Today’s post will bring you up-to-date on actions Longwood has taken most recently in response to the virus. Your student has already received this information, but we realize that they may not have passed it along to you.
Below are excerpts from recent messages that have gone out to students from the president and two of Longwood’s vice presidents about spring semester. Topics covered are
—Commencement
—Grading Policies and Withdrawal Deadline Extension
—Refunds and Student Employment
Commencement
W. Taylor Reveley IV, President
Excerpt from an April 10 communication to students
I promised last month that the Class of 2020 would walk for in-person graduation… . We’ve been working with government officials and campus and community leaders to identify a date as soon as possible that is also as reliable as can be. We have a date: Commencement for the Class of 2020 will be on the weekend of October 9-10. As would have been the case this May, the graduate ceremony will be on the Friday evening, October 9, and the undergraduate ceremony will be on the Saturday, October 10, during the day. It will be a full weekend of celebration—with plenty of opportunity over the course of the weekend for you to celebrate and reconnect.
Campus and Farmville are so beautiful in the fall, and earlier dates that we explored so closely continued to have risk of disruption by this crisis. We’ll have more precise details regarding exact times and logistics in the weeks ahead. (And be assured that by finishing your academic requirements you still officially become a Longwood graduate in May. We’ll explore ways to mark that occasion too, without taking anything away from October.)
Read the full text of President Reveley’s message here.
Grading Options and Withdrawal Extension
Dr. Larissa Smith, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Excerpt from a March 27 communication to students
Alternate Pass/Fail option – Undergraduate students now have the option to choose an alternate Pass/Fail grading scale for any course that had been face-to-face but moved online for the rest of the semester. This is not a decision to rush into, which is why you have until Friday, April 24, to submit your decision to the Registrar’s office. You must consult with your academic advisor about this decision and fill out a form.
The new grading option includes the following grades:
- PV denotes work at the C- level or better.
- DV denotes work at any “D” grade level (D+, D, D-).
- FV (Fail) denotes failing work.
For more detailed information on how to select this option, visit the University COVID-19 FAQs.
Depending on the academic program, these grades can fulfill program requirements. These grades will not be computed in your Spring 2020 semester GPA. Graduate courses and courses that started online at the beginning of this semester are not eligible for the alternate pass/fail grading scale option.
Withdrawal deadline extension – The withdrawal deadline for courses has been extended until Friday, April 24. Please be aware that course withdrawals may affect your financial aid. You should contact the staff in the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions.
These are important decisions that encompass a lot of factors, including your academic major or minor program requirements, and you do not have to make them alone. Reach out to your academic advisor or other faculty and staff for advice. We are here to help you make the most informed choices possible and to help you finish the semester during this unprecedented and stressful time. You and your education are important to us.
Read the full text of Dr. Smith’s message here.
Refunds and Student Employment
Dr. Tim Pierson, Vice President for Student Affairs
Excerpt from a March 25 communication to students
Someday soon enough, we will get to celebrate being back on campus. In the meantime, we want to help with the financial burden families are facing, and provide housing and dining refunds as best we can. We know no solution is perfect, and that individual circumstances vary. But we’ve worked hard to develop a plan that’s 1) clear 2) as fair as possible and 3) we can deliver as soon as possible. That’s important because we know many of you are facing challenges now. The Lancer family is all in this together.
Here is what we are doing:
—Student workers will continue to be paid through the customary close of the semester, May 9. Graduate assistants will also continue to be paid through May 9. We’ll be in touch about how hours will be reported the rest of the semester. We know that this is money you depend on.
—Students with a Longwood housing and dining plan will each be paid a refund of $1,000.
—Students with a commuter Longwood dining plan for the spring will each be paid a refund of $300.
Please remember, these housing and dining refunds are being split into two payments to you—one now, and one in July. The first set of housing and dining refunds has been mailed and should soon be arriving at your home address. If you have questions, please email questions@longwood.edu.
We think this straightforward and equal approach is what’s fairest to our whole community, and will help you and your families as we all work together through this challenging time.
Excerpt from an April 9 communication to students
—Bonus dollars. If you are a continuing student, your unused bonus dollars will be rolled over for use in the 2020-21 academic year. If you are graduating, you will receive a refund in July of any remaining bonus dollars.
—Parking. If you are a continuing student with a valid parking pass for the Spring 2020 semester, you will have a $50 credit applied to your account in July. If you are graduating and had a valid parking pass for the Spring 2020 semester, your July refund check will increase by $50.
If you have questions, please email questions@longwood.edu.
Read the full text of Dr. Pierson’s messages here: March 25 April 9
For Additional Information About Longwood’s COVID-19 Response
www.longwood.edu/covid19/
alerts.longwood.edu
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