of your supervisor and prior approval of the President. 

Campus Meetings 

On-campus group meetings should be in Zoom or virtual format. We are discouraging on-campus, face-to-face meetings. If absolutely necessary, meetings should allow for six feet between any attendees and all will be required to wear a mask during these meetings. One-on-one meetings in offices are permitted as long as the six feet distance and mask wearing are implemented. 

Buildings 

The task force has assigned one person from every campus building to determine the social distancing measures that need to be addressed in that space. Each building is unique; therefore, the policies in every building also will be unique. Factors to consider include the number of visitors, shared workspaces, common areas and cleaning. 

External Events Groups 

At this time, we have suspended the hosting of any external events on the LR campus including, but not limited to, weddings, conferences, events, guest speakers, etc. We hope to continue as many events as possible through a virtual format to further reduce the likelihood of community spread. 

Commencement 

As mentioned previously, we plan to celebrate Commencement on each of our three campuses and aim to announce tentative dates shortly. The decision regarding the date will be driven by local and state guidelines on mass gatherings, but we are trying to schedule closer to the beginning of September and make this a celebration of our graduates as well as a celebration of the beginning of our new academic year. 

As we work to make plans, we also must acknowledge that the situation may change and affect our plans. We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust policies as needed. While there is much uncertainty, we do know that patience and flexibility will critical to our success. 

I encourage you to read previous communications and stay up to date by visiting the Coronavirus website.. 

TO: All LR students
FR: Fred Whitt, President
SUBJECT: Emergency grants to be sent to students this week

Eligible Lenoir-Rhyne students will soon receive emergency grants as part of the university’s funding through the CARES Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

Allocations will vary based on several factors, including whether a student is full- or part-time, the student’s expected family contribution and whether the student has filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). While some schools require students to apply for grants, our approach is to provide a grant to all eligible students since all students have been affected in some way by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Eligible undergraduate students will receive between $200 and $1,050. The final grants are determined by a student’s expected financial contribution and whether the student is full- or part-time. Students with a lower Expected Family Contribution will receive larger grants than students with a higher EFC. Full-time students will receive more than part-time students. Eligible graduate students and Lifelong Learning students will receive $200.

To be eligible, the CARES Act requires students to have filed a FAFSA and to be enrolled in a degree-seeking program as of March 13, 2020. Additionally, the act does not allow these funds to be used for international students, DACA students or students who are entirely online.

These funds will be paid directly to the student and are separate from refunds provided by the university for housing and/or meal plans. These grants do not have to be paid back. Checks will be mailed to a student’s home address no later than Monday, May 25.

If you have questions, please contact Holly Ellwanger at holly.ellwanger@lr.edu or Beth Miller at beth.miller@lr.edu.

TO: LR students, faculty and staff
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
SUBJECT: Wishing the LR community a happy Easter

As we approach Easter, I want to send you all my wishes for a happy and healthy holiday. Today there are no classes and administrative offices are closed in celebration of Good Friday and the Easter holiday.  I hope that despite this year’s unusual circumstances you are able to find joy and comfort in connecting with friends and family, even if it is through virtual avenues this year, rather than in person.

In the last two weeks, I have heard from a number of students about how happy they have been to return to the routine of classes, although it looks different than before. Many have commented how appreciative they are of our faculty and staff and the work they are doing while also balancing their lives during this times. I want to thank our faculty and staff as you are working diligently to ensure that all of our students are taken care of, and we all look forward to when we things get back to normal.

I enjoyed participating in the SGA meeting this week via Zoom, and it was great to see our students, and reinforced how much I miss our students and having them on our campus. Thank you for the leadership our SGA is providing during difficult situations

I also want to provide updates on a few aspects of our response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

• As I communicated last week, we have made the decision to reschedule spring commencement. We hope that we can hold ceremonies at our three campuses in August or September. It is too soon to know exactly what that will look like, but we hope the circumstances will become clearer over the next month so we can make plans accordingly.
   
• We continue to work through our implementation plan so our Business Office may begin processing refunds and credits for students who did not receive room and board the last few weeks of the semester. A separate communication will be sent to affected students with details as soon as possible. This process will take a few weeks to complete, and I appreciate your patience as we work through this process.
   
• Please know we also are planning for all summer classes to be delivered online, and faculty are preparing for this transition. This will include all undergraduate and graduate courses, including courses that support new cohorts of graduate students who begin in summer. Any summer campus and program schedule through May 31 have been cancelled and we will make a decision soon on those programs scheduled on or after June 1.
   
• Registration is underway for the fall semester, and we continue to provide flexibility to students so they can register given these circumstances. Any students with questions are encouraged to contact the Business Office. We do expect to soon receive our share of the stimulus funding that will provide support for our students who have been negatively affected by the COVID19.  We are hoping to get clarification soon, but we believe a portion of these funds will provide support for reducing our students’ cost of attendance.
   
• While we all hope that things will return to normal by the fall, University leadership is making plans for a variety of circumstances. It is our hope that these plans will not be needed, but we believe it is important to prepare. Our Presidential Task Force continues to meet so we have clear documentation of our plans and actions during this disruption. We hope the outcome will be an updated plan for LR that will be beneficial for future unexpected disruptions to our normal operations. Please visit lr.edu/coronavirus for updates on our response to this issue.
   
• Our Listening Post continues to be active in support of our students, as it is our desire to be available for our students during these unprecedented times.  We continue to have active volunteers available by Zoom and phone to provide our students with a safe and supportive environment for hearing their concerns. Please email Listeningpost@lr.edu for more information.
   
• Please know our beloved campus pastor continues to hold the entire LR community in prayer. Pastor Weisner has doubled his usual weekly practice of praying for students, faculty, and staff by name, and his support in providing spiritual guidance is much appreciated and valued.

I know that you may have questions that have not been addressed yet or may need additional support as this semester continues. I encourage you all to lean on the LR community and take advantage of the resources available on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) site. In this time, more than ever, it is important that we practice physical distancing but continue to rely on our social networks and the LR community.

May you have a peaceful and blessed Easter.

P.S.  I am told the Easter Bunny has been classified as essential, so that is good news for us all!

TO: All LR students, faculty and staff
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, University President

Good morning and welcome back from our extended spring break! I hope the first few days of classes are going well for you all.

The past few weeks have been surreal, and I know that all of you are dealing with uncertainties in your lives that you could not have imagined just days ago. We all wish this was an April Fool’s joke, but, unfortunately, this is not the case.

Over the last few weeks, our entire LR community has worked tirelessly to adjust to these circumstances and have completed the following:

• More than 850 classes have been transformed to be delivered remotely through distance learning.
  • Our Center for Teaching and Learning has worked with more than 150 faculty over the past few weeks to provide support for transitioning classes from face-to-face to asynchronous and remote delivery.
  • We have safely returned all students who were studying abroad back to their homes.
  • Our Office of Student Housing has reduced the number on students in campus housing from 810 down to 25, and relocated all to one residence hall to enhance safety.
  • Dining services is providing meals to students on campus through take-out services
  • Counseling and health services remain open and accessible to students through call-ahead measures
  • The Listening Post is active and has transitioned to an online format with options for students to use remotely.
  • Our Enrollment Management team continues to recruit students. They developed a creative virtual tour of LR for prospective students and will be conducting virtual Red and Black days.
  • The Financial Aid office continues to provide services for current and prospective students and is scheduling online sessions for new students and their families.
  • Administrative, faculty and student meetings have continued, and many of us have learned new Zoom technology and other avenues to remain engaged with one another.
  • We have significantly reduced our “person density” on our campus by encouraging all faculty and staff to work remotely, if they can. Employees who must come to campus should contact their supervisors and follow social distancing and hygiene guidelines.

Of course, a lot of work has yet to be done and there are questions to answer. We are working diligently on the following:

May Commencement: While we will not hold our traditional commencement ceremonies in May 2020, we do not want to cancel these celebrations or hold a virtual ceremony. This is a significant milestone for our students and their families, and we plan to reschedule the ceremony to later in summer or early fall, likely August or September so our Class of 2020 will be able to enjoy a special ceremony. Students who have purchased their caps and gowns should keep them, and we will extend the deadline for those who need to order.

Student Credits and Refunds: LR is working through student accounts so we can determine the appropriate prorated credit/refund for students who did not receive room and board the last few weeks of the semester. The process is somewhat complex as we do not want to negatively impact financial aid packages for our students this semester or in the future. Our focus the past few weeks was the health and safety of our students, and we will need a few more weeks to process the credits/refunds.

Registration for Fall Semester: Registration for fall semester classes is underway. Registration began last week for graduate students and this week for our rising seniors. Registration begins April 6 for rising juniors and April 13 for all other returning students. Students should work with our business office to reconcile their student accounts. Please know we will work with you to provide flexibility needed so you can proceed with registration.

Convocation Hours: Our Provost is developing a policy that will waive any remaining Convocation requirements for seniors who plan to graduate in May or summer. This will be communicated to students and faculty through the Office of the Provost in the next few days.

Withdrawals and Grading Options:  Given the changes to course delivery and disruption to normal classes, our Provost is looking at options to provide students with additional flexibility. The last day to withdraw from a class with a grade of “W” will be extended to April 24, 2020. In addition, students currently enrolled in classes may have the option to select a “Credit/No-credit” grade rather than the traditional letter grade. For example, if a student normally earned a C- or above in the course, the grade would be listed on the report as a “CR.” The hours earned would count toward the degree but would not figure in the GPA. More information will be distributed soon through the Office of the Provost.

Summer School: LR plans to move forward with our regular summer school classes, but they will be delivered remotely through online formats. This includes the entering class of 80 new OT students who begin in the summer. Please know we will not be able to support study abroad programs or travel for summer 2020, but hope to resume these soon. Faculty should expect to begin the preparation of summer courses for online delivery as you have done for the remaining of spring semester.

Faculty and Staff Employment: Our goal is to keep our faculty and staff working and the trains operating as normal as possible for as long as possible. We think there may be some benefits in the federal government’s stimulus package that may assist us in meeting this objective. None of us can predict how all of this will affect higher education in the long term, but it will not just be an LR issue. It will affect all of higher education. We are in a stable position as a university to work through these times of uncertainty and the work of our strategic plan further strengthens that position. While we may have to tighten our belts in the short term and do some things differently, our goal is to continue to retain our faculty and staff without layoffs or furloughs.

LR is committed to supporting our students, faculty and staff during these times of uncertainty and will continue to work through questions that arise as we adapt to this new reality. I hope this communication addresses some of your most pressing questions and concerns.

Governor Cooper’s Stay at Home Order: Attached to this email is NC Governor Cooper’s Stay at Home Order. The order indicates higher education is listed as an essential service, and this includes LR, as we are delivering online courses at each of our campuses. We have encouraged faculty and staff to work remotely if at all possible so we significantly reduce the person density on campus. Those individuals who need to be on campus to perform essential services (maintenance, security, IT, etc.) should give careful attention to cleaning, hygiene, and social distancing. Please work with you supervisor if you have any questions or concerns. Most buildings are closed so please be sure you lock buildings and rooms if you have are on campus.

I am incredibly proud of the way the LR community has rallied together in the last few weeks, and I know that we will come through this situation stronger than ever.

Thank you for all you are doing and please let me know if you have any questions.

TO: All LR Faculty
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President

I wanted to write to you today on the eve before classes resume after our extended spring break. It is my desire to speak from the heart during this time of great uncertainty, and to personally thank you for what you have been doing and are about to do.

I fully appreciate the unpredicted adjustments and challenges many of you are facing during this challenging time. In addition to balancing the demands of family, including aging parents, childcare changes, spouses who have lost jobs, and students home from school, you are now being asked to make revisions in how you teach our students and doing so without the opportunities of working with them in face-to-face environments.

Many of you worked very hard during your spring break and spent time in our Center for Teaching and Learning to prepare for asynchronous delivery of your courses starting tomorrow. A special shout out to Devon Fisher, Jessica O’Brien and all those who have worked hard to assist you. While some of you are familiar with remote delivery, others may be working in uncharted territory. No one could have predicted such a disruption to our daily lives, and during the last few weeks all of you have been extraordinary. I realize you are working hard to make the best of a difficult situation and doing so during a year when LR was not able to provide you with salary adjustments. I understand this, and it will be one of my priorities as we move forward. 

Of course, our students are facing their own stresses and uncertainties. Most have had their lives uprooted. Many have traveled abroad to be with their families and are worried about completing their studies this semester. We continue to house students on campus who have no home or safe home to return to, while others are not able to go home due to health issues of family members.

Others have lost their jobs due to layoffs, and their parents may have been laid off so they are worried how they can continue their studies here at LR. Seniors feel robbed of their last semester of enjoying campus activities, such as choir and musical tours, drama productions, recitals, research projects, their final season of athletics and having those special interactions with our faculty that mean so much to them. 

We are working very hard on a daily basis to manage all of these uncertainties. We had a very productive Board of Trustees meeting Friday (via Zoom), and they are supportive of the measures we have implemented to date. We have learned over the weekend that we may get some relief through the stimulus package as some funds have been earmarked for higher education.

We are continuing to review student balances and calculate what we will be able to provide in the way of credits and refunds for the room and board students will not receive this semester. It becomes more complex as we do not want to negatively impact the cost of attendance and financial aid packages for those who will return in the fall. Please reassure our students we are committed to assisting them, and it may take us another week to analyze each situation. We are also looking at deferring payments of balances for some so they may register for fall classes, which begins tomorrow.

We are LR strong, and I have no doubt we will come out of this and be even stronger. We were having a great 2019-20 year, and deposits for our entering freshmen class for fall 2020 were tracking well ahead of last year and closer to the prior year when we had a record year. Student deposit indicated a slightly higher academic profile and the ability to accept a financial package from LR resulting in a significant net tuition revenue increase. It is clear new models and plans implemented last year, along with great people doing good work, are making a difference. We continue to recruit new students and our admission team has created a virtual campus tour and visit as a way to engage prospective students at the envy of some of our peers. 

While it may not always seem like it from your perspective, please remember I, too, spent many years as a faculty member, working with my students, teaching classes, conducting research and performing my share of professional service. I know full well the hard work, dedication, creativity and hours it takes to do what each of you do here at LR. We are now asking you to be innovative in working to provide a meaningful experience for your students through May.

I thank you for your commitment, your passion, your love of education, and the support, encouragement and love you have for our students and Lenoir-Rhyne. It does not go unnoticed. I am profoundly grateful for you each and every day and certainly for all you are doing during this unprecedented time. Do not underestimate the impact you have on our students in general and the impact you will have on them over the next few weeks.

Faith is certainly a strength many of us reach deep to use as a mechanism for surviving and sustaining us through the challenges of life and it is part of the LR tradition. We often refer to the strong Lenoir-Rhyne community and family we are fortunate to embrace. It is my hope during these difficult times our LR community will be a sense of strength for us to draw upon to get us through these difficult times.

Thank you for your support and great efforts. Please let me know how I can be of any assistance.

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President

I understand this is a time of incredible uncertainty as we work to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic. Despite this hardship, I have been heartened by the response from our LR community about the changes we have had to make to help ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and the broader community.

As you know, this situation continues to evolve rapidly. The landscape changes so quickly that a decision made one day may need to be revisited just hours later. Today, after extensive conversations with peer institutions, local public health officials, and leadership from across campus, we have made a number of decisions.

Classes

We no longer feel it is feasible for classes to return to an in-person format this semester. As a result, we have made the decision that all classes will be delivered online/remote delivery through the end of the semester. Faculty have been preparing for this and they will be in touch with their students later next week. Classes will begin remotely as planned on March 30, 2020. We understand that questions will surface about labs, clinical placements, internships, and convocation hours. We are working on these issues and will have answers in the coming days; please don’t hesitate to contact your faculty members if you do have questions.

Residence Halls in Hickory

We continue to have about 100 students living on campus in residence halls and apartments, many of whom are international students. We will work with these students to begin making arrangements for them to vacate their spaces and return home for the duration of the semester, while completing their classes online/remotely. I understand that this decision presents many questions, including how to retrieve personal items left behind by those who hoped to return. Please give us some time to work out plans to address these situations and watch for future communications. The first priority will be for Dean Katie Fisher, Jonathan Rink and Jenny Smith to work with the students to help them vacate their rooms. In addition, they will be reviewing and approving a limited number of exceptions for some to remain in on- campus housing.

Faculty/Staff

In an effort to reduce the “person density” on our campus in support of social distancing, those who can do their work remotely are encouraged to do so now. We want our faculty and staff to remain active and productive with their work, and are making plans to provide the support needed for faculty and staff to work from remote sites. At the same time, we realize some may prefer working from their campus office, which we understand. Please work with your direct supervisor to make appropriate arrangements. 

Campus Buildings

We have closed our more “public buildings” this week such as PE Monroe, Shuford Gym, the swimming pool, Grace Chapel and the Cromer Center.  We will be closing additional spaces to the general public, including Rudisill Library, although some spaces in the library, including the CTL, will remain available for use as we transition to remote instruction. Once we reduce our campus housing population, we will explore the option to consolidate all remaining residents on campus in to one residential facility in an effort to close buildings, reduce our energy expenditure and enhance security.

I want to thank you all for your incredible patience and understanding as Lenoir-Rhyne responds to this unprecedented challenge. I am grateful to our faculty, who are working diligently to shift their classes to online delivery and provide guidance to our students; to our staff, who ensure that our key services continue in support of our community; and to our students, who found their semester cut short and are settling into a new experience for the remainder of the semester.

While we have made these hard decisions, we know there are questions yet to be answered and work yet to be done. We will continue to work with our community to make decisions with your best interests at heart.

We are LR STRONG and we are here for YOU!

Thank you and Go Bears!

TO: LR Faculty and Staff
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President

The leadership team met again today to discuss the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We will also have our Presidential Task Force meeting tomorrow morning (via zoom if needed)  to discuss further issues.  At this time, we have made the following decisions in an effort to protect the health and safety of our campus community and help contain the spread in the broader community.

• Events: To encourage social distancing, all events scheduled to be held on any of our campuses or LR-sponsored events to be held off campus are canceled until further notice based upon CDC recommendations. This is an extension of our initial notice of cancellation through March 30.
   
• Faculty/staff: We understand that our faculty and staff have a myriad of situations in their personal and family lives that are affected by school closures and health concerns. If you need to work remotely, please work with your direct supervisor to make arrangements. 
   
• Travel: All University-sponsored travel that is international or interstate is canceled. In-state travel should take place only if essential. Exceptions should be approved by the appropriate vice president.
   
• Classes: As we have communicated earlier, classes will resume on Monday, March 30, with online/remote delivery. We initially stated that this delivery method would continue until at least April 3. We are continuing to monitor the situation and expect to have another update later this week. Faculty should be preparing to complete their courses through online/remote delivery through the end of the semester.

I understand that many of you have anxiety about this situation, particularly related to questions for which there are no answers at this time. We are working diligently to make the best decisions, understanding that the situation is changing rapidly. I appreciate your patience and flexibility as we work to make the best decisions for our entire community.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns

Thank you for all you for Lenoir-Rhyne!

TO: LR Faculty and Staff
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President

Good afternoon.  I hope all of you are doing well and practicing preventive measures and implementing social distancing in your own households. As I mentioned in my previous communication, this is a public health issue, and a time for all of us to step up and be the best version of ourselves as a global citizen. Our country has to work to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 so the health care system can manage the resources we have.

As you know, these are unchartered waters and we are all doing the very best we can with the information available. I am not sure we have faced anything quite like this during my 40 plus years in higher education. Things are changing rapidly, and that requires us to be flexible and patient as we respond to new information.  We are fortunate to have a strong LR family and I am thankful this foundation and those bonds will help us work through this as a collective community. 

Many of our students have departed for spring break, but we have some who need to remain on campus in Hickory. Some are international students or have hometowns far away. Others might not have a stable home to return to, while others may have family members with serious health conditions they do not want to place at risk.

These students are welcome to remain on campus and we anticipate our dining services in Hickory will open as scheduled at 4 p.m. on Sunday March 22. I hope our LR community will step forward and reach out to these students to ease their anxiety and provide them the basic necessities they may not have. We have other students who will return after the extended spring break as they would not otherwise have access to the technology needed to successfully complete their classes.

We have close to 90 international students at LR, many who participate in our athletic programs which have now been canceled. While these students know they are welcome to stay, many of their families are calling them home, afraid President Trump will close borders and affecting their ability to return home at the end of the semester. These students are concerned about not having access to learning materials to complete the semester if they are unable to return to the US over the next few weeks.

Each student has issues to face that are unique to that individual. I have assured these students our faculty will work with them remotely to manage through these times of uncertainty.  Faculty and staff will begin to receive questions and many “what ifs” over the course of the next week or two. It is impossible to predict what will happen, but what we all can do is to reassure our students we will have their best interest at heart and will work with them individually to complete the semester.

Dean Katie and Jonathan Rink and their team have worked tirelessly with students in helping them manage their situations. They have been in contact with 85% of our residential students in the past 24 hours and know their plans for the next two weeks and beyond. We have identified close to 150 students to date who will remain on campus for various reasons identified above.

I encourage our faculty and staff to remain flexible and encouraging during these uncertain times.  We are committed to providing you the resources to continue doing your jobs the best you can. Our goal will be to begin classes in remote/online/alternative formats on Monday, March 30, and resume normal operations as soon as it is prudent. While we do not know for sure what will happen, I fully expect faculty will need to be prepared to provide alternative delivery modes of instruction through the end of the semester. We essentially have 8 class days remaining for Tuesday/Thursday classes and 13 MWF class days remaining in the semester and then the exam period.

One purpose of extending spring break is to provide faculty with the additional time to prepare their classes for remote delivery for the remaining of the semester. This will require innovative and creative thinking as well as some technical skills and resources. Devon Fisher and his team have been amazing in their willingness to provide support and assistance and we will do all we can to support these efforts. I know Provost Johnson has been indicating the need for faculty to be prepared for this disruption. It will not be easy, but I know you will rise to the challenge. The LR campus community will remain open for business during spring break and the weeks following. The university is closed Friday, March 20, for a vacation day and that has not changed. Our campus will implement more intense and frequent cleaning, social distancing and we will remind folks not to come to work if sick.

President Trump has declared March 15 a National Day of Prayer. I encourage each of you to pray for the wisdom and guidance for us to work through this difficult situation and to bring comfort to those who are sick.

I am available. Please let me know what questions you may have and what assistance you may need.

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President

The situation around the COVID-19 virus continues to change quickly. We have been consulting regularly with local and state health departments, as well as peer institutions in order to make decisions that will ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff.

Based on the most recent information available, we have made decisions that will affect operations at Lenoir-Rhyne University at all three campus locations. We have considered all options carefully. These decisions have been made not only to protect the LR community but also to help mitigate and contain the spread of COVID-19 more broadly. This is not just an LR issue, but a public health issue.

Classes/Spring Break

Spring break will be extended one week, through Sunday, March 29. Classes will resume on Monday, March 30, with in-person classes moving to online/remote delivery at least through Friday, April 3. We will then review the instructional delivery format for the remainder of the semester. This extended time of spring break will provide the opportunity for students to vacate on-campus housing as requested and for the campus to prepare for alternative methods of course delivery. Faculty will determine the best instructional methods for their classes and will use a variety of platforms and resources to meet their teaching goals.

Issues Related to Internships, Clinicals and Student Teaching

Students who have internships, clinicals, student teaching positions and other special learning situations will be handled individually. Students who live in the area may have the option to continue their experience, depending on the host site and the faculty adviser.

On-Campus Housing/Dining Service on Hickory Campus

Students in Hickory must vacate their residence halls for spring break no later than 12 p.m. Sunday, March 15, and to take with them anything they need to prepare for a possible extended time away from campus. Those students with a compelling need to remain on campus during this time may request an exception by contacting the Office of Student Life. The Cromer Center Dining Hall on the Hickory campus is closed over the regularly scheduled spring break and will reopen on Sunday, March 22, at 4 p.m. and continue through the semester as normal.

Events

To encourage social distancing, all events scheduled to be held on campus or LR-sponsored events to be held off campus are canceled through March 30. It is highly likely this will be extended into April. This includes convocations for undergraduate students. Further information will be forthcoming.

Travel

All University-sponsored travel that is international or interstate is canceled. In-state travel should take place only if essential. Exceptions should be approved by the appropriate vice president.

Athletics

The South Atlantic Conference (SAC) has suspended all spring sport competition and practices effectively immediately. More direction and information will be forthcoming from the SAC. Student-athletes should contact their coaches with questions.

I understand that this disruption to our community will bring additional questions. We have developed an FAQ (available below) that will answer many of your questions. If you have additional concerns, please reach out to your supervisor, coach or faculty member.

As the situation evolves, we will continue to provide regular updates both via email and at www.lr.edu/coronavirus. I appreciate your understanding, your patience and your flexibility in this challenging time.  We are committed to the excellent teaching and learning standards at LR and addressing this unprecedented situation as equitably as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions. If you have questions that are not answered here, please contact the Office of the President at president@lr.edu.

Are classes canceled?

No. Lenoir-Rhyne is on spring break March 16-29. Classes will resume Monday, March 30, with all in-person classes moving to online/remote delivery through at least Friday, April 3. Students should hear directly from their faculty members with further instructions.

I am working in a clinical experience, student teaching or have a similar program underway. What should I do?

Students should consult with their host site and their faculty adviser on their situation.

Do I need to completely move out of my residence hall?

We request that students on the Hickory campus vacate their residence halls by Sunday, March 15, at 12 noon, prior to beginning spring break. Graduate students in Columbia housing may remain. It is important to take anything you may need to prepare for an extended time away from campus. Students who need to stay on campus must request an exception by contacting Office of Student Life. While you do not have to fully move out your belongings at this time, you must leave your key with your RA or RD so we may control access.

Will the dining hall be open?

The Cromer Center Dining Hall on the Hickory campus is closed over the regularly scheduled spring break and will reopen on Sunday, March 22, at 4 p.m. and continue through the semester as normal.

Are LR sporting events canceled?

Lenoir-Rhyne is working closely with the South Atlantic Conference and the NCAA on decisions related to athletic competitions. All spring sport competition events and practices have been canceled for spring 2020. Student-athletes should consult with their coaches regarding workouts and treatment as appropriate.  

Are events canceled?

To encourage social distancing, all events scheduled to be held on campus or LR-sponsored events to be held off campus will be canceled through March 30. It is likely that this will be extended into April. Exceptions to this policy may be requested through the Office of Events and Sponsored Programs. We will continue to assess this decision as the situation evolves.

I’m scheduled to attend a conference. Should I cancel those plans?

All University-sponsored travel that is international or interstate is canceled. In-state travel should take place only if essential.

Is campus closed?

No. Lenoir-Rhyne’s three campuses remain open for business. Faculty and staff should continue to report to work and will have access to their offices/labs/workspaces as usual. We are asking supervisors to be flexible for staff who are sick or may need to work remotely to help reduce risk from exposure.

Will the May commencement ceremonies be canceled?

No decision has been made yet on commencement ceremonies. Information will be provided at a later date.

I think I may have been exposed to the coronavirus or am not feeling well? What should I do?

Students at the Hickory campus can contact Cornerstone Health and Wellness Center. Initial contact should be made by calling 828-328-7959 so that a telephone evaluation can be completed. This screening mechanism should lessen the spread of COVID-19 on campus. Information is available on the Cornerstone Health and Wellness Center website. 

I am feeling anxious or overwhelmed by this situation. Who can I speak with?

Students can contact counseling services at Cornerstone Health and Wellness Center. Information is available on the Cornerstone Health and Wellness Center website.

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President

The health and safety of our faculty, staff and students are our highest priority. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a worldwide concern that is very fluid, and the situation continues to change daily. We are working closely with local public health experts to guide our decisions. We will continue to monitor developments and will provide updates as needed.

As we approach our spring break, I wanted to share some additional information to keep you informed about how we are planning and preparing.

General Guidelines & Classes

Currently, there are no reports of COVID-19 cases anywhere within the campus community or within Catawba County, Asheville and Columbia, S.C. areas.  At this time, all university classes and events on our three campuses will continue as scheduled.

On Tuesday, we held the first meeting of our campus taskforce. The members represent all key areas across the campus, and we began discussions about how Lenoir-Rhyne will respond if this virus directly affects our campus community. This includes working with faculty to develop plans, including online delivery, to continue classes.

If you are sick, stay home from class or work. We ask all faculty and supervisors to accommodate students and employees who stay home while sick.

University & Personal Travel

We have two international spring break programs that are official LR-sponsored trips. As of today, we have decided to cancel those trips. This is, undoubtedly, a disappointment for our students. However, we were concerned about our ability to respond and support our students and faculty if the situation were to change while they were abroad.

We have a small number of students who are currently enrolled in semester-long study abroad programs. We are working with them directly to ensure that they are comfortable with the situation in their countries and will continue to be in regular contact for the duration of their program.  In addition, we will contact the local liaison at their assigned placement.

Currently, there are no restrictions on University-sponsored domestic travel. However, as previously noted, the situation around COVID-19 is continuing to evolve and changes rapidly.  We are working closely with local public health experts to guide our decisions and will continue to monitor developments and will make changes if needed.

If you are scheduled to travel and are concerned about it, I encourage you to contact your supervisor, coach or a faculty member. If you have other diagnosed health concerns and are anxious about how they may be impacted, please contact your provider or our staff at Cornerstone for guidance. We will work with all of our community members to ensure that they are comfortable with their travel or encourage them to refrain from travel. 

For our faculty, students and staff with personal travel plans over spring break, we encourage you to stay aware of the situation in the area you’re visiting.  Common-sense precautions such as frequent hand-washing and practicing social distancing are the most effective frontline defenses.

Campus Preparations

Our facilities staff has ramped up its cleaning and sanitation practices. High-traffic buildings and features like doorknobs and water fountains are being cleaned and sanitized more frequently. There are hand sanitizer stations across campus, and we encourage our community members to take advantage of them when necessary.

What You Can Do

As always, you can take precautions to help prevent the spread of all respiratory illnesses. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following steps:

• Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Clean devices such as phones and keyboards frequently.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Get a flu shot, it’s not too late. During this time of year, respiratory illnesses in North Carolina are most likely due to infection with influenza or viruses that cause the common cold.

National, State & Local Resources

• Centers for Disease Control
• N.C. Department of Public Health
• Catawba County (N.C.) Department of Public Health
• Buncombe County (N.C.) Public Health
• S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control

Campus Resources

• Cornerstone Health and Wellness Center

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President

The safety of our students, faculty and staff is our top priority, and we continue to monitor the coronavirus (Covid-19). While this virus is not currently spreading widely in the United States, the situation is rapidly evolving. We are providing this update to raise awareness and keep the LR community informed.

Campus Preparations

The University is taking precautions and planning for the effects should the virus spread to the LR community. We are working with local agencies, including the Catawba County Public Health and Emergency Services, to discuss necessary steps in the case of a local outbreak. In addition, I am appointing a task force to prepare a comprehensive plan to ensure continuity of University operations in the event of an outbreak or any other unexpected events that could create a disruption of normal operations.

Travel

We are closely monitoring the CDC’s guidelines on travel. At this time, there are six countries that the CDC is providing recommendations on. They are China, Iran, South Korea, Italy, Japan and Hong Kong. We do not have any students on study-abroad programs to those countries currently.

We are communicating with our students who are currently studying abroad to ensure that they understand the situation and are well prepared to make informed decisions. We also continue to work with faculty and students who have travel plans in the near future.

If you have concerns or questions about upcoming study abroad travel, please contact Dr. Laura Dobson in the Shuford Center for International Education.

Faculty and staff in Academic Affairs with questions about other work-related travel, please contact Gary Johnson.

Staff in other areas with questions about work-related travel, please contact your area’s vice president.

What You Can Do

As always, you can take precautions to help prevent the spread of all respiratory illnesses. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following steps:

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Clean devices such as phones and keyboards frequently.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Get a flu shot, it’s not too late. During this time of year, respiratory illnesses in North Carolina and South Carolina are most likely due to infection with influenza or viruses that cause the common cold.

National, State & Local Resources

• Centers for Disease Control
• N.C. Department of Public Health
• Catawba County (N.C.) Department of Public Health
• Buncombe County (N.C.) Public Health
• S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control

Campus Resources

• Cornerstone Health and Wellness Center