Lafayette moves to online semester

“Throughout this crisis, we have said that Lafayette’s highest priorities are protecting the health and safety of our community, and providing a substantive academic experience. Given the dramatic changes that have taken place in the national landscape since we formulated our plan in early June, we believe that we can best fulfill these goals with a minimal student population on campus and a curriculum of engaging and rigorous online courses.“

July 22: Moving to online instruction
Aug. 17: Welcome to the fall semester

Healthy Campus

To protect the health and safety of the campus community, a minimal number of students will be allowed to live on campus. The College will employ testing, monitoring, contact tracing, and physical distancing.
Details.

Academic Adaptability

From the outset, we have been preparing flexible course designs that could accommodate online delivery. We will provide a meaningful educational experience for all students this fall.
Details.

Resource Alignment

The College is prioritizing resources for technology (nearly $1 million invested this summer) and training to support online instruction and learning, secure safety supplies, and introduce changes to manage density.
Details.

Milestones

2020

March 2

March

Campus closure and rapid move to remote teaching and learning

April 1

April

• Incident Action Group subcommittees formed
• Safety protocol team established
• Academic Continuity and Adaptability Committee created
• Campus health and safety group formed
• Finance advisory group established and financial scenarios developed

May 4

May

• Technology planning begins for increased flexibility
• Board of Trustees endorses exploration of fall on-campus scenarios
• Operational unit plan development with 20 major areas providing input
• Implementation Plan Development Group is created, charged with developing plan framework and outline steps to be taken for fall opening
• Significant procurement decisions made to plan for fall and gradual return to campus
• Town hall for faculty and staff

June 2

June

• Decision to hold virtual Commencement made
• Town hall for students
• Faculty endorse two-week early start to the fall semester
• Public announcement of plan for fall semester
• Town hall for parents and families
• Town hall for faculty and staff
• Town hall for Easton community
• Following guidance from the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health and the CDC, some faculty/staff transition back to campus for research, teaching, and campus life programming
• Most staff continue to work remotely

June 6

July-August

• Patriot League cancels fall sports competitions
• College announces move to an online semester
• Public health awareness and safety protocols are in place, including personal protective equipment
• Last day to receive student applications to live and study on campus set for July 29; decisions made Aug. 3
• Testing and move-in begins for on-campus students Aug. 10
• Fall semester begins Aug. 17
• Bills due Sept. 1

June 9

June

• Continue monitoring, testing, notification, isolation and assessment of COVID-19 risks
• Campus operational notifications provided, as needed, based on potential changes to operating mode
• Continued public health awareness and accountability for everyone to follow guidance
• Scaling of in-person events/activities/access possible, depending on risk factors
• On-campus students will leave campus for Thanksgiving break and return prior to the start of the spring semester