Now that Governor Wolf has listed Lawrence County as a yellow zone, we are prepared to roll out a highly controlled move out process. Below is information regarding this process. Questions should be directed to residencelife@westminster.edu
Move out will begin Wednesday, May 13 and is tentatively scheduled for the month of May. Students MUST make an appointment as only 5 students per building will be permitted to move out at one time. Students living in traditional halls will have 4 hours appointments for move out; Berlin Village residents will have 6-hour slots. Those slots are as follows:
In compliance with social distancing practices that diminishes the spread of COVID-19, please follow these instructions:
If you or anyone in your household is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, DO NOT return to campus to check out. Contact residencelife@westminster.edu for alternate options.
Please be aware, volunteers to help carry items, handcarts, and dollies will not be available. You should plan to arrive with any supplies such as:
Keys: If you left your key at home, you can return the key by mailing it to Student Affairs at this address: Student Affairs 319 South Market Street New Wilmington, PA 16172 Please e-mail: residencelife@westminster.edu with Key Mailed in the subject line. Be sure to tape the key to the inside of your envelope, use a padded envelope or wrap the key in paper. Please do so within 14 days of departure.
If you have a need that differs from any of the above options, email residencelife@westminster.edu with your detailed situation and request.
Please check your campus mailbox before you officially leave. Any USPS 1st class mail delivered to campus will be forwarded to your permanent address at no cost. Mail cannot be forwarded to international addresses. For any packages delivered by carriers other than USPS, please contact Carmelina shockec@westminster.edu for assistance with this process. The mailroom will be open Monday – Friday 10a – 6p.
We know that many of our students and their families have been impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. But we want you to know that we are passionate about keeping all our students on their paths to graduation. To that end, more than 600 Westminster College alumni, friends, and employees donated to a special effort to provide additional funding to students whose families’ incomes were impacted by COVID-19, along with generous support from the May Emma Hoyt Foundation. To date, over $1 million has been committed to our ‘Bring Back the Titans’ campaign.
If you are a returning student whose financial circumstances have been altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is help available. You may apply for additional financial aid for the coming academic year. Please complete the Special Circumstances Financial Appeal form as soon as possible and provide the relevant documentation so that your request can be considered. We want to help bring our Titans back!
Please Note: While the Bring Back the Titans campaign is for our returning students, we know that some of our new students--those who plan to begin their Westminster educations in the fall of 2020--have also been financially affected by the pandemic. If you are an incoming student whose financial situation has recently changed due to COVID-19, you are also strongly encouraged to complete the Special Circumstances Financial Appeal form and to provide the relevant documentation so we can review your financial aid offer.
CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund ReportingPlease see the grading policy below that is now in effect for spring 2020 courses. You should read the entire page carefully so that you can make the best decisions for your situation.
Please know that our faculty, staff, and administration care deeply about your overall well-being, and want you to be successful. We know that this is a difficult time for many due to circumstances out of our control. I think that if you had heard the thoughtful and caring discussions among our faculty that led to this policy, it would have reinforced your pride in the Westminster community.
We do not anticipate that opting into the alternative grading system will disrupt financial aid offers, but if you have any questions about that, then feel free to contact Financial Aid at finaid@westminster.edu.
Spring 2020 Grading Policy
Changes to our normal routines and the uncertainty of what lies ahead with the current COVID-19 pandemic can cause stress and anxiety. While students are away from campus due to the coronavirus response plan, the Wellness Center will offer remote services for students. Please contact the Wellness Center at 724-946-7927 to learn more about remote services. If you experience a mental health crisis or emergency while away from campus, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Community Resources & Support for Students at Home
Please use the following steps to create and attend an online tutoring or academic coaching appointment:
Tutoring sessions will remain 45 minutes long. You must schedule an appointment at least 12 hours in advance. Please have a plan for what work or material you’d like to cover during the session.
Group sessions can be scheduled; you should indicate the names of the students who should be included in the session on the “notes” section of the booking page. Zoom limits group meetings with 3 or more people to 40 minutes long.
Disability Resources will continue to provide support to students and faculty as we move to an online format. The office continues its work to remove barriers for students both on campus and in online courses. Students can reach Faith Craig at 724-946-7192 or at craigfa@westminster.edu with any concerns.
The LIS Help Desk hours will be:
Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
*If you wish to submit a work order please email helpdesk@westminster.edu or login to our user portal https://support.westminster.edu. In the unlikely event that you are unable to access the portal or send us an email, we will make every effort to answer your call at 724-946-6000.
Microsoft Office Download Information
Due to the new restrictions mandated by the state, the library will be closed starting March 17 at 4:30 p.m.
Public Safety continues to be scheduled around the clock. Contact them at (724) 946-7777.
All public events scheduled on campus are being cancelled or postponed.
The events listed below will be offered online only.
Department of Labor Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Official Westminster Virtual Backgrounds
College employees are to continue to work from home until further notice. You will be official notified by the College when Governor Wolf's mandate is lifted and can safely return to work.
Has a personal machine at home and is willing to use it for work. IMPORTANT...we are not requiring anyone to use their personal computer for their Westminster work.
Description: Uses Microsoft Office products, accesses my.westminster.edu, email, Internet, and Westminster cloud-based resources like D2L, occasional need to access network drives (P:, V:, N)
Using a College-owned machine with VPN access
Description: Uses Microsoft Office products, accesses my.westminster.edu, email, Internet, and Westminster cloud-based resources like D2L, and needs continual access to network drives (P:, V:, N)
Heavy EX users
Description: EX client users that are using EX all day
Available Technology Resources
LIS Help is still the main contact if you have any issues. Email helpdesk@westminster.edu or open a ticket at support.westminster.edu
For those covered by the College’s UPMC Health Plan, all co-pay, coinsurance and deductible expenses associated with COVID-19 testing have been waived.
For the next 90 days (March 11, 2020 – June 11, 2020), UPMC Health Plan will waive all UPMC Health Plan member cost-sharing, including deductibles or co-payments for AnywhereCare visits.
Students have the right to express themselves and participate freely in online class sessions. However, they are expected to treat each other and the instructor with courtesy and respect. Offensive or inappropriate language is not to be used in any form of communication e.g., emails, discussion postings, group projects, submitted assignments. Students are allowed to disagree with each other or the instructor, but must do so in a civil and appropriate manner.
Some instructors may use the discussion area of D2L or other platforms, and that discussion area is reserved for postings related to course work only. Postings of a personal or nonacademic nature are not permitted and may be removed by the instructor. Grades and personal issues should be handled by private email to the instructor.
Students are expected to submit work which is their own, following Westminster College’s academic integrity policy. Plagiarism or cheating will not be tolerated for any assignment or assessment, and violations will be sanctioned. Students may view the College’s policy in either the Undergraduate Catalog or the Student Handbook.
Students are expected to attend online sessions just as if they were on campus. Instructors are able to track your activities on D2L, and you will be expected to log in to your course regularly to remain current with the course material and assignments. Attendance in online classes is defined by federal regulation on distance learning as the active participation in an online discussion forum, digital submission of a writing assignment, or a completion of a quiz/test/exam.