Taylor Louise Morrison
434-509-9136 (text or call!)
taylor.morrison2012@gmail.com
taylor.morrison@live.longwood.edu

I would like to thank each of you for viewing my ePortfolio! I am an open book, so any questions, please reach out to me!

For students living on campus, move-in is less than two weeks away!

Freshmen will move in Aug. 16-17; continuing students in main campus residence halls and apartments, Aug. 18-20; transfer and readmitted students, Aug. 17-20.

Student-athletes, student employees, international students, students in the Cormier Honors College and other special student groups may have different move-in schedules. Members of these groups who have an early move-in date will receive that information from their group leaders.

All other students who will be living in Longwood-managed housing in the coming year should have already received specific information about their individual move-in schedule and instructions via email.

You can also find general information online from the Office of Residential and Commuter Life here.

Please keep these things in mind …

Smoke-Free Policy
Please observe Longwood’s smoke-free policy. Smoking is permitted only in designated smoking areas on campus.

Arrival
—Arrive at your designated move-in time.
—Plan to report to the lobby or check-in location of your assigned residence hall.

Check-in
Staff will verify your student’s room assignment and identity. (Your student will need to provide photo  identification.) Staff will then will provide you with keys and other check-in material.  If you have made arrangements/ordered in advance, student IDs and parking permits will also be issued.

Parking Do’s and Don’ts
—Parking regulations are in effect year-round.
—Do not park on the grass.
—Move unloaded vehicles immediately to the appropriate student parking area. You can find your designated parking area here. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page.) In addition, personnel will be providing directions to your designated parking area as you exit the unloading area at your student’s residence hall or other Longwood-managed housing.
—Vehicles that park on campus anywhere other than their designated parking areas will be ticketed and/or towed.

Unpacking/Rearranging
—Do not drag personal belongings or university furniture across the floors in the residence halls. Please respect the hard work of our housekeeping staff.
—All Longwood issued room furniture must stay in the assigned room/apartment.

Maintenance and Housekeeping
Report any maintenance or housekeeping needs online with a work order.

Cleanup/Safety
—All cardboard should be crushed and taken outside to the designated recycling sites (look for the large dumpsters).
—Do not obstruct the walkways or stairways with your personal belongings or trash. Think fire and personal injury prevention!

—Sabrina Brown

Thursday, August 10^th, 2023

Join us for Longwood’s first annual day of undergraduate faculty professional development–a day filled with several options and opportunities to collaborate with and learn from your faculty colleagues.

• Civitae faculty leaders will facilitate workshops in all areas of Civitae allowing you to meet and share ideas for teaching in Civitae and discuss ways to improve student learning and engagement. 
• CAFE will offer sessions on teaching writing in the age of AI, course design and assignment design.
• The Cormier Honors College will host a workshop focusing on how to turn your existing courses into Honors courses.
• The day will end with a Faculty Reception in the CAFE lounge.    

Registration is required for all events.  For more information about the schedule of the day, individual sessions, and registration, please go to https://blogs.longwood.edu/undergradfacutlypdday/

Questions about the Civitae sessions, contact Heather Lettner Rust @ lettnerrusthg@longwood.edu.

Questions about the CAFE sessions, contact Adam Franssen @ franssenra@longwood.edu

Questions about the Cormier Honors College session, contact Hannah Dudley-Shotwell @ shotwellhg@longwood.edu

Safety is a top concern at Longwood, and the university is always looking for ways to improve and expand the measures we’re taking to help keep everyone safe.

New Emergency Alerts Platform and Safety App

One of the latest advances is a new emergency alerts platform that was implemented this summer and is available to parents as well as students.

The new system is more versatile than its predecessor and has expanded capabilities for notifying the campus community of important safety information. Parents are welcome to sign up for these alerts, which will be sent through a variety of channels, including text, email and our alerts.longwood.edu webpage.

The new system will not import previous participants, so, if you were receiving alerts through the old system, you’ll need to sign up again (see next paragraph) to continue receiving alerts.

To sign up for text alerts, just text LUALERTS to 226787. This will enter your mobile phone number into the system, and you will receive all text message alerts that are sent out. These are the same alerts that go out to students.

Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to 226787 to cancel messages.  For additional support, text INFO or HELP to 226787 at any time.  For full terms and conditions, visit https://getrave.com/help/Terms.action

For all other notifications, you—and your student—can download the new Longwood Ready app. It’s free and can be found in your app store by searching “Longwood Ready.” The app has an array of helpful safety information and features, including

—A feature called Friend Walk that allows you to virtually “walk your student” to their destination
—One-touch emergency calling
—Mental health information and resources
—Push notifications

If you have trouble downloading the Longwood Ready app, please email questions@longwood.edu, and we’ll do our best to help you solve the problem. (Be sure to turn on notifications once you’ve downloaded Longwood Ready.)

This Ladder Goes All the Way Up

Longwood has a long history of cooperation and support for the Farmville Fire Department. The strong community partnership between the two entities reaches back at least 45 years, when the university was instrumental in helping the department purchase a custom-built ladder-tower truck in 1978, primarily to protect the students living in Longwood’s high-rise residence halls.

That original ladder truck was replaced in 2005, when the university donated $100,000 toward the purchase of a new truck with a 105-foot aerial ladder. Purchased specifically to reach the roofs of Moss and Johns halls, it was on campus recently for a firefighter training staged at those residence halls with crews from the fire departments in Farmville and nearby Hampden-Sydney.

Other Safety Features

You can find out more about Longwood’s safety measures on the safety webpage and the page detailing campus security operations. Here are a few highlights:
—Residential and Commuter Life (RCL) organizes an Annual Campus Safety Walk (see photo at top) as part of a continuous safety improvement process for the university.
—All LUPD officers are police academy-trained and sworn.
—LUPD operates more than 450 security cameras that keep an eye on Longwood properties.
—More than 50 blue light emergency phones across campus and at Longwood-managed housing complexes are GPS tagged and provide a direct link to the local 911 center.
—The State Fire Marshal inspects approximately 20 percent of residence hall rooms each year to ensure that room occupants are living safely.

—Sabrina Brown

August 7-8, 2023

We have workshops and sessions on a wide variety of topics: inclusivity in the classroom, Longwood traditions, retirement planning, parking passes and rules, and a workshop on our learning management system. The program begins with breakfast on each day at 8:15 am, and ends by 4:15 pm.

New Faculty Orientation Schedule ( click here to access the schedule )

August 7- Orientation will take place in Allen Hall 308

August 8- Orientation will take place in Allen Hall 308

The President’s Reception for New Faculty will take place on August 15, 5:30 to 7:00 PM, Radcliff Hall.

If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, please contact Renee Gutiérrez at gutierrezar@longwood.edu.

August 7th-8th

We have workshops and sessions on a wide variety of topics: inclusivity in the classroom, Longwood traditions, retirement planning, parking passes and rules, and a workshop on our learning management system. The program begins with breakfast on each day at 8:15 am, and ends by 4:15 pm.

New Faculty Orientation Schedule ( click here to access the schedule )

August 7- Orientation will take place in Allen Hall 308

August 8- Orientation will take place in Allen Hall 308

The President’s Reception for New Faculty will take place on August 15, 5:30 to 7:00 PM, Radcliff Hall.

If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, please contact Renee Gutiérrez at gutierrezar@longwood.edu.

Thursday, August 10^th, 2023

Join us for Longwood’s first annual day of undergraduate faculty professional development–a day filled with several options and opportunities to collaborate with and learn from your faculty colleagues.

• Civitae faculty leaders will facilitate workshops in all areas of Civitae allowing you to meet and share ideas for teaching in Civitae and discuss ways to improve student learning and engagement. 
• CAFE will offer sessions on teaching writing in the age of AI, course design and assignment design.
• The Cormier Honors College will host a workshop focusing on how to turn your existing courses into Honors courses.
• The day will end with a Faculty Reception in the CAFE lounge.    

Registration is required for all events.  For more information about the schedule of the day, individual sessions, and registration, please go to https://blogs.longwood.edu/undergradfacutlypdday/

Questions about the Civitae sessions, contact Heather Lettner Rust @ lettnerrusthg@longwood.edu.

Questions about the CAFE sessions, contact Adam Franssen @ franssenra@longwood.edu

Questions about the Cormier Honors College session, contact Hannah Dudley-Shotwell @ shotwellhg@longwood.edu

The Longwood community had the happy task last week of showing new students and their parents the ropes during Orientation.

My job as editor of the alumni magazine and this blog doesn’t directly involve Orientation, but I always enjoy seeing new students and their families during Orientation week.

I hope those of you who are parents of new Longwood students found the answers to your questions and felt reassured that your Lancer will be in good hands when you deliver them to campus next month. In my experience of working at several universities, both public and private, Longwood faculty and staff are among the most caring. They are truly committed to students’ success, both in and outside the classroom.

To the parents of returning students: The excitement surrounding your Lancers’ return to campus is definitely ramping up. We have missed our students this summer!

A traditional kickoff to fall semester

Preparations for the fall semester are in full swing. Especially notable are events on Aug. 25:  The G.A.M.E., a march to the sports complex for a game and distribution of this year’s Lancer scarf, and First Friday Back, which will include a pep rally in Longwood’s stunning new Joan Perry Brock Center. (The Brock Center officially opens Aug. 25 and will be the home of our basketball teams and a venue for campus ceremonies and events.)

The new Joan Perry Brock Center, with its arches and white facade, will be the home of Lancer basketball and a venue for ceremonies, concerts and other events.

How to get a Lancer scarf

If you have the chance, please let your student know that to get their Lancer scarf they first need to get a wristband, which can be exchanged for a scarf at the sports complex. Wristbands will be distributed on Aug. 25: New students can get theirs from noon-3 p.m. in front of Lankford Hall; upper-class students can get theirs from 3:15-5:30 p.m. in front of Greenwood Library.

Family Weekend

Also, leaving your student at college for the first time—or even for the last time—can be an adjustment. So mark your calendars for Family Weekend, Sept. 15-16. This is a perfect reason for you to come back to campus—other than just missing your student—to have a few more hours with them and get another hug. Keep an eye on the Longwood website and this blog for more information about registration and planned activities.

Have questions? Get answers here

Finally, if you have questions related to the start of the fall semester (or anything else), send them to questions@longwood.edu and someone will get back to you.

—Sabrina Brown