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Extension of Online Instruction Through the End of Spring 2020 Semester

03.13.20

Dear LMU Community:

I am indebted to each of you for your patience and sacrifices as we navigate and adapt to the swiftly changing circumstances related to COVID-19. In consultation and collaboration with LMU leaders and federal, state, and local public health experts and agencies, we have made the difficult decision to extend online instruction through the end of the spring 2020 semester.

My heart is with our students, their families, our faculty, and our staff, in light of the unprecedented disruption that current conditions have brought us. I am grateful to the entire LMU community for your flexibility and willingness to work together and care for one another, as Lions do, to transform what feels like an insurmountable challenge into a time of growth and resilience. We stand in solidarity with one another, and I have faith that we will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever.

Please note the following signature updates:

  • At this time, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our campuses.
  • Our campuses will remain open, but with limited operations and services.
  • We are asking students to remain at home or to return home or to their off-campus residences, and we are closing on-campus housing on March 22. Students may petition for an exception; these will be considered on a case-by-case basis. We are reviewing the issue of prorated housing, meal plans, or other refunds or credits. More information will be forthcoming. Student Housing and Student Affairs will continue to provide further details here.
  • All campus events through the end of the semester are canceled. Internal departmental meetings may continue on a case-by-case basis without support from Conference and Event Services. Our Mass schedule has been modified and is developing. In alignment with NCAA and WCC announcements, all athletics events, competitions, and organized practices in all sports during the spring season have been canceled.
  • Staff should continue reporting to campus next week while we evaluate staffing needs and policies. If you feel sick, please remain home until you are symptom-free. We are aware of LAUSD and other school closures that may impact your ability to work. You may work remotely, as appropriate, with your supervisor’s approval; otherwise, for now, you should use sick pay and/or vacation. We will soon share revised guidance to address working remotely, paid leaves, and other COVID-19 related concerns. Please consult your supervisor or HR, should you have questions.
  • Student employees should not report to work and will be paid automatically for their regularly scheduled hours, subject to specific terms and conditions. Further details are forthcoming. Please contact Student Employment Services, should you have questions.
  • We have assembled resources for faculty as we take courses fully online: (1) Keep Teaching serves as a faculty portal for accessing support resources and guidance as we migrate coursework. (2) Quick Path to Online Instruction provides information about faculty online training and textbook access, as well as five steps to move coursework and leverage Brightspace for asynchronous learning.
  • Because many students cannot return to campus to retrieve their purchased books, faculty can scan and make PDFs of selections from their textbook and post the content into Brightspace. If you would like library assistance scanning and posting content from books or articles, please use the Course Reserves form. Because this is not the usual practice, we appreciate your collective efforts to limit excerpted content to the specific time-bound needs of our LMU learning community. Faculty who require online access to videos should use the library’s Streaming Media Request form. Additional library services can be found here.
  • The Keep Learning Website serves as our student portal for accessing technical support resources and guidance for online learning.
  • We have not made a decision concerning Commencement Weekend, but we are actively exploring options and alternatives with additional guidance forthcoming.
  • Please review our current travel restrictions and note that no university-related travel outside of Southern California is permitted at this time.
  • LMU Loyola Law School transitioned to online instruction this week and is currently assessing options for the remainder of their semester.
  • Please check the LMU COVID19 Website for up-to-date information. Please use our dedicated help form for assistance.

Please understand that many offices and experts have convened to work around the clock to address your diverse and important needs. More information and updates will come your way as soon as they are available. Please be assured that your safety and well-being are paramount, as the mainstays of every decision we make concerning our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As we continue to respond to these uncharted waters, I take solace knowing that our shared commitment to LMU’s Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount mission and values will see us through these trials. Guided by the spirit of the magis, and invigorated by the extraordinary flexibility, persistence, and love for LMU that you have shown throughout these anxiety-ridden days, I know that our community will continue to thrive.

How we rise to meet this challenge—with compassion and commitment to our LMU community, city, and world, and with immutable dedication to our students and their educational success—will demonstrate the enduring value of the work we do together and our unmatched potential and obligation to shape and sustain the world we want to live in.

My prayers are with each of you and your families, and for those impacted by COVID-19, for our health care workers, and for the safety and prosperity of our global community.

With sincere appreciation and thanks,

 

Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D.

President