Coronavirus Updates

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
DT: June 25, 2021

Following extensive discussions and deliberations with the COVID-19 taskforce, the leadership team, cabinet, the executive committee of the board of trustees, and local and regional public health experts, we have decided to require the COVID-19 vaccine for all Lenoir-Rhyne students, faculty and staff at all campus locations starting with the return to campus this fall. LR joins a group of more than 500 colleges and universities nationwide that are requiring vaccination to facilitate their return to normal operations for the fall semester. 

The decision was based on ensuring the health, safety and well-being of our campus and broader community and is consistent with one of our LR values -- being a caring community.  In addition, we believe requiring the vaccine is essential to provide the full LR experience for our students, faculty and staff—without masks, social distancing, quarantining and mandatory testing.  

In order to return to campus for the 2021-2022 academic year, students, faculty and staff are required to complete the vaccination process on or before August 16, 2021. A completed vaccine process means that two weeks must have passed from the second vaccine shot (Pfizer or Moderna) or from the one-time Johnson & Johnson vaccine. That means you must receive your second shot (or the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine) by August 1, 2021. 

Students who are approved for early arrival to campus for the fall semester prior to August 16 will need to complete their vaccination process before arrival to campus. 

Students are required to submit a copy of their completed vaccine card online, while faculty and staff are to submit their proof of vaccination using Paycom. Approximately 1,000 LR faculty, staff and students have already fully completed the vaccination process; they simply need to upload their vaccine documentation ASAP and not later than July 18, 2021. 

Individuals may be exempt from the vaccine requirement only if they show documented medical reasons or adherence to sincerely held bona fide religious beliefs as noted of the exemption forms. To request an exemption, you should submit the appropriate exemption form ASAP and no later than July 18, 2021. A committee will review the request and notify you of its decision. Exemption forms and FAQs will be made available on the university website the week of June 28. Students enrolled in online classes only who will not be on campus for the semester may be exempt from the vaccine requirement.

COVID vaccines are readily available from drugstores and public health departments. In addition, LR will work with Catawba County Public Health to offer an on-campus vaccine clinic during July. Information on finding a COVID vaccination site near you is available online.  

If you have additional questions, please contact the following: 

• Students: Katie Fisher at katie.fisher@lr.edu
• Student-Athletes: Michael Flicker at flickerm@lr.edu
• Faculty and Staff: Leah Beth Hubbard at leah.hubbard@lr.edu  

Getting a vaccine will help ensure the health and safety of not only the LR community, but of the Greater Hickory area. The LR community has shown considerable strength and resilience during the pandemic, and I appreciate your commitment to one another and to the broader community.

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

We are well over 60 weeks into the COVID -19 pandemic and have some good news from both the Centers for Disease Control and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. As you may know, both the CDC and the governor reduced and/or lifted several COVID-19 restrictions implemented over the past year.

Last week, Cooper eliminated the mask requirement indoors and outdoors and the social distance requirement of at least six feet. In addition, he has removed the reduced capacity limits for indoor and outdoor spaces. Exceptions include public transportation, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, childcare, schools, camps and other congregate living environments. For these settings, masks will continue to be required, as will social distancing.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services continues to strongly recommend those who have not been vaccinated continue to wear masks, socially distance at least six feet, and continue to participate in COVID-19 testing. In addition, non-vaccinated individuals will be subject to the 14-day quarantine recommendation if exposed to COVID-19 infection. The NC DHHS has also recommended that people who have been fully vaccinated do not have to wear masks, socially distance or be subject to quarantine or contact tracing when exposed to COVID-19.

We encourage everyone to take advantage of the free vaccination opportunities so they may return to life as normal as possible. Faculty and staff who have been fully vaccinated can enter their verification through Paycom, while students may enter their vaccine verification through the student form.

Our COVID Task Force meets this week and will consider these developments as we plan for a safe return to normal operations for summer and fall. However, effective immediately, Lenoir-Rhyne has lifted the requirement to wear masks when outdoors at all campus locations. We will provide additional information regarding reductions in restrictions after the task force meets this week.

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

This will be our final coronavirus update for the 2021 spring semester.

LR administered 173 rapid COVID tests this past week in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville. There were no new positive cases on any campus locations through our surveillance testing for a positivity rate of 0%. In addition to the surveillance testing, there were no new symptomatic cases self-reported from our Hickory campus. In addition, there were no COVID positive cases reported from our Asheville or Columbia campus locations.

For the 2021 spring semester, our surveillance testing identified 28 positive cases from 11,218 COVID tests administered from January 1- May 9, 2021. This reflected a positivity rate of only .25%.

Thank you to the entire campus community for your collective efforts to implement our COVID infection control protocols this entire year, and special thank-you to Michael Flicker and the entire athletic training staff who administered the 11,218 COVID tests this semester. The success in managing COVID on our campus has been a team effort, and I also wanted to thank our COVID Taskforce, which met two to four times monthly for the last 14 months.

Vaccines may be scheduled through the Catawba County Health Department by calling 828-282-2002. Many are able to schedule same-day appointments. While LR strongly recommends that everyone get vaccinated, please know this is a personal choice and is not required by LR at this time. LR will make a decision regarding a vaccine requirement by mid-June.

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to keep our community safe.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

May 2-9, 2021 Weekly Testing Report

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

Testing slowed down this week as many athletic teams have completed their seasons and campus density has decreased.  The only testing planned this week during our final week of exams will be the student athletes who are still competing and optional exit testing for students prior to departing for home.

LR administered 301 rapid COVID tests this past week in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville. There were no new positive cases on any campus locations through our surveillance testing for a positivity rate of 0%. In addition to the surveillance testing, there was one new symptomatic case self-reported from our Hickory campus.

Vaccines may be scheduled through the Catawba County Health Department by calling 828-282-2002. Many are able to be scheduled the same day as calling. While LR strongly recommends that everyone get vaccinated, please know this is a personal choice and is not required by LR at this time.

Governor Cooper communicated Executive Order 209 last week, which became effective April 30 at 5 PM.  His communication provides increased flexibility regarding wearing mask outdoors.  We have communicated with the director of public health in Catawba County and held a COVID-19 Task Force meeting this morning to discuss any changes to our commencement protocols. It was the recommendation of our task force, and I concur, that we expect all attendees to wear masks at each of our commencement ceremonies this week. The consensus is we have all worked hard to follow protocols this year so let’s finish strong in our COVID prevention through the end of the semester. Graduates will have the option to remove their mask when walking across the stage to receive their diploma covers.

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to keep our community safe.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

April 26-May 2, 2021 Testing Report

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

This week will complete our final few days of class for the 2020-2021 academic year.  Thanks to our faculty, staff and students for doing such an outstanding job following our COVID-19 policies and procedures this year.  We are so fortunate to have made it through the entire spring semester without one COVID-19 cluster in any area on campus.

Our final student groups will receive their second vaccine shots this week. For those who would like to get the vaccine, please know that the Catawba County Health Department is now scheduling same-day vaccines. They have appointments with a wait time of just a few days, as they have now caught up to the demand and their supply is readily available. (this seems to contradict same-day vaccines being available?)

LR administered 554 rapid COVID tests this past week in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville. There was one new positive case this past week on the Hickory campus through our surveillance testing for a positivity rate of .18%. In addition to the surveillance testing, there were two new symptomatic cases self-reported at the Hickory campus, both from commuter students in online programs. There have been no reports of COVID cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began.

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to keep our community safe.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

April 19-25, 2021 Testing Report

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

LR had another successful week in our efforts to prevent the COVID-19 infection on our campus.

In the week of April 12-18, we administered 652 rapid COVID tests in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville. There was one new positive case this past week on the Hickory campus through our surveillance testing for a positivity rate of .15%. In addition to the surveillance testing, there were two new symptomatic cases self-reported at the Hickory campus, one from a commuter graduate student and one from an LR employee. There have been no reports of COVID cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began.

More than 600 LR students are scheduled to get their second Pfizer vaccine shot this week. We strongly encourage everyone to consider getting the COVID vaccine.  The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is now strongly encouraging those 16 years and older to get their vaccine, as there are increases in infection rates in the 18-40 year age group.

Our Presidential Task Force met last week, and we discussed using incentives to encourage all faculty, staff and students to get vaccinated before the fall semester begins. We also discussed offering exit testing for students as they depart campus at the end of the semester to mitigate infection spread. Details about this plan will be communicated through Dean Katie Fisher’s office.

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to keep our community safe.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

April 12-18, 2021 Testing Report

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

Congratulations! We are just 10 class days away from the last day of class for the semester, and a little more than three weeks from spring commencement.

LR had the most successful week yet relative to COVID-19 infection prevention! We administered 1,213 rapid COVID tests in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville. There were no new positive cases this past week on the Hickory campus through our surveillance testing for a positivity rate of 0%. In addition to the surveillance testing, there was only one new symptomatic case self-reported at the Hickory campus from a commuter student. There have been no reports of COVID cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began.

We are all racing to stay ahead of the COVID variants, which are now causing more hospitalizations for younger individuals, including college students. These variants are very contagious, so please continue to wear masks and stay at least six feet away from others to help slow the spread.

The one protection from these variants is the vaccine. We now have approximately 1,200 LR faculty, staff and students who are vaccinated and strongly encourage all remaining faculty, staff and students to get vaccinated this month. Vaccines are now open to anyone 16 years of age and older in North Carolina.

While some colleges, including Duke University and Rutgers University, have announced that COVID vaccines will be required for all students enrolled for fall semester, we have not made a decision yet at LR. We will be considering a vaccine requirement and aim to make a decision and communicate this information on or before the middle part of June. Even without a requirement, we strongly encourage all faculty, staff and students to get vaccinated.

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to keep our community safe.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

April 5-11, 2021 Testing Report

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

This past week, LR administered 933 rapid COVID tests in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville. There were two new positive cases this past week on the Hickory campus from the surveillance testing for a positivity rate of .21% (<1%). 

In addition to the surveillance testing, there were seven new symptomatic cases reported at the Hickory campus among both residential and commuter students who were tested due to COVID symptoms. There have been no reports of COVID cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began.

We continue to have significantly lower rates compared to our state and local region.  However, the slight uptick of positive cases this week and last week resulted in more students placed in quarantine due to exposure. Following our protocols may have prevented quarantining as many students as was necessary. Gathering in smaller groups without masks and not physically distancing are risky. Once vaccinated, quarantining for exposure will more than likely not be required and you will not have to quarantine after traveling using various mass transit.

Of the 650 students who registered for the vaccine last week, 96 percent showed up. Another 140 have signed up for their initial vaccine this week on April 7. We soon will have more than 1,200 LR faculty, staff and students fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. The availability of vaccines, warmer weather, reduced infection rates in our community and businesses that are operating with fewer restrictions are all reasons for optimism that the end is in sight. At the same time, we must not let our guard down. Better days are ahead, and now is the time to remain vigilant in following our COVID policies and procedures.

We continue to have significantly lower rates compared to our state and local region.  However, the slight uptick of positive cases this week and last week resulted in more students placed in quarantine due to exposure. Following our protocols may have prevented quarantining as many students as was necessary. Gathering in smaller groups without masks and not physically distancing is risky. Once vaccinated, quarantining for exposure will more than likely not be required and you will not have to quarantine after traveling using various mass transit.

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to keep our community safe.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

March 29-April 4, 2021 Testing Report

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

This past week, LR administered 864 rapid COVID tests in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville. There were four new positive cases (3 without symptoms) this past week on the Hickory campus from the surveillance testing for a positivity rate of .46% (<1%). 

In addition to the surveillance testing, there were five new symptomatic cases self-reported at the Hickory campus among both residential and commuter students who were tested due to COVID-19 symptoms. There have been no reports of COVID-19 cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began.

More than 650 LR students have registered for the vaccine this week, while another 75 have completed or begun their vaccination at other sites. We soon will have more than 1,100 LR faculty, staff and students vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. The availability of vaccines, warmer weather, reduced infection rates in our community and businesses that are operating with fewer restrictions are all reasons for optimism that the end is in sight. At the same time, we must not let our guard down. Better days are ahead, and now is the time to remain vigilant in following our COVID-19 policies and procedures.

We continue to have significantly lower rates compared to our state and local region. However, the slight uptick of positive cases this week resulted in more students placed in quarantine due to exposure. Following our protocols may have prevented quarantining as many students as was necessary. Gathering in smaller groups without masks and physically distancing is risky, as several of our students learned this week. Once vaccinated, quarantining for exposure will normally not be required and you will not have to quarantine after traveling using various mass transit.

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to keep our community safe.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

March 22-28, 2021 Testing Report

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

This week we begin our tenth week of the spring semester, and we are just a week away from April.  During the week of March 15-21, LR administered 834 rapid tests in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville. There were no new positive cases this past week from the surveillance testing for a positivity rate of 0%.

In addition to the surveillance testing, there was one positive case self-reported from someone who commutes to campus in Hickory. There continue to be no reports of COVID cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began. We continue to have significantly lower rates than our region in general and other universities. Many of our peer universities have more than double the number of positive cases than LR since January.

Catawba County and our entire state have seen significant improvements in COVID data with downward trends. Daily new cases, hospitalizations and COVID deaths all have decreased. I am also pleased to report that Catawba County has moved from red to orange and now is yellow in terms of COVID risk in North Carolina. 

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

March 15-21, 2021 Testing Report

Vaccine Update

Everyone is strongly encouraged to get their vaccine as soon as possible so we can reach herd immunity for the LR community. Priority category 4 was activated in North Carolina March 17, so LR students are now eligible.

Last week we shared information about how students can sign up for a vaccine on March 31, as well as facts about the vaccine. Approximately 475 students have signed up already, and we hope to double that number this week. Signups are available online for student vaccinations on March 31.

This is not the time to let our guard down. Please continue to practice the 3 W’s and help us protect our den.

TO: LR Students
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President

Pfizer Vaccine Available for LR Students on March 31

All of our students are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through LR and our partnership with the Catawba County Health Department. This includes full- and part-time students, residential and commuters from any of our three campuses, graduate and undergraduate, as well as all international students. 

Please note that student-athletes will follow the procedure set up by LR Athletics to sign up. The information below is for students who are not student-athletes.

The Catawba County Health Department has acquired vaccines for distribution to our students on Wednesday, March 31. This will be the Pfizer vaccine and will require a second injection three weeks later on Wednesday, April 21. We scheduled Wednesday so there would not be a conflict with classes.

There will be 48 slots available each hour from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31, and you will be assigned a time once you register online. If you have any issues logging in to sign up, please email COVIDVaccineSignup@lr.edu and include a screenshot or description of any error message you receive.

Register to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine on March 31

• Registration Confirmation
  Once you register, you will receive your assigned time via email and a vaccine form to complete. Please watch your email for these messages over the next few days.
   
• Vaccination Location
  All vaccines will be at the Hickory Metro Convention Center (1960 13th Ave Dr SE, Hickory) and require a simple, 20-minute appointment (5 minutes for the injection, 15 minutes of waiting time afterward).
   
• Second Vaccination Date
  You will receive your appointment for the second shot on April 21 during your visit March 31.
   
• Transportation
  LR will provide transportation for all of those who need travel assistance.
   
• Vaccine Cost is Free
  The vaccine is free, and you do not have to provide any insurance information.

This is an incredible and positive development for our students. Seven to 14 days after completing the second dose of the vaccine—and before you complete the semester—you will have up to 95 percent protection against COVID-19 and a 100 percent protection for a serious COVID illness requiring hospitalization.

Pfizer has been one of the safest and effective vaccines to date. More than 115 million doses have been administered in the United States through Mach 18 and more than 2.4 million shots are being administered daily in the U.S. North Carolina Governor Cooper is urging citizens 18 years and older to get the vaccine as soon as possible. 

Most of our full-time faculty and many of our staff (including athletic coaches) have received their first shot and their second shot is scheduled for March 23. They also received the Pfizer vaccine through the Catawba County Health Department, so feel free to ask them about their experience. These vaccines are incredibly safe and effective, and we urge you to get the vaccine.  This will help us “protect our den” here at LR.

Don’t miss this chance to protect yourself and your friends and family, and eliminate your need to quarantine after travel or exposure to someone with COVID-19. Visiting other rooms and being with friends is not far away!

TO: LR Students
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President

Lenoir-Rhyne University is very fortunate to receive access to the COVID-19 vaccine for our faculty, staff and students under Governor Cooper’s Immunization Plan for North Carolina. We hope that as the opportunities for scheduling the vaccine are provided to our campus that each of you will sign up.

We understand the uncertainty about the vaccine that some of you may be experiencing. As part of our ongoing effort to educate our campus, we’d like to share the following information about concerns that have been expressed. There are many myths and much misinformation about COVID-19 and that has challenged the acceptance of the vaccine.

CONCERN: How do I know which sources of COVID-19 vaccine information are accurate?

FACT: It can be difficult to know which sources of information you can trust. Learn more about finding credible vaccine information. We hope you will seek verifiable guidance from .org or .gov websites and research articles in peer-reviewed publications.

CONCERN: The vaccine was developed too quickly.

FACT: The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were developed with a method and on a platform that has been in place for 20+ years. Although this happened in record time, they have gone through the same rigorous Food and Drug Administration processes as other vaccines, carefully meeting all safety standards. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other experts reviewed data from the clinical trials more quickly than normal by looking at data as it came in rather than waiting until the trials were complete. Researchers used the same safety and efficacy standards as with previous vaccines. The clinical trials and safety reviews of the COVID-19 vaccine actually took about the same amount of time as other vaccines developed in recent years.

No safety protocols were changed or skipped. Multiple studies continue across the United States, including one at Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The authorized vaccines have proven very safe and effective. Our appreciation goes to those who were a part of the unprecedented worldwide collaboration and investment for the shorter timeframe on the development of the vaccines.

The widespread and contagious nature of COVID-19 has allowed researchers to determine very quickly that the vaccine is indeed very safe and is very effective in preventing the disease, including many of the variants.

CONCERN: The COVID-19 vaccine enters your cells and changes your DNA

FACT: The COVID-19 vaccines available were designed to help the body’s immune system fight the coronavirus. The messenger RNA from two of the first types of COVID-19 vaccines does enter cells, but not the nucleus of the cells where DNA resides. The mRNA’s job is to cause the cell to make protein to stimulate the immune system, and then it quickly breaks down without affecting a person’s DNA, and is excreted from the body.

The mRNA technology behind the new coronavirus vaccines has been in development for almost two decades. Vaccine makers at that time and since have created the technology which helped with the quick response to a new pandemic illness, such as COVID-19.

CONCERN: The COVID-19 vaccine was developed with or contains controversial substances such as aborted fetal tissue or implants.

FACT: The first two COVID-19 vaccines to be authorized by the FDA contain mRNA and other, normal vaccine ingredients, such as fats (which protect the mRNA), salts, as well as a small amount of sugar. These COVID-19 vaccines were not developed using any aborted fetal tissue. Furthermore, contrary to social media and various other sites, the COVID-19 vaccines do not contain material, such as implants, microchips or tracking devices.

CONCERN: The COVID-19 vaccine can affect women’s fertility.

FACT: The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, John Hopkins Medicine (JHM), and numerous other evidence-based research entities state that the COVID-19 vaccine will not affect fertility. According to JHM “the COVID-19 vaccine encourages the body to create copies of the spike protein found on the coronavirus’s surface. This “teaches” the body’s immune system to fight the virus that has that specific spike protein on it.”

The false report said that “getting the COVID-19 vaccine would cause a woman’s body to fight this different spike protein and affect her fertility. The two spike proteins are completely different and distinct, and getting the COVID-19 vaccine will not affect the fertility of women who are seeking to become pregnant, including through in vitro fertilization methods. During the Pfizer vaccine tests, 23 women volunteers involved in the study became pregnant, and the only one who suffered a pregnancy loss had not received the actual vaccine, but a placebo.”

Please remember that getting the COVID-19 disease can have potentially serious impact on pregnancy and the mother’s health. Discussions with your women’s health provider are strongly encouraged as related to additional questions you may have on this topic.

CONCERN: The side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine are dangerous including giving you COVID-19.

FACT: The COVID-19 vaccine can have some minor side effects, but the vast majority are very short term —not serious or dangerous. The vaccine developers report that some people experience sore arm like any other shot; body aches; headaches or fever, lasting for a few hours but typically disappear the following day. These are signs that the vaccine is working to stimulate your immune system. While rare, if symptoms persist beyond two days, you should call your doctor.

Based on current data provided on reputable websites 99% of persons receiving the Pfizer vaccine experience no adverse issues following vaccination. If you have serious allergies or complex health concerns, you should discuss receiving the vaccine with your doctor.

The vaccine for COVID-19 cannot and will not give you COVID-19. The vaccine instructs your cells to reproduce a protein that is part of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. This will help your body to recognize and fight the virus, if it comes along. The COVID-19 vaccine does not contain the SARS-Co-2 virus, so you cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine. The protein that helps your immune system recognize and fight the virus does not cause any infection.

CONCERN: Vaccine hesitancy due to centuries of having trust violated

FACT: Historically Black, Hispanic, Native American and other population groups have been unknowingly used as test subjects or had treatment denied because of their race or ethnic group. Vaccine hesitancy from these groups is certainly understandable. Unfortunately, underlying health conditions, access to care and other issues have made these groups an even greater risk for developing COVID-19, experiencing a severe case of the disease and higher rates of morbidity. Vaccine studies and testing included persons of color, those with complex health issues and frontline and healthcare workers.

CONCERN: Quarantining protocols following vaccination completion.

FACT: Individuals who complete the COVID-19 vaccination shots will not have to quarantine when exposed to those who are COVID infected. In addition, vaccinated individuals can travel using mass transit without having to quarantine when they return home. Vaccinated individuals may gather together in smaller groups with each other without masks, visit each other in rooms and apartments and enjoy dinners together.

However, we will still need to practice infection prevention precautions until more of us are vaccinated. These include practicing the 3 W’s at all times. Wear your mask in presence of others, staying at least 6 feet from people outside your household and wash your hands frequently. Learn more about the benefits of being fully vaccinated.

Sources

• COVID-19 Vaccine Myth Versus Fact - Johns Hopkins Medicine
• COVID-19 Vaccine Facts - Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• Medical Experts Assert COVID Vaccines do not Impact Fertility - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Facts and Myths About the COVID-19 Vaccine - Adventis Health
• COVID-19 Vaccines and People of Color - Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Vaccine Benefits - Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

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

This week we begin our ninth week of class of the 2021 spring semester. During the past week, we also completed our eighth week of surveillance testing for the current semester. LR administered 920 rapid tests in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville during the week of March 8-14. There were four new positive cases this past week (all asymptomatic) from the surveillance testing and PCR follow-up for a positivity rate of .44% (<1%).  This is a reminder that when we do not physically distance from others they may infect us even if they have no symptoms.

In addition to the surveillance testing, there was one new positive cases self-reported from a commuter student at the Hickory campus. There continue to be no reports of COVID cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began. We continue to have significantly lower rates than our region in general and other universities.

Catawba County and our entire state have seen significant improvements in COVID data with downward trends. Daily new cases, hospitalizations and COVID deaths all have decreased. Catawba County is now below 50 new cases daily, down from well over 100 a few weeks ago. However, Catawba County remains in a red zone so it is important to continue to follow the three W’s. 

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

March 8-14, 2021 Testing Report

Vaccine Update

Everyone is strongly encouraged to get their vaccine as soon as possible so we can reach herd immunity within our LR campus community. Priority categories 1-3 are now open in North Carolina, and Governor Cooper just announced Priority 4 will be activated this week on March 17, a week earlier than expected.

Students who register through LR will have vaccine allocated slots Wednesday, March 31, as well as the following week. This is great news as we continue to partner with Catawba County Health Department. Please watch for additional information about how students can register for the vaccine.

Faculty and staff who did not sign up for the vaccine through LR are eligible to schedule their vaccine.  You can schedule your own individual appointment through various providers and the vaccine is free.

Let us know if we can help.

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

Attached is our most recent update of the Lenoir-Rhyne University Protecting Our Den document. As you know, this document guides our recommendations, policies and procedures for all COVD-19 related issues to campus operations. This document was developed by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 during 2020, and is updated periodically to remain current.

The Presidential Task Force continues to meet regularly to discuss and update policies and procedures based on current data, as well as updated information and recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and our Catawba County Health Department.

This revisions through March 12, 2021, include a new policy (Policy 6: Vaccinations for COVID Infection Control) which incorporates the latest information regarding vaccines for LR faculty, staff and students. In addition, revisions to this document update Policy 5 and Policy 9.  

Revisions to Policy 5 change the reporting structure for faculty and staff when informing the university of positive COVID cases or exposure. During the HR transition, faculty and staff will now report information to Judy Lineberger in Academic Affairs.  

Revisions to Policy 9 update the policies regarding self-quarantine and mass transit travel with and without vaccines. These changes reflect the most current CDC and local health department recommendations for travel on planes, buses, trains, with and without the vaccine.

Please review carefully and let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

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

This week we begin our eighth week of class of the 2021 spring semester. During the past week, we also completed our seventh week of surveillance testing for the current semester. LR administered 834 rapid tests in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville during the week of March 1-7. There were two new positive cases this past week (one asymptomatic) from the surveillance testing for a positivity rate of .24% (<1%).

In addition to the surveillance testing, there were no additional new positive cases self-reported by any faculty, staff or students. There continue to be no reports of COVID cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began. We continue to have significantly lower rates than our region in general and other universities.

Catawba County and our entire state have seen significant improvements in COVID data with downward trends. Daily new cases, hospitalizations, and COVID deaths have all decreased. However, Catawba County remains in a red zone so it is important to continue to follow the three W’s. 

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

March 1-7, 2021 Testing Report

Vaccine Update

More than 350 LR faculty and staff have received their first shot for the COVID-19 vaccine. Priority categories 1-3 are now open in North Carolina.  Priority 4 (which includes LR residential students) will be activated March 24 or soon afterward.

Faculty and staff who did not sign up for the vaccine through LR are eligible to schedule their vaccine.  While your registration will not be through LR, you can schedule your own individual appointment through various providers in our community. The vaccine is free.

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

Important Vaccine Update

I understand we are having a smooth day with vaccinations for our LR employees and appreciate everyone’s cooperation. We are fortunate to be located in Catawba County and have such a first-rate Department of Public Health that is providing a model for other counties to follow.

In a press conference today, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced that he is activating the remaining groups of Priority Category 3 for vaccinations effective tomorrow, March 3. This includes all essential workers who were not in the first wave of Priority 3 (education). The rollout to this phase was to begin March 10, so this is good news for vaccine distribution in North Carolina.

There are eight broader categories in Priority 3 and these are included below with examples in each category. See (See Deeper Dive for additional detail on priority 3).

• Health Care and Public Health: Public Health and Social Workers, etc.
• Education: K-12, Child Care and Higher Education, etc.
• Critical Manufacturing: Food & Medical Supplies Manufacturing, Supply Chain, etc.
• Essential Goods: Grocery Stores and Pharmacies, etc.
• Food and Agriculture: Meat Packing, Restaurant Workers, Food Processors, etc.
• Government & Community Services: Postal Workers, Clergy, Court Workers, etc.
• Public Safety: Firefighters, Law Enforcement, Security Officers, etc.
• Transportation: DMV Employees, Public Transit, Transportation Maintenance, etc.

Catawba County Public Health, collaborating with our local hospitals and Chamber of Commerce, held a webinar today to discuss its plan for vaccine distribution for the Priority 3 groups in Catawba County. While each county in North Carolina will develop its own plan for distribution, Catawba County will use the employer sign-up model similar to what they did for LR employees and others in Priority 3 Education.

Important Information on Priority 4

The Governor also indicated that Priority 4 would be activated as early as March 24. This would include higher risk individuals who are less than 65 years of age, and this category includes students who live in congregate settings like residence halls. (See Deeper Dive for additional detail on priority 4). More information will be forthcoming.

If you have any question, please do not hesitate to let us know.

This week we begin our seventh week of class of the 2021 spring semester. During the past week, we also completed our sixth week of surveillance testing for the current semester.  LR administered 935 rapid tests in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville during the week of Feb. 22 through Feb. 28. There were four new positive cases this past week from the surveillance testing for a positivity rate of .43% (<1%).

In addition to the surveillance testing, there were four new positive cases self-reported from symptomatic individuals whose conditions were confirmed as positive for COVID.  There continue to be no reports of COVID cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began. We continue to have significantly lower rates than our region in general and other universities.

Catawba County and our entire state have seen significant improvements in COVID data with downward trends.  Daily new cases, hospitalizations, and COVID deaths have all decreased. However, Catawba County remains in a red zone so it is important to continue to follow the three W’s. 

Please know we do not separate out faculty, staff or students in our reporting of positive cases.  All have been and continue to be included in our weekly numbers.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

February 22-28, 2021 Testing Report

Vaccine Update

The Catawba County Health Department has done an outstanding job of vaccine rollout in our community.  They had a very productive week in vaccine distribution to K-12 employees and now are ready for LR employees. The Health Department notified me late this past Thursday they would offer a one-day, one-time opportunity for a group vaccine on Tuesday, March 2, for Lenoir-Rhyne employees who had registered for the vaccine.  However, we were provided a short window (less than 24 hours) to confirm the registrations and appointments for the available time slots on Tuesday for 290 employees  

I am pleased to report that by the end of the day tomorrow, approximately 350 employees representing all three LR campus will have completed their first shot for the COVID vaccine. Approximately 75 percent of our full time employees should be fully vaccinated for the COVID virus in four weeks or less!  Thanks to many who worked so hard behind the scenes Thursday and Friday to make this happen.

For those of you who did not sign up for the vaccine through LR, you are still eligible to get the vaccine on or after March 10, but in may be later into April.  While your registration will not be through LR, you can schedule your own individual appointment through many different providers depending on their schedule and availability.  In addition to our health department, some of our employees have been successful getting the vaccine scheduled through Walgreens, local hospitals, and their own local primary healthcare provider. Please know when you are scheduled will depend on the vaccine availability at each site.  While there is optimism at increased numbers of vaccines, individuals wanting the vaccine will also increase.  The vaccine is free to all and you can schedule appointments anywhere outside the county as well.

Thank you for your patience and flexibility with adjusting your schedules and participating in this vaccine opportunity. It will provide us with additional protection and prevention from COVID spread on campus and within our community and will enhance your own health and safety. 

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

Last week we concluded our fifth week of classes and conducted our fourth round of surveillance testing for the spring 2021 semester. LR conducted 805 rapid tests in Hickory, Columbia and Asheville during the week of Feb. 15 through Feb. 21. There were no new positive cases this past week from the surveillance testing for a positivity rate of 0% (<1%). Over the past two weeks, we have only identified one individual from 1,400 surveillance tests as positive. These are very encouraging results.

In addition to the surveillance testing, there were four new positive cases self-reported at the Hickory campus. There have been no reports of COVID cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began. We continue to have significantly lower rates than our region in general and other universities.

It has also been good to see the significant drop in new daily positive cases and hospitalizations within Catawba County.  Since February 5, Catawba County has reported no days with 100 or more new positive cases.  During this same time, all but two days were below 66 in new positive cases per day.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

February 15-21, 2021 Testing Report
 

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced dates the COVID vaccine will be activated for essential workers. For K-12 employees, this date is Wednesday, Feb. 24. For higher education employees, the activation date is Wednesday, March 10.

In addition, vaccines will soon be available at multiple sites in Catawba County, including five Walgreen locations, as well as some physician offices. The Catawba County Health Department continues to distribute more than 3,000 vaccines each week. This number will expand as they receive larger numbers of vaccines. The good news is there will soon be wider availability of vaccines earlier than previously projected.

The Catawba County Health Department has informed us that approximately 290 LR employees have now registered for the vaccine. If you have not done so, please register ASAP using the online form. The Health Department is aware that approximately 30 of the 280 LR employees who registered have not yet received a communication from Vaccine Management Systems. They are tracking down this error, but indicated this in no way delays your vaccine. They have your registration and you are on their list. They will work with us in providing dates for vaccine availability, but this does not limit you from getting your vaccination at any other location.

Thank you for your continued work in following our guidelines to keep our campus community safe.

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

Last week we concluded our fourth week of classes and conducted our third round of surveillance testing of the spring 2021 semester. LR conducted 652 rapid tests in Hickory during the week of Feb. 8 through Feb. 14. There were no new positive cases this past week from the surveillance testing for a positivity rate of 0%.

In addition to the surveillance testing, there were seven new positive cases self-reported from students (all but two commuters) at the Hickory campus. There have been no reports of COVID cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began. We continue to have significantly lower rates than our region in general and other universities.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

February 8-14, 2021 Testing Report

North Carolina Governor Cooper announced dates the COVID vaccine will be activated for essential workers. For K-12 employees, this date is Feb. 24. For higher education employees, the activation date is March 10. In addition, vaccines will soon be available at multiple sites in Catawba County, including five Walgreens locations, as well as some physicians’ offices. The Catawba County Health Department continues to distribute more than 3,000 vaccines each week. This number will expand as they receive larger numbers of vaccines. The good news is there will soon be wider availability of vaccines earlier than previously projected.

The Catawba County Health Department has informed us that approximately 280 LR employees have now registered so far for the vaccine. If you have not done so, please register ASAP using the online form. The Health Department is aware approximately 30 of the 280 LR employees who registered have not yet received a communication from Vaccine Management Systems. They are tracking down this error, but indicated this in no way delays your vaccine. They have your registration and you are on their list. They will work with us in providing dates for vaccine availability, but this does not limit you from getting your vaccination at any other location.

I hope that those of you 65 years of age and older have already completed your second vaccine or have it scheduled. South Carolina is now administering vaccines for those 65 years and older.

Thank you for your continued work in following our guidelines to keep our campus community safe.

TO: LR Students, Faculty and Staff (all campuses)
FROM: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
DT: February 8, 2021

Last week we conducted our second round of surveillance testing of the spring 2021 semester. LR conducted 858 rapid tests in Hickory during the week of Feb. 1 through Feb. 6. There were three new positive cases this past week from the surveillance testing for a positivity rate of .35% (<1%). 

In addition to the surveillance testing, there were three positive cases that were self-reported from commuter students at the Hickory campus. There have been no reports of COVID cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began. We continue to have significantly lower rates than our region in general and other universities.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below:

February 1-7, 2021 Testing Report

The Catawba County Health Department has informed us that approximately 250 LR employees have registered so far for the vaccine. If you have not done so, please register ASAP using the online form. 

Within a few days of registering, you should receive a communication from Vaccine Management Systems of North Carolina. If you have registered and not received this communication, please let me know. I am working with the Health Department to ensure that all our employees who register are officially registered in the state system. 

Several of you 65 years of age and older have indicated to me you have already completed your first shot and have your second one scheduled. In addition, South Carolina is now administering vaccines for those 65 years and older.

Thank you for your continued work in following our guidelines to keep our campus community safe.

TO:  All Lenoir Rhyne, Ellucian and Aramark Employees at All Campus Locations
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
RE: COVID-19 Dashboard

Last week we conducted our first round of surveillance testing of the spring 2021 semester. LR conducted 690 rapid tests in Hickory during the week of Jan. 25 through Jan. 31. 

There were six new positive cases this past week for a positivity rate of .87% (<1%). There have been no reports of COVID positive cases at our Asheville or Columbia campus locations since classes began. 

We continue to have significantly lower rates than our region in general and other universities.

Our weekly dashboard data, which will be updated online today, is below: 

January 25-31 Testing Report

Jan 25-31 Weekly Testing:                          690

New Positive Cases for the Week:             6

Positivity Rate:                                             .87% (<1%)

Continuing Active Cases:                            3 

Cumulative Active Positive Total:               9 of 11 (2 have fully recovered)
 

COVID Rooms on Campus:                           40

COVID Rooms in Use:                                    11 (7 in quarantine, 4 in isolation)

COVID Rooms Available:                                73%

Relative to vaccines, a communication was distributed Friday indicating how LR employees may register for the vaccine through the Catawba County Health Department.

If you are interested in getting a vaccine when it’s available, please fill out the form as soon as possible. I am hopeful that the state of North Carolina soon will be able to move into the next phase that includes first responders/education. 

Thank you for your continued work in following our guidelines to keep our campus community safe.

TO:  All Lenoir Rhyne, Ellucian and Aramark Employees at All Campus Locations
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
RE: COVID-19 Vaccine Information

As you recall, education-related employees and support staff are considered frontline essential workers in the North Carolina priority system. This category is the next one to be activated by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.

To prepare for this phase, the Catawba County Health Department has requested contact information for LR employees who would like to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. This includes all employees at each of our three campus locations. We are also including Aramark and Ellucian employees. We strongly encourage everyone to participate in the vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19.

The health department has provided an online form asking your name and contact information if you would like a vaccine. The information will be sent directly to the health department, and they will contact you when it is time to schedule an appointment. This is available for all LR employees, as well as Ellucian and Aramark employees, regardless of which campus you work at or where you live.

The form is available here:  https://tinyurl.com/StaffVaccineInfo

Please note that the “agency” is Lenoir-Rhyne University. Be sure to hit submit to complete your form and also to include your LR email.  You mark the second box which indicates you are a frontline worker.

This will trigger an email from the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to you from Vaccine Management for you to enter your information. You would indicate you are a frontline essential worker in person at work.

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

I hope you all had a safe and productive weekend! As we start the second week of class, I wanted to share a few updates. 

We had 506 faculty, staff and students participate in the Hickory campus PCR COVID testing January 12 and 14. Only three local students tested positive, for a positivity rate of .59% (<1%). We also tested students with a rapid COVID test before they moved into on-campus residence halls. This was in addition to a negative COVID test they were required to provide before coming to campus. Two students tested positive out of 700 on move in day. In addition, we have confirmed approximately 26 students who remain at home as they tested positive before their arrival to campus. There have been no reports of COVID positive individuals at Asheville or Columbia this week.

While we understand that a COVID test only indicates you are negative that particular day, it is good to know we are beginning the semester with an environment that is as COVID free as possible. 

We currently have 40 quarantine rooms, and we are using five, two for isolation and three for quarantining. Remember that isolation means someone has tested positive, while quarantining means someone has been exposed but has not tested positive. 

Surveillance testing for faculty, staff and students will begin this week, and we will populate the dashboard once we have the results for the week. With our rapid test kits, we plan to test as close to 200 per week as possible.

Several counties have begun administering COVID vaccines. I understand Alexander County now has vaccinations underway through its Health Department. In addition, Publix in South Carolina has announced it is now offering vaccinations. Again, in most areas, this includes those who are 65 and older (70 or older in South Carolina).

In Catawba County, the Health Department has tripled the number of vaccines it is offering. It previously had been inoculating approximately 1,000 weekly, and last week it inoculated almost 3,000 people. Essential workers, including LR employees, are in the next priority group, and inoculations will begin once North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper activates this group. 

Of course, even when you are vaccinated, you should be vigilant in practicing and holding others accountable to health and safety guidelines: 

• Wear your mask in presence of others (covering bridge of nose to below the chin)
• Maintain at least 6 feet distance from others at all times
• Wash your hands frequently 
• Avoid gathering indoors in groups of more than 10 where possible

Once again, thank you for your diligence as we continue to navigate the pandemic. I appreciate all you are doing to keep the LR community safe. 

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
RE: Vaccine and Testing Update

Attached is an update on vaccines and pre-arrival testing on campus. Please let me know if you have any questions.  I apologize for the length, but wanted you to have all the information.

• NC Revised COVID-19 Vaccine Priority Chart - January 2021
• NC COVID-19 Vaccine Priority Chart - December 2020
• SC  COVID-19 Vaccine Priority Chart - January 2021

Update on Vaccines

Good morning.  I indicated in my campus message Friday I would update you on revisions to the vaccine rollout plan. The following information is what I know as of this morning after multiple discussions with the Catawba Valley Health Department and others.

Please know most communities in North Carolina and South Carolina are following the COVID-19 vaccine distribution guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and North Carolina and/or South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS/SCDHHS).  The confusion began late last week as the prioritization plan for vaccine activation was revised for the second time since we ended the semester in December.

The Priority Plan received in December from North Carolina (see attachment) placed a variety of groups in priority one, and subdivided priority one into 1A and 1B.  Those individuals in 1A were health care workers in hospitals and long term care facilities, etc.  Category 1B was further subdivided into 1B1, 1B2 and 1B3.  Priority 1B1 included anyone age 75 years and older.  Essential workers, including teachers and support staff who were 50 years and older were in 1B2, while the same category of individuals who were 49 years and younger comprised 1B3. Several counties in North Carolina, including Catawba Country, had activated vaccine approval for Category 1A and 1B1. They have now revised this to the new priority plan.

In South Carolina, the priority plan was slightly different and used the age of 70 years and older https://scdhec.gov/covid19/covid-19-vaccine.  South Carolina has indicated their plan is currently being revised and should be published in the next few days.

Late last week, we were working with Catawba Country to formalize a simplified registration process for all LR employees and other essential workers for who were in the original priority plan 1B2 and 1B3. This included the defined list of essential workers as described in the plan. Under this plan, Catawba County had estimated this group would begin vaccinations in later January and continue into early February pending vaccine availability.

As you may know, very late on Friday, the prioritization plan for the vaccine injections was revised.  NC has published their revised prioritization plan (see attached) and SC indicated their plan is under revision. In NC, there remain five categories but instead of numbering 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4; they now number 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.  The practical revision is that anyone 65 years or over is now activated for the vaccine along with those 75 years and older, and both are now in the revised category 2.  Essential workers including teachers and support staff now fall into the same category regardless of age, which is now Category 3 under the revised plan instead of 1B2 and 1B3.   

There are two major takeaways from my perspective. First is that anyone, including LR employees, who are age 65 and above are now approved for the vaccine.  Those of you in this age group who would like the vaccine are urged to contact the health department or hospital in your community to schedule a vaccine appointment.

The second takeaway is that essential workers of any age (category 3), which includes LR employees, will be the next group activated after those ages 65 and older (category 2) are vaccinated. We expect this to be later in February. Please know we will continue to work with the Catawba Valley Health Department and other Catawba County groups on a streamlined registration process for essential workers who want to be vaccinated. The impact of these changes is that LR employees were right behind the 75 years and older population in the earlier prioritization, and now we are right behind the 65 years and older group.  At this time, only three groups have vaccines in our county.  Both hospitals and the Health Department are the only ones that are vaccinating citizens, but this may expanded over the next few weeks.

The good news is we are close and those essential workers 49 years and younger have moved up in priority as there are no longer age differentials among the essential worker groups. The challenge that remains is the availability of vaccines.  Our country typically finds out on Friday how many vaccines it will receive the following week.  To date, it has been approximately 1000-1200.  With a national plan expected to roll out soon, our hope is this number will significantly increase as will sites for vaccines.

I remain optimistic that all essential workers (again, this includes LR employees) will have vaccine access before March. However, just as we have seen with COVID information, this is all subject to change pending federal and state revisions and vaccine availability.  Each county determines their implementation plan based on the statewide prioritization.  The state activates the prioritization and each county begins when they have the vaccines available. Once you get the first shot, they have ensured me all the second shots will be available for you.

It also has been our understanding that you may be vaccinated in another county or state, and we will continue to monitor the updated plans for SC and for counties in are around the Asheville area.

I hope this helps shed some light on the vaccine information to date.  It appears a national plan for the rollout will be implemented soon, and we hope this will increase the time to vaccination for all.  We are also working to get a video and/or information out regarding the safety of this vaccine to dispel some of the rumors and fears regarding the safety of this vaccine.

Pre-Arrival COVID Testing Update

We PCR COVID tested over 500 LR community members on the Hickory campus Tuesday and Thursday. All 270 who tested Tuesday were negative. We had another 236 test on Thursday and the Health Department has informed us we had only 3 positive cases, all area students.  In summary, only 3 of the 506 tested on campus last week were COVID positive. Please be sure to upload your results in paycom once you receive them.

In addition, we administered rapid COVID testing to all students who moved into the resident halls this weekend and will continue to do so through move in today. This was very well received by our students and their families.  As of this communication, we have not identified any positive COVID cases at move in and these students also had a negative PCR COVID test before traveling to Hickory.   Please know we have identified several COVID positive cases from students (about 27) who remain at home as they were identified as positive through PCR testing before departing for campus.

Enjoy the rest of your day and we look forward to a good beginning to the semester.

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

As students move in to the residence halls this weekend, and classes start Tuesday for the spring semester. I wanted to provide a few updates: 

• We had approximately 500 people take advantage of our on-campus PCR testing events this week on the Hickory campus. This is an excellent turnout, and I appreciate the staff who helped plan and organize it. We had some kinks with our provider on Tuesday, but Thursday’s event was much smoother, as 230 people were tested with an average wait time of 5 minutes or less. I understand many who were tested Tuesday already have their test results.
   
• We will begin our weekly surveillance testing program the week of Jan. 25 at all three campus locations. The testing will take place in Hickory on Wednesdays in P.E. Monroe Auditorium. Faculty and staff will be notified by Rick Nichols, HR director, if they are selected. Students will be notified by Dean Katie Fisher.  
   
• The COVID-19 dashboard will be updated weekly, beginning Feb. 1, when we have data from the weekly surveillance tests to share. There has been no ongoing testing since early November with the exception of the few athletic teams who remained on campus and returned after Christmas, thus any data has been limited. I can report since Christmas through today we have no students or student-athletes with COVID-19.  As students move in this weekend, there will be given a rapid COVID that must be negative, in addition to the PCR negative they must report.
   
• We do know the pre-arrival to campus required PCR test has prevented at least 15 students with COVID (many asymptomatic) from returning this weekend.  In addition, our rapid testing has prevented a few students from moving into dorms.
   
• As you return to campus, please continue to complete the daily health screening using the LiveSafe Daily Health Check app. You may be required to show your green checkmark to enter campus facilities. 
   
• To minimize visitors to campus, we have extended the prohibition on events through March. This means that there will be no in-person conferences or events like concerts or speakers. Virtual gatherings are encouraged. 
   
• On the Hickory campus, LR plans to partner with St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church to honor those area citizens who have lost their lives due to COVID.  There is a national call for all communities to ring their bells and/or chimes and light their communities on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 5:30 p.m. Interim Campus Pastor Christy Lohr Sapp will be working with an LR group to implement this initiative.  We plan to light luminaries around the Quad, as well as ring the bells at St. Andrew’s in memory of those from our area and also in memory of those of your loved ones who have lost their lives.  
   
• I will provide an update on the vaccine priority plans later today or early next week. Late yesterday, NC revised the priority vaccination plan I previously shared with you.  It is my understanding those who are 65 years and older are now in the active group and may register for a vaccine pending county availability.  Essential workers (including LR employees) will be in the next group according to the revised plan.  The issue all states are facing is the lack of availability of the vaccine.  Hopefully, this will accelerate soon.

It is my sincere hope that by the end of this academic year, with the availability of the vaccine, we may start to return to a more normal way of life. Thank you to all of you for your continued adherence to our guidelines. I appreciate all that you are doing to keep the LR community safe and healthy.

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
RE: PCR COVID Testing Update

We have confirmed two PCR COVID testing dates we can administer on the Hickory campus next week.

We have scheduled these as a convenience for our faculty and staff, as well as commuter students from the Hickory area including UCHS.  Some of you may have already completed this requirement through other providers and that is fine.

Please remember to upload your negative test results to the Paycom system.

For testing, please be sure to bring your insurance card and a Photo ID.

Please know we have changed our test location to PE Monroe Auditorium to allow for better social distancing and a more comfortable waiting area.

Two PCR COVID Test Dates

Tuesday, January 12, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
PE Monroe Auditorium

Thursday, January 14, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
PE Monroe Auditorium

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
RE: Preparing for the return to campus and spring semester

Happy New Year! I trust you all are enjoying an extended break and have had the opportunity to recharge your batteries for the spring 2021 semester. I know we are all glad to see 2020 in the rearview mirror.

While the fall semester was challenging, we are fortunate and blessed to have worked through it about as well as could be expected. We did not cut salaries, furlough anyone, lay off employees, or eliminate positions or benefits in 2020 due to COVID. A huge part of this success was our ability to work together and have students on campus and in classes in as safe an environment as possible, as well as our ability to secure stimulus funding and PPP loans. Unlike many universities, LR has not had to dip into its endowment during 2020 to supplement the budget.

While there is good news regarding the vaccine, which I am pleased to share below, we will all need to be vigilant and committed to following our policies and procedures as we enter the spring semester. While this email is long, I wanted to update you on the most recent information that was just revised yesterday relative to vaccines.

Faculty and Staff Return to Work

LR will be open beginning Monday, Jan, 4, as planned. We think it is prudent to stagger a return to work for our staff and will encourage staff to work remotely during the week of January 4-8 where possible. This depends on each unit so please work with your VP or supervisor on plans specific to your role. 

All faculty and staff must have a negative PCR COVID test uploaded in Paycom before returning to campus. Directions on how to do this were shared previously. If you are not able to do this please submit your information to Rick Nichols, HR director. As has been previously communicated, we prefer this PCR test to be administered within five to seven days of your return to campus. 

In addition to the PCR COVID test, LR will administer a rapid COVID antigen test (with 15 minute results) during the first week you arrive back to work on campus. These tests, while not as sensitive as a PCR, are available to us free and will provide an additional level of screening that will ensure everyone who returns to campus is COVID free. Details on this process will be shared next week. 

Exceptions to PCR testing are faculty and staff who tested positive for COVID since November 1, 2020. These individuals do not need to have a COVID test at this time.

During the week of Jan. 11, we hope to schedule two days for PCR COVID testing on campus. January 14 has been confirmed with assistance by the Catawba Country Health Department, and we are working to schedule Jan. 12 or Jan. 13 as another day for on-campus testing.  

Update on Vaccines

If you have been following the news this week, you may know there has been an update in priority for administering the COVID vaccine. I have been in daily communication with the Catawba County Health Department in regard to where LR fits into the model. There are now four priorities, and within the highest priority 1, there are now two phases: 1A and 1B. 

1A comprises the healthcare workers fighting COVID. 1B priority now includes those 75 years and older, as well as essential workers. Due to limited vaccines to administer all of 1B at one time, 1B is further divided into three parts. Part 2 includes all LR faculty and staff age 50 year or older. Part 3 of 1B comprises LR faculty and staff who are less than 50 years old.

The good news is all LR employees (faculty and staff) are now in priority 1B. Our local health department is responsible for implementing the priority and administering the vaccine. They are hopeful LR faculty and staff vaccines may begin before the end of January and continue into February. We will be compiling information and completing spreadsheets for them on our employees (verifying age, email, etc.) ASAP so we are ready as soon as they have the vaccines available.

This is incredibly good news, and while we have to understand the maximum protection will not occur until a few days after the second dose of the vaccine is administered, there is hope our entire LR faculty and staff community will have full protection from COVID via the vaccine at some point in March.  

Students who may have underlying health conditions are in priority 2, and other students without underlying conditions are in priority 3. 

The change in vaccine priority is great news for our faculty and staff. At the same time, we have to work very hard and be extremely careful during the first few months of spring semester. The virus is spreading and the post-holiday surge will soon hit, making January and February challenging. Our data from last semester was very clear: Our procedures and policies worked extremely well when followed.  We will be updating residence life policies in an effort to reduce indoor gatherings of students without mask wearing.

Please know more information will be forthcoming. Classes will resume in our hybrid format Tuesday, Jan. 19, and students will begin moving back on campus the week before. About 75 to 100 student-athletes have returned to campus, and all have been tested multiple times with only one positive on return.

Thank you, and happy New Year!

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
RE: Holiday Travel and COVID-19

I know we are all looking forward to the upcoming break for the Thanksgiving holiday. I also know that many of our plans look different this year as a result of COVID-19. 

If you are traveling via plane, train, bus or other mass transit, I would like to remind you of the “Self-Quarantine and Mass Transit” policy in the Protecting Our Den plan. 

This policy has been part of our plan from the beginning, but it’s more relevant now since more people may travel for Thanksgiving.

The policy, which is below, states that if you travel via mass transit (plane, train, bus, etc.) then you must quarantine at home for 96 hours when you return and have a negative COVID test before you can return to campus. 

You should share test results with Rick Nichols, director of HR. 

Whether you travel this holiday or not, I wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. 

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
RE: Coronavirus Update | Finishing Strong

As you may know, COVID cases in Catawba County have increased 300 percent in the past few weeks, moving from an average of 25 positive cases per day to an all-time high this week of more than 100.

This trend of increased positive cases is consistent not only in our county, but throughout North Carolina and the United States, and we have monitored it closely. Many of you have expressed concern to me

about the increase of cases in our area, and it clearly has increased anxiety and stress for our campus community.

Our LR community has been fortunate. Our student cases have remained fairly consistent over the past few weeks despite the increases in the region. We typically have six to nine new cases each week and most have

been in our commuter student population. This week we have seen an uptick in positive cases in our residential student population in Hickory. We have been able to handle our positive cases without issue, as many cases have been asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. No LR student to date has had serious issues or been hospitalized.

Quarantining students who have been exposed to someone who has tested positive has been challenging. We know quarantining students is critical to keeping COVID contained on our campus, but it requires

significant resources and space. The uptick this week in residential cases will result in a larger number of students who will be placed in quarantine for the 14-day requirement. This will impact face-to-face class attendance for the remainder of the semester.  

We all want to finish the semester strong. Our number one priority continues to be the health and safety of our faculty, staff and students. Our ability to remain flexible and to adjust to changing conditions during the semester has been critical to our success in managing COVID on our campuses. 

After discussions with our administrative leadership team and meeting with the provost and the college deans this afternoon, we have unanimously agreed to a few revisions in our efforts to be more proactive

in our efforts to successfully complete the semester. As a result, we are announcing two changes only the Hickory campus only.

1. Beginning Monday, Nov. 9, all classes will shift to online for the final two weeks of class.
    
2. Residential students may choose to move home early on a staggered schedule beginning this weekend. This is a voluntary departure for students and will help reduce the density on campus and provide for travel flexibility for students using mass transportation. Residential staff in each area will assist students in the checkout procedures. Residential students are not required to leave prior to Friday, Nov. 20.

• Residential students who are in quarantine or isolation should make plans to vacate this weekend, if possible, and return home to complete their quarantine and classes for the remainder of the semester. 

These changes will help protect our campus community in several ways:

• Staggered move-out will allow students who live farther from campus more time to travel and return home. This is particularly helpful for our international students, whose home countries may have more stringent travel restrictions. 
   
• Students requiring isolation or quarantine will now be able to do so at home and complete classes online.
   
• The chance of a student being in isolation or quarantine beyond the end of the semester and missing Thanksgiving with family will be reduced.
   
• We recognize COVID fatigue is real, and we believe these changes will reduce stress and improve mental health through more flexible scheduling for faculty, staff and students. 

We believe this shift will allow us to be more proactive in our efforts to end the semester strong and keep our students, faculty and staff safe. Students should contact Jonathan Rink at jonathan.rink@lr.edu with questions about move-out and their faculty member with questions about classes.

Athletic team practices and weight lifting will be limited to only those teams in season.

Advising and Registration for first-year students will take place as scheduled next week.

Thank you for all of the outstanding work each of you has done in an effort to complete this semester as successfully as possible. I remain incredibly proud of the LR community and grateful for your diligence and patience.

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

Halloween is this weekend, and I know that it is traditionally a time for parties and group gatherings. I also know that we are all growing weary of the pandemic-related restrictions.

However, I hope that you will all continue to show good judgment and avoid situations that could put your health or the health of others at risk.

Through Nov. 20, we do not support gathering indoors on-campus or off-campus in groups of more than 25 individuals. This includes get-togethers, parties, restaurants, clubs, study groups, fitness centers, church services, bars, etc.

In addition, we encourage you to avoid outdoor gatherings of more than 50 people. This includes parties, ball games, church services, family reunions, weddings, funerals, etc.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper shared an updated Executive Order last week and made it clear the expectation for businesses and agencies, including higher education, to enforce and implement more stringent policies over the next few weeks to reduce the risk of community spread.

While we continue to have low numbers of COVID cases at LR and our cumulative positive test rate is less than 1.0 percent, we are seeing more LR cases since October 1 than in the previous two months.

We currently have 11 active positive cases, all on the Hickory campus. Most of our positive student cases continue to be in the off-campus, commuter student population.

Unfortunately, these positive cases require us to place into precautionary quarantine a number of faculty, staff and students who were exposed to these individuals to follow CDC guidelines.

In addition, there has been a significant increase in COVID-19 positive cases in Catawba County and in North Carolina. We remain in close contact with the Catawba County Health Department and continue to monitor the situation daily.

We all have to be vigilant in our efforts to hold each other accountable and adhere to our procedures and policies for “Protecting our Den.”

Following are a few other reminders: 

• Surveillance COVID testing continues each Wednesday and the lower anterior nasal swab will now be the testing procedure as opposed to the deeper nasal swab.
• If you display any symptoms related to COVID you should get tested as soon as possible. Students must inform the Dean of Students and faculty/staff must inform our HR Director as soon as symptoms appear, followed by the results of your COVID test. Quarantining you and your contacts before the test results is critical to preventing spread.
• Community groups and individuals who are not LR employees or students are not permitted to physically be on campus through November 20. This includes guest presenters in class, speakers, etc. Please use technology like Zoom as the primary avenue for meetings through Nov. 20. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the President. 
• Do not congregate in small spaces for meals, meetings or any other purpose where you cannot follow social distancing guidelines and wear a mask.
• Getting a flu vaccine ASAP is imperative for the upcoming winter season. LR will hold flu shot clinics on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Monday, Nov. 16, both from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Cromer Center’s Fireside Room. 
• Information on the COVID-19 test requirement before returning for the spring semester will be shared before Thanksgiving.

With your help, we can finish this semester strong and remain proud of our efforts to make this unusual semester a success.

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
DT: Monday, October 12, 2020

We have reached the halfway point of this semester and have six weeks left until classes end and we prepare for exams.

I am continually impressed by how well our community is adhering to guidelines and helping ensure the health and safety of all of our students, faculty and staff. As a result of your diligence, our COVID numbers on campus remain low as you can see on our dashboard. See also, Key Facts of LR COVID Testing and Data since August 1, 2020.

I also know that rumors can move quickly around campus, and I want to share a few facts.

• Current Data: Since Aug. 1, we have had 24 positive cases at the university, all on the Hickory campus. As of this morning, we have 9 active positive cases—8 students and 1 faculty/staff—and have had no clusters.  Each of these individuals is in isolation and doing well. Many will be fully recovered by the end of the week.
   
• Quarantining: When we have positive cases, we perform contact tracing and require that those who came in contact with someone who has tested positive precautionary quarantine for 14 days. Being quarantined as a part of contact tracing is not the same as testing positive.
   
• Flu Vaccine: This year, more than ever, getting a flu vaccine is important. It can help protect you and others from the flu, lessen your symptoms if you do get the flu, and reduce the burden on our healthcare systems that are already responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. To help keep our community safe, we will host two flu clinics on the Hickory campus—one was held last week and one will be held this week. I hope that you’ll make a flu shot a priority, either at the on-campus clinic or through your own healthcare provider. The clinic is open to everyone; please bring your insurance card.
   
  • Wednesday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Cornerstone Health and Wellness Center
     
• Class of 2020 Commencement: Last month, we fielded a survey to the Class of 2020 to ask their opinion on a commencement ceremony. We received more than 200 responses, and the feedback was clear. The Class of 2020 prefers to have a traditional, in-person ceremony that is separate from a ceremony from the Class of 2021. Due to the current climate of the pandemic, we will look to reschedule the Class of 2020 commencement ceremony to May 2021. We aim to provide an update with more specific details, like date and time, by early February 2021.

I know that the precautions and guidelines can be tiresome, and it’s human nature to get comfortable and become more lax in following the rules, especially in light of our relatively low positive cases. However, it is more important than ever to be diligent in wearing masks, keeping at least 6 feet distance and washing your hands. With your help, we can finish this semester strong.

Please know how much I appreciate your hard work and diligence.

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
DT: September 28, 2020

I hope you are all enjoying this cooler weather and the taste of fall that it has brought to campus. The seasonal change is a reminder that while we are in the fall semester, our spring semester is not that far away.

As we prepare for the next semester, I wanted to share a few updates.

• Academic Calendar
  The presidential taskforce continues to meet regularly and last week discussed the academic calendar for the spring term. The revised academic calendar for spring 2021 has also been vetted with the Cabinet and Deans. We will begin classes on Tuesday, January 19, the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, eliminate spring break, and end classes on Wednesday, April 28. There will be a holiday on Friday, April 2, for campus. 
   
• Class Structure/Schedule
  The class structure, which was developed to reduce density in classrooms to ensure social distancing, will remain the same for spring. Classes will be Tuesday/Thursday and Friday/Monday. This is the same as fall, with the exception that the Monday/Friday classes begin on Friday.  Students should watch for a survey from the Office of the Provost in the next week to gauge their feedback on the class structure this semester and how we might improve face time with faculty and better use the Wednesday academic day. We will use these results as we finalize plans for next semester.
   
• COVID-19 Testing
  Because classes end before Thanksgiving and will not start until mid-January, we will require all students, faculty and staff to provide a negative COVID-19 test before returning to campus in January. While this will be similar to what we did for fall, we will share additional details on this requirement prior to Thanksgiving.
   
• Surveillance Testing
  We continue to test approximately 130-150 students each Wednesday on the Hickory campus and will expand this to faculty and staff in Hickory, as well as faculty, staff and students in Asheville and Columbia beginning the first week of October.
   
• What to Do If You Are Sick or Suspect COVID Exposure
  Anyone who is sick and/or suspects exposure to COVID-19 should immediately self-quarantine and then contact the appropriate people.
   
  • Students on the Hickory campus: Hickory campus students should immediately contact Cornerstone Health and Wellness Center by phone at 828-328-7959 or call their local healthcare provider or an urgent care facility in the area. Subsequent notification to the Dean of Students Katie Fisher (katie.fisher@lr.edu, 828-328-7246) should take place as soon as possible. 
     
  • Students on the Asheville or Columbia campuses: Students should immediately contact their personal healthcare provider or an urgent care facility in their area as health services are not provided on these campuses. The campus designee in Asheville is Michael Dempsey (michael.dempsey@lr.edu, 828-407-4269), and the campus designee in Columbia is Robyn Marren (robyn.marren@lr.edu, 803-461-3277).
     
  • Faculty and Staff: Employees should contact their personal healthcare provider to secure guidance and, if indicated, testing. They should then contact their dean/ supervisor and the appropriate designee in their branch of campus. The campus designees are Rick Nichols in Hickory (rick.nichols@lr.edu, 828-328-7387), Michael Dempsey in Asheville (michael.dempsey@lr.edu, 828-407-4269) and Robyn Marren in Columbia (robyn.marren@lr.edu, 803-461-3277).

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 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.

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