LFCC looking forward to welcoming students for fall classes

“Make this upcoming year count for you,” LFCC President Kim Blosser says. “We’ve set up our classes so you will not have to miss a step in your educational journey.”

With the continued uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic, some students who had been planning to go away to a four-year university may be thinking of taking a “gap year.” President Blosser urges them to look a little closer to home to meet their educational needs.

With the health and safety of our students and employees being our top priority, LFCC faculty, staff and administrators have spent countless hours planning the safest possible return to campus for a selection of in-person classes starting Aug. 24. Likewise, careful planning has gone into our large selection of online classes.

For LFCC’s online classes, students will be able to choose among three formats:

1. Asynchronous. These classes are designed to be taken at any time from anywhere. Instructors will present all of the class materials in the college’s online learning platform, Canvas, while also presenting some lectures and other learning tools through video conferencing. Students who are able to are free to participate in those conferences live, or view the recordings at their convenience.
2. Synchronous. In these courses, students and their instructors will meet at designated times online. This style is the most similar to a traditional in-person class.
3. Synchronous optional. Instructors leading these courses will livestream the class at a designated time, but the conferences will be recorded for later viewing if necessary.

For those classes which require in-person learning, such as some labs, trades programs and healthcare-related courses, LFCC is following the latest guidelines issued by the Virginia Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Students attending these courses will be required to sign an agreement, which among other precautions, states they will not come to class while sick or if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, they will inform their instructor if they recently attended class and have been diagnosed with the virus, they will wear a mask while in class and in college buildings, and they will practice social distancing.

LFCC will maintain social distancing through rearranged furniture, modified classroom layouts and staggered class times. There will be additional hand-sanitizer stations throughout the buildings. The gym, Subway and common areas in the Student Union Building on the Middletown Campus will remain closed, as will the dining establishments on both campuses.

There will be enhanced cleaning and sanitation measures at all of our campuses and sites. Classrooms will be sanitized before every class. Face coverings will be required in classrooms and in all public areas of buildings, unless an accommodation has been approved through LFCC Accommodations and Disability Services.

Facial coverings are required inside LFCC facilities, including the library.

All of our student services, from registration, to advising, to financial aid help, are offered virtually. The Financial Aid Office has even set up “Drop-in Zoom Meetings” during business hours. These meetings will happen in the order in which the student entered the virtual waiting room.

Our Student Life and Engagement Team will continue to offer ways for students to be involved and feel supported with a series of online events, contests and giveaways.

And, for those who prefer to come on campus, our offices are open to help prospective and current students. Additionally, students are welcome to come on site to use the computer labs and wi-fi. There is wi-fi access in the parking lots for students who prefer to stay in their vehicles.

In addition to the Aug. 24 start date, some classes will begin Sept. 8, with another set of classes starting Oct. 19.

Visit lfcc.edu/fall2020 for more information. View a welcome message from President Blosser ONLINE.