Global Posts

Conducting research or working on another hands-on academic project alongside a faculty member is a great resume-builder for college students.

At Longwood, these mind-expanding, confidence-boosting opportunities aren’t just for science students. They’re accessible to every student, regardless of their rank (freshman, sophomore, etc.) and regardless of their department or discipline. Likewise, every student is eligible to apply for financial support from Longwood to help cover the expenses of their projects.

The Office of Student Research is currently accepting grant applications for this semester. The deadline for the first round of funding is 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29. Your student can find the application on the Office of Student Research website under Student Research Funding.

Awards range from as much as $500 for individual projects up to $1,500 for team projects undertaken by three students.

Take a look at the latest issue of Longwood’s journal of undergraduate scholarship, INCITE, and you’ll likely be surprised by the diversity of the work taking place on campus with the encouragement and guidance of faculty. It includes an analysis of a Mozart piano sonata; a student’s photography exploring his life with cerebral palsy; and research aimed at developing quick and simple methods for detecting counterfeit anti-malarial drugs.

Benefits for students who participate in this type of work are far-reaching. For starters, it facilitates active learning and spurs more creativity, better problem solving and stronger written and oral communication.

Grants from the Office of Student Research can be used to cover expenses such as laboratory, media and field equipment; art supplies; software; photocopying, printing and film processing; communication costs (postage, phone, etc.); travel to support the investigative phase of the student’s work (such as travel to field sites, museums, archives or libraries); and travel expenses related to presenting their work at a scholarly conference or the equivalent* (including transportation, mileage, lodging, registration, meals and other related expenses).

If you have a chance, ask your student if they’ve thought about doing a project this semester. If they have, encourage them to apply for a grant!

—Sabrina Brown

*Please note that during the 2020-21 academic year, support for student travel will be limited to virtual conferences and in-state travel only. The Office of Student Research encourages students to apply to present their research and creative inquiry projects at virtual conferences and symposia during the 2020-21 academic year.

With move-in starting Saturday for students who live on campus, I thought the following information might be helpful.

We are so excited to welcome your students back for the spring semester!

Move-in Schedule for New and Continuing Students

Jan. 9: noon-5 p.m.
Jan. 10: noon-5 p.m.
Jan. 11: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Jan. 12: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Move-out Schedule for Noncontinuing Students

Students not enrolled for spring semester should retrieve their belongings on Saturday, Jan. 9, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. These students will be provided special ID card access. Property retrieval arrangements after this date should be coordinated with the student’s REC. Contact information for each hall’s REC and front desk can be found here.

Helpers

Please remember that, due to Covid-19 precautions, only 2 helpers per student are allowed to assist with moving in or out.

Move-in Dining Hours

Dorrill Dining Hall will be open the following special hours Jan. 7-11:
Brunch: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Dinner: 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Covid-19 guidelines

As I mentioned in a post last month, students who test positive for Covid-19, are experiencing possible symptoms or are awaiting test results should not return to campus. Contact the university Health Center at 434-395-2102 for medical advice, questions, instructions and/or testing. If your student needs help with starting classes remotely, email questions@longwood.edu.

Residential and Commuter Life Move-in Weekend Office Hours

Location: Lancaster Hall Room G13 (ground floor)
Phone: 434-395-2080
Hours
Saturday, Jan. 9: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 10: noon-5 p.m.

Building Access and IDs

Building entry doors will not be unlocked during move-in, and residents will be expected to use their ID cards to enter their buildings. If your student is new to Longwood and didn’t submit a photo to the Lancer Card Center before arriving on campus, they can get a temporary loaner card at check-in. These cards must be returned to the Lancer Card office in Room G10 Coyner Hall; phone, 434-395-2715. Because the office will be closed on Saturday and Sunday, the card should be returned when the office opens for normal hours on Monday, Jan. 11.

Lost or nonworking card issues should be directed to the Lancer Card office during normal business hours Monday-Friday or to the Longwood University Police Department after hours or on the weekend (434-395-2091).

Emergency After-Hours Facility/Housekeeping Needs

The Work Order Center and the Budd Group office will be closed Jan. 9-10. Email and voicemail will not be monitored. Normal business hours resume on Monday, Jan. 11.

Emergency needs after hours or on the weekend should be directed to the Longwood University Police Department (LUPD) at 434-395-2091.

Farmville Area Bus Schedule

The Express and Campus lines begin service at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 10. Service on Monday, Jan. 11, and Tuesday, Jan. 12, will be on the weekend schedule, with regular service hours resuming on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

—Sabrina Brown

It’s January, and that means New Year’s resolutions, the start of spring semester—and thinking about your student’s housing for next year.

Today’s post will be aimed primarily at parents of students who will be juniors and seniors next year. We know there are many housing options available to your student. And we know you are weighing many factors as you make this important decision.

You want your student to be safe. You want them to have somewhere to turn for help if they need it—especially if it’s in the middle of the night and you’re not close enough to get there quickly.

One of the biggest advantages Longwood-managed apartments offer is peace of mind. Below are a few more of the advantages of living at Lancer Park and Longwood Landings (pictured above):

—If your student tells us by Jan. 24 that they will be registering to live in a Longwood-managed apartment, they’ll automatically be entered to win $4,000 toward their apartment for next year. Registration for apartments begins Feb. 8.

—Staff are on call 24/7 to respond to your student’s needs.

—Longwood Police Department officers keep a close eye on Longwood-managed apartments with regular patrols 24/7.

—Emergency phones and security cameras are placed at strategic locations at both complexes.

—An LUPD officer lives with his family on site at Lancer Park.

—All of your student’s neighbors will be Longwood students or staff.

Several restaurants—including Subway, Chick-fil-A and Moe’s—are located on the ground level of the Longwood Landings complex. The complex is located just across Main Street from the main campus.

—Residents can store their belongings FREE in their apartments over the summer (if they will be living in the same apartment the following fall). No more moving belongings in and out.

—Residents can live in their apartments over breaks and the summer at no additional charge (if they will be living in the same apartment after the break or for the next regular semester).

—Longwood has restructured its meal plans. A new 50-meal plan offers flexibility and savings.

—Use of washers and dryers is FREE.

—Cable, internet, water and electricity are included in housing rates. No more surprise utility bills or hassles with splitting bills and security deposits.

—Main-campus parking for apartment residents has been expanded to include 24/7 access to commuter spaces for Lancer Park residents and residential spaces for Longwood Landings residents.

A list of apartment and meal plan options, along with pricing for the 2021-22 year, can be found at go.longwood.edu/housingrates.

A market is part of the Lancer Park complex, which offers a variety of apartment styles.

Longwood-managed apartments also are an option for sophomores, although we encourage the on-campus residential experience for students’ first two years.

—Sabrina Brown

P.S. Just a reminder for your student to tell us by Sunday, Jan. 24, that they plan to register for a Longwood apartment so they will be entered to win a credit of $4,000 toward the apartment! You can find the details here: go.longwood.edu/myhousingplans

As we anticipate the new year, I’m passing along an email about the spring semester that was sent to your student on Wednesday, Dec. 30, by Matthew McWilliams, assistant vice president for communications.

It contains important information about
—Covid-19 precautions for students to take prior to returning to campus and guidelines for students who should delay their return
—Guidelines for move in, set for Jan. 9-11, including the limiting of helpers to 2 per student
—Continued vigilance in combatting Covid-19 this semester
—The extension of the fall visitor policy into the spring semester
… and more

I hope you can take a minute between now and your student’s return to campus to read through this update.

By working together and taking precautions seriously, the entire Longwood community—and especially students—made Longwood’s successful fall semester possible. By continuing that commitment, the coming semester can be just as successful.

Happy New Year!

—Sabrina Brown

Full text of email sent to Longwood students on Dec. 30, 2020

I hope you all had a happy and safe holiday season. I’m reaching out about 10 days before most students return to campus with some information about your return and the upcoming semester. The semester will begin as scheduled, with graduate classes beginning Jan. 8 and undergraduate classes beginning Jan. 13.

While the news about vaccines is a source of great hope for 2021, we continue to see substantial Covid-19 cases across the country and here in the Commonwealth. We must assume the virus will be present in our community during the spring semester. That means the precautions that served us well in the fall will remain in place as we return to campus. I urge every member of the campus community to review the Shared Commitment that was foundational in our success in the fall and pledge yourself to those principles again.

As in the fall, we are prepared to handle Covid-19 cases in the university community. It is up to all of us to do the things we know work—wear masks, keep socially distanced, and wash hands regularly—to make the spring successful.

Prior to Returning to Campus

Our collective steps to ensure a successful semester must begin now, ahead of our return to campus. Please exercise great care these next two weeks— wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding gatherings.

If you are experiencing any potential Covid-19 symptoms or have been contact exposed, or are awaiting test results, do NOT return to campus. Please call the University Health Center at 434-395-2102 and email questions@longwood.edu so we can work with you on academic considerations if you need to delay your return.

Per our consultations with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), our plan for repopulating campus this spring will mirror our successful approach in the fall. In general, a test is not required before returning to campus. However, if you have visited with family or friends over the holidays, testing options have expanded and can help ensure you are not an asymptomatic carrier. If you have visited with others, we encourage you to seek out one of these tests a few days before returning to campus. VDH’s testing site map may be a helpful resource. If you are near Farmville, you can arrange for a test at the University Health Center, which opens Jan. 4 at 8 a.m. To make an appointment, call 434-395-2102.

Daily Health Screening

Ten days before you return to campus, you should resume asking yourself the daily health questions:
—Are you currently experiencing a fever (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher)?—Are you currently experiencing a new cough?
—Are you currently experiencing a new shortness of breath?
—Are you currently experiencing new chills?
—Are you currently experiencing a new sore throat?
—Are you currently experiencing new muscle aches?
—Have you had a loss of taste or smell?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you should contact a health care provider and not return to campus until cleared following a negative test.

Move-in

Students can begin moving back into their on-campus residence halls on Jan. 9. Spring move-back is different from the fall—there are fewer belongings to move, and the return is naturally more staggered over several days, so we will not assign specific move-in times. However, please exercise caution. Remember that when you are in on-campus buildings, including residence halls and university-managed apartments, you must wear a proper face covering. This includes family members who are helping you move back in. Please limit the number of family members who assist you with move-in to two. Face coverings are also required outside when you cannot maintain consistent 6 feet of distance between yourself and others.

Visitors

The visitor guidelines put in place for the fall semester are still in effect. These will continue to be reviewed regularly in consultation with student leadership.

Testing, Quarantine and Contact Tracing

As during the fall semester, we will engage in prompt testing of those with symptoms or who are contact exposed, as well as contact tracing, and provide support services for students who may need to isolate or quarantine. The Health Center expects to be able to continue offering “peace of mind” testing to students who are not symptomatic or contact exposed but would like to be tested. VDH is strongly supportive of our approach this past fall and has not recommended random surveillance testing of the campus community. However, over the course of the semester we may engage in targeted surveillance testing — for example of a broader group of people around a cluster of positive cases.

We are looking forward to having you back on campus this spring. Thank you for continuing to take these individual actions that will be key to a successful spring semester.

Best,

Matthew McWilliams
Assistant Vice President for Communications
Longwood University

Hello, my name is Sydney Wilborn and welcome to my ePortfolio. I am so glad that you have found my ePortfolio and I hope you enjoy it. This ePortfolio will be used as a reflection to remember the trials and tribulations that helped me defeat my obstacles while at Longwood University. While visiting my ePortfolio, you will see some of my best work displayed from each of my classes. This will allow you to follow my amazing Longwood experience and everything that I have learned throughout my years as a student.

As 2020 closes out, I have updated my Honors portfolio to reflect my development thus far. Please look around for new updates, including a revamped resume, new classes (with enhancements), and professional development. Enjoy!

This is a virtual portfolio showcasing my accomplishments during my time as a nursing student at Longwood University.

It’s hard to know what kind of holiday wishes to send to folks this year. Some of you may not be able to experience the holidays as you have in years past. Still, I hope that the spirit of the season finds you no matter where you are or whom you are with this week.

Toward that end, I thought I’d share with today you some words of reflection on the fall semester and the holidays from President W. Taylor Reveley IV and Longwood’s Board of Visitors.

I’ve also included a link to a holiday-themed collection of performances by Longwood’s music faculty and students as well as a video featuring one of our most cherished holiday traditions.

Personally, I’d like to wish you and yours all the best. Longwood is truly a special place, and you and your Lancer are a big part of the reason why.

—Sabrina Brown

From President W. Taylor Reveley IV

in an email to the Longwood family

At the end of this harsh and historic year, the usual sense of holiday joy may feel harder to summon. But this holiday season, as campus winds down the work of this semester, I am filled with gratitude as well as hope.

Our achievements in 2020 weren’t the usual ones. Simply being together for in-person learning tapped our deepest reserves of creativity, flexibility and perseverance. We have had to dig further still to maintain the human connections that are Longwood’s heart and soul. These efforts have produced real exhaustion. But our mission of preparing citizen leaders has never mattered more, and we should be proud we have succeeded, in such full measure.

To our students — Thank you. I know this semester has been hard in so many ways, but your commitment to public health and to one another made it possible to be here. So many people have doubted college students. But you have stepped up, earning praise and gratitude from the Town of Farmville and well beyond. I promise you, in 2021, sunnier days lie ahead.

To our faculty and staff — Your professionalism, imagination and dedication have been powerful, and they have mattered so deeply in the lives of our students. Amidst your own challenges, including caring for family members young and old, you safely reimagined our classrooms, upgraded our buildings, cared for anxious students, redesigned courses and quickly learned new technologies to keep our students personally and academically connected. Thank you.

To our home community of Farmville, we are so grateful for your partnership and support. And in spite of 2020’s challenges, we took real strides together. The opening of the elegant Johns and Moss Halls, landmarks along Main Street. A third Starbucks! Indian food! The coming year will also bring our new art-house style cinema on High Street — and much else in the way of progress, as our community flourishes.

In this hard year for families, our community and the nation, we have experienced grief, anxiety and challenging conversations about justice, equity and our obligations to one another. There is still difficult road to travel in 2021, and we cannot let up. But Longwood has met and prospered through every great challenge we’ve faced, drawing essential strength from our community and our true spirit of camaraderie. This year, all of you — students, faculty and staff, friends near and far — have been writing your own great chapter in our history.

I wish you peace and health this holiday season.

President Reveley

From the Longwood University Board of Visitors

in a full-page ad in the Farmville Herald

In the spirit of the season, during this historic and challenging year of 2020,
We wanted to say THANK YOU with this public resolution of gratitude

To Longwood’s students, faculty and staff, and the entire Lancer family — our Lancers have been true citizen leaders,

To the Town of Farmville and the broader community — our partners and trusted friends,

To Hampden-Sydney — our neighbor through the centuries here in America’s oldest two-college community,

To the Commonwealth of Virginia — an example of compassion and common purpose in the face of this pandemic and in this time of reckoning,

To President Reveley and the administration of the University — for remarkable, principled leadership and vision

May the holidays offer peace and joy, as well as renewal,
in the promise of yet finer days to come

Holiday Music from Longwood Musicians

Some holiday-inspired selections from the faculty and students in the Department of Music.

A Grand Illumination in the Rotunda