MyLU Insider

Megan Scott

Author: Megan Scott

Update on Print Services

Print Services will be closed until July 7.

If you have print or copy projects that do not require design services, such as letters or manuals, please submit the job as normal through the print services form. If you have any questions about your job, contact the Helpdesk at Helpdesk@lawrence.edu. 

If you need design or other assistance from the Office of Communications, please continue to submit your request through the project initiation form. Please also allow for at least an additional three days of turn-around time on projects due to potential changes in the printing process.

Thank you for your assistance and patience. 

Take the Be Safe Wisconsin Pledge

Be Safe Wisconsin Partner

To highlight Lawrence’s commitment to helping mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the University has joined the Be Safe Wisconsin initiative.

This group of regional organizations, including Thedacare, Ascension, Fox Valley Technical College, United Way Fox Cities, Feeding America, and others, is dedicated to amplifying the importance of a sustained commitment to safe behaviors to fight this virus. Behaviors include:

  • Staying home as much as possible and practicing good hygiene, including hand washing and sanitizing.
  • Avoiding touching your face.
  • Disinfecting frequently used items and surfaces, including mobile devices.
  • Remaining 6 feet apart from others and wearing a mask or face covering if you must absolutely go out.

One of the easiest ways you can support this initiative it to take the Be Safe Wisconsin pledge to show your family, friends and neighbors that you are committed to helping the fight against COVID-19.

Visit the Be Safe Wisconsin website to learn more about the organization, explore resources, and pledge to be a leader in the fight against COVID-19. 

Update on Registration for Academic Year 20-21

Advance Registration for returning BA, BMus, BMA, and five-year BA/BMus begins next week. Returning students will be able to add 2020-21 Fall, Winter, and Spring Term classes using the following schedule:

Group 1: May 4 at 8:00 a.m. through July 1 at 5:00 p.m.
Group 2: May 5 at 8:00 a.m. through July 1 at 5:00 p.m.
Group 3: May 6 at 8:00 a.m. through July 1 at 5:00 p.m.
Group 4: May 7 at 8:00 a.m. through July 1 at 5:00 p.m.
Group 5: May 8 at 8:00 a.m. through July 1 at 5:00 p.m. 

Students can view their registration time in Voyager. Advisor holds have recently been applied for academic year 2020-21. Students will want to contact their academic advisor regarding their schedule for next fall, winter, and spring. The advisor will then be able to remove the hold. Students should check their holds in Voyager prior to their assigned registration time.

More information is available on the Registrar’s web page.

Physical Distancing is Working

Dear Lawrentians, 

More than a month since Lawrence announced it was moving to remote learning and nearly three weeks into this unprecedented spring term, we write today to share some good news: our efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are working!  

Thanks to Wisconsin’s Safer at Home order and our individual commitments to physical distancing, our state has seen a decrease in the exponential growth in the number of COVID-19 cases since the order was put into place on March 25. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), the rate of infections doubling moved from 3.4 days in early March to approximately 12 days at this time. In addition, the model created by the DHS projected Wisconsin having between 440 and 1,500 deaths from the 22,000 COVID-19 infections by April 8. As of April 21, 242 individuals have passed away in our state. Every death from this virus is one too many, but our efforts to flatten the curve through physical distancing shows that at least 200 lives, and perhaps as many as 1,400 lives, have been saved. 

Thanks to this news, Governor Evers announced on Monday a plan to safely reopen Wisconsin. Called Badger Bounce Back, the plan outlines a phased reopening of our state, guided by data and an ongoing commitment to continue to limit physical contact between people. As the new plan states, “the challenge is that all of us who have remained safe at home can still become ill if we move too quickly or act without an achievable plan in place.” It is imperative that we continue our collective work to flatten the curve.  

To highlight Lawrence’s commitment to helping mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the University has joined the Be Safe Wisconsin initiative. This group of regional organizations, including Thedacare, Ascension, United Way Fox Cities, Feeding America, and others, is dedicated to amplifying the importance of a sustained commitment to safe behaviors to fight this virus. Visit the Be Safe Wisconsin website to learn more about the organization, explore resources, and pledge to be a leader in the fight against COVID-19. 

As there are no medications or vaccines to protect us from COVID-19 yet, please continue to: 

  • Maintain at least six feet between you and another individual.
  • All individuals working at Lawrence campus are required to wear masks when they are outside or in public areas. If you need a mask please contact your supervisor.
  • Avoid public transportation whenever possible.
  • Limit non-essential travel.
  • Limit social gatherings and avoid crowded venues.
  • Practice good hygiene, disinfect surfaces you touch, and avoid touching your face. 

All of these actions are necessary to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Please also stay in touch over the phone with your family, friends, and fellow Lawrentians as much as possible. Contact us in Wellness Services, reach out to your personal physicians, or take advantage of the employee EAP benefit program if you need any physical or mental health support. More resources are available on the COVID-19 News blog. Please also continue to read the LU Insider, follow Lawrence’s social media channels, and take advantage of community outreach efforts when possible. 

Again, thank you all for your support, resilience, and patience as we weather this unprecedented global emergency. Continue to take care of yourselves and each other.  

Sincerely,
Rich & Jill 

Richard L. Jazdzewski, Psy.D., LP
Associate Dean for Wellness Services 

Jillian Drier
Director of Health Services
Campus Nurse

Zoom Security Tips

Zoom has seen an incredible surge in use these last few week, and, in most areas, has really been able to shine. For example, Zoom currently hosts more than 10,000 concurrent meetings/classes at a time, which is thousands more than just a few weeks ago. Unfortunately,  Zoom has not fared as well in other areas, particularly on the security front. Zoom has worked to correct, mitigate and provide options to improve their system, and it remains, by a wide margin, the best web conference solution available.  

While Zoom continues to improve its system, you can help make your classes and meetings more secure by following these tips: 

https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/03/27/best-practices-for-securing-your-virtual-classroom/ 

If you run into any issues, the Helpdesk and Instructional Technology team are here to help.  Please contact us 920-832-6570 or at helpdesk@lawrence.edu  with any questions or concerns. 

Registrar’s Office Update: New Online, Interactive Forms

The following forms from the Registrar’s Office have been converted to online interactive forms:      

These forms can be found on the Registrar’s Form page at https://www.lawrence.edu/s/registrar/forms.  

Note regarding Overloads

The Overload Form was not converted and is only available as a PDF.  If you need to overload in spring term, you will need to complete the PDF and email it your advisor for approval. Your advisor will then email approval and the completed form to the Registrar’s office. 

Mail Services Forwarding Information

Mail Forwarding
For students residing off-campus during spring term, please remember to have your mail sent to the address at which you will be residing. 

Students living off campus, but not at the address they have listed on their Voyager account, can have mail forwarded to a new address by contacting Mail.Services@Lawrence.Edu.  

The mail room window is currently open Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Information on the 2020 Census and April Primary

This spring brings with it two important moments in civic life: the 2020 Census and Wisconsin’s April 7 Primary Election. The disruptions to our daily lives brought by local, state, and national efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19 have also led to many questions regarding these upcoming events. Below is the most recent information and guidance available to us:

2020 Census
Lawrence University is in contact with the US Census Bureau on how to administer the Census for students given. Please note that if campus would ordinarily be your primary residence during the academic year, you should be counted as a resident on campus in Appleton. Do not fill out the Census at your home address. Lawrence University will be in contact with you regarding the Census as soon as possible. In the meantime, questions can be directed to Christyn Abaray (christyn.abaray@lawrence.edu).

April Primary Election
Many Lawrence students have a right to participate in the Wisconsin Spring Primary due to their status as residents of Appleton. Lawrence University is in contact with the City of Appleton Clerk’s office to determine how Lawrentians will participate in the upcoming election. Even as we work to sort out the details with Appleton, please feel free to attempt to request an absentee ballot via myvote.wi.gov.

You will need to enter the physical address of your assigned campus residence at the time you registered to vote.  You may be asked to upload a photo of your driver’s license or other voter ID. (For questions about an LU voter ID, send an email to idoffice@lawrence.edu.) 

Lawrence will continue to work with the U.S. Census Bureau and the City of Appleton’s Clerk’s office regarding the census and April’s primary. Please stay tuned to the LU Insider for more information.

Spring Term 2020 Calendar Update

The Registrar’s office has updated the academic calendar to account for the later start of the Spring 2020 term: 

https://www.lawrence.edu/s/registrar/calendar/cal1920. 

Note that the reading period remains the same as in the original calendar (May 7-10), which means that it will be taking place at the end of week 5.  We will be counting weeks as usual, so the week of April 6 will be “Week One” of a nine-week term.   

Helping the Vetinde Family

Dear friends and colleagues, 

Thank you to everyone who was a part of the memorial events for Lifongo Vetinde this past weekend. 

I am writing to the campus community to share the link to a “go-fund-me” site that has been set up to support the cost of returning Lifongo’s body to Cameroon for burial.  All funds generated through the site will go directly to the family to help with the expenses.  This effort is coming from some of us whose lives have been enriched by his life among us.  This is an informational message for the whole community and has no sense of expectation attached to it. 

Warmly, 
Linda Morgan-Clement
Dominica Chang
Eilene Hoft- March