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 The College continues to adapt and prepare for the
new school year, with a commitment to providing an exceptional
education while safeguarding the health and safety of all Lynx
during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
“We are looking forward to welcoming our students back to campus,”
said Lincoln College President Dr. David Gerlach. “We are confident
the precautionary measures taken for fall will create a safe
environment for our students, our staff, and the community at large.
“In addition, we are mindful of the $53 million annual economic
impact that Lincoln College contributes to Lincoln, Logan County and
Illinois,” Gerlach added. “That positive impact is dependent on
having students on campus this fall.”
The Fall Planning Steering Committee, comprised of Lincoln College
faculty, staff, and administration, have been developing innovative
plans to ensure a safe return to regular operations and on-campus
activities, following guidance from federal, state, and local health
authorities, as well as the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).
In accordance with these guidelines, the College will require all
faculty, staff, students, and campus visitors to wear a face mask
on-site. The Lincoln College Health Services Office will have face
masks available, but individuals may choose to wear their own
personal face coverings as well. Likewise, members of campus will be
required to wear Lincoln College lanyards with their college-issued
ID to easily identify members of the campus community who are
wearing face coverings.
Lincoln College faculty are eager to welcome back students this
fall. Classes and building schedules have been modified to reduce
the amount of students and faculty within academic buildings. Though
most classes will have a face to face component, actual in-class
time may be reduced to comply with safety guidelines; additionally,
some classes may be delivered in an online format, including all
Accelerated Bridge to Education (ABE) courses. In all circumstances,
well-developed online components will compliment every student’s
learning experience this fall. Traditional classes are set to resume
on August 17.
Dining services will remain open to students with limited seating
and physical distancing in common areas. Lincoln College has added
outdoor seating as a creative way to reduce the density in dining
areas, enhanced cleaning protocols, and removed self-service
stations. Signage has been added to ensure a safe flow of persons
entering and exiting during meal times.
Similarly, Lincoln College has made plans for additional cleaning in
the residence halls and will be carefully monitoring common areas. A
section of the residence halls have been reserved for COVID-19
isolation, should it be needed.
Lincoln College students will return to the residence halls through
a phased move-in plan, in place of a one-day event. Groups of
students will begin moving back to campus July 27 and continue
through August 13. The multi-day move-in process allows the College
to ensure social distancing guidelines are met.
Student clubs and organizations will meet within appropriate
physical distancing and group-size limits set by state and local
health officials. The Meyer-Evans Student Center will not be open
for casual gathering but is available through a reservation process
in the campus app, Presence.
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Lincoln College has adopted new cleaning and
sanitation procedures for campus. These strategies will reduce the
likelihood of spreading illness and include additional hand
sanitation stations, protective shields in classrooms and offices,
availability of single-use cleaning products, and signage displaying
new requirements and best practices.
Lincoln College is also continuing to follow guidance from Governor
Pritzker and local and state health authorities regarding campus
events, including athletic games.
At this time, athletic competition is set to resume
on September 5, 2020 with a reduced number of contests allowed. Fall
sports will begin practicing August 15. The National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) will require student-athletes and
coaches to receive a negative polymerise chain reaction (PCR) test
no more than five days prior to the first competition. All game day
participants including coaches, student-athletes, managers, and
referees will be screened no more than six hours prior to the
contest. Similarly, student-athletes and coaches will be screened
prior to each practice.
All other campus events will follow similar guidelines: limiting the
number of events throughout the year, requiring a reservation and
ticketing procedure to limit attendees, and adjusting seating at the
venue. Another inventive approach will be the creation of an outdoor
practice and performance area for performing arts students.
Many buildings have adjusted processes to ensure campus safety. The
McKinstry Library will be available to college patrons only,
continuing to support remote teaching, learning, and research. The
Fitness Center will also be closed to the public this fall.
The Lincoln Heritage Museum looks forward to welcoming back visitors
with new safety measures in place. LHM will be limiting persons
viewing exhibits at one time and face coverings will be required for
all guests. The date of re-opening will be determined and announced
soon.
Personal accountability is key to keeping the campus healthy,
therefore, student behavior expectations have been modified in the
Student Conduct Handbook. Students are expected to sign and
acknowledge they are completing regular self-checks at
temperature-check stations.
In conjunction with public health partners, Lincoln College will
monitor the prevalence of coronavirus within Logan County and
continue to adjust operations accordingly to protect the campus
community. Policies may continue to be adapted and amended as
conditions change.
With the safety and welfare of Lincoln College and the Logan County
community as a top priority, the institution is excited for the
return to in-person instruction for fall 2020. The future success of
Lincoln College is dependent upon the shared mission to serve its
Lynx family-including alumni and supporters-in the months ahead.
Lincoln College will continue to adapt to current challenges and
rethink higher education to best serve the students, faculty, staff,
and community.
[Lauren Grenlund
Director of Public Relations
Lincoln College] |
