Students Resources

• The dining team is working under extraordinary circumstances to adapt to the ever-changing conditions presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The dining program for Spring 2021 has been developed with the primary objective of meeting the needs of the health & safety of Muhlenberg students and the campus community.  This has created modifications to the program, meal plans and hours of operation in an effort to meet current guidelines and to maintain safe social distancing guidelines given the anticipated volume of customers this semester. For more information please visit Muhlenberg Dining.
• Student organizations are highly discouraged from hosting any in-person meetings and should consider using Zoom for their meetings whenever possible. Student organization events may be scheduled in consultation with the Office of Student Organizations, Leadership & Engagement, when deemed appropriate. Please use the Event Evaluation Guide to determine if your meeting or event can be scheduled. Student performance organizations will not be permitted to rehearse or perform in groups on or off campus, per the Singing Policy. Finally, please note that many meeting and event spaces have been repurposed for informal gathering and dining space. These spaces are no longer available to be scheduled for events. A phased approach for student organization involvement will be announced in early February 2021.
• Seegers Union hours of operation and meeting and event spaces will be modified to minimize risk and create adequate informal gathering space for the campus. For updates on these modifications, please visit Seegers Union and Physical Distancing Measures for Spring 2021.
• Single rooms within the residence halls will be very limited on campus.

Important Dates: Winter and Spring Terms

Winter Term can be found here: https://www.muhlenberg.edu/newsevents/calendar/winter2021/

Spring Term can be found here: https://www.muhlenberg.edu/newsevents/calendar/spring2021/

Registration Dates: 

• Wed., Nov 18 - Class of 2021 registers
• Fri., Nov 20 - Class of 2022 registers
• Tues., Dec 1 - Class of 2023 registers
• Fri., Dec 4 - Class of 2024 registers
• Mon., Dec 7 - Open registration, drop/add for all students begins

Registration for Winter and Spring Terms

1. Drop/Add and Winter and Spring Terms will take place through Capstone for continuing students.  First-year students will use the Add/Drop form for First Year students to register for winter.  This form is available on the menu page of Capstone Online.
2. To add a Winter Term course students must select the Winter Term from the drop-down menu when they register. 
3. A normal course load for students at Muhlenberg College is 4 courses per semester; however, we recognize that we may have to move our courses fully online before the semester ends. In contrast to our normal course load’, best practice in online/remote pedagogy recommends that students enroll in no more than 3 courses. With this disconnect in mind, we recommend that students consider the following questions before they enroll in more than 3 spring courses:
   1. Are students on track to graduate if they take 3 credits in Spring 2021?
   2. Might you be interested in taking a summer term course?
   3. How did you perform academically this fall?
4. Students may enroll in up to 5.5 units in the spring (not recommended).
5. Students will only be able to register for 4.5 units on their assigned registration day. Open registration begins on Monday, December 7 at 8:30 a.m. At that time, students may enroll in up to 5.5 units (not recommended).
6. At this time, the Academic Policy Committee is not changing the withdrawal deadline or the
   pass/fail policy for the Spring 2021 semester.
7. If a course is listed on Capstone as in-person, students who choose to remain remote will still be able to register for these courses. Questions about dance technique course registration should be referred to course instructors or Jeffrey Peterson for more information. Students should closely look at course descriptions on Capstone for modality and students should contact instructors directly with any questions.

• All students are guaranteed housing for the Spring 2021 semester. You must complete the Spring 2021 Housing and Dining Registration Form by Tuesday, December 1st.
• Students who were approved for the Special Housing Process and selected housing through that process will have their approved accommodations met, but they may not be the same room that was originally selected.
• At this time, your responses will serve as final notification to the College regarding your Spring 2021 semester housing status. While we understand that circumstances may change, changes to this form after the December 1st deadline may impact what housing options are available to you, and the timeliness in which you will receive an updated housing bill. If you are not positive that you will be on campus or remote for the Spring 2021 semester, you will allow yourself more options if you select housing in the registration form. If you change your mind before the first day of classes, you would not be billed for housing or your meal plan.
• If you change your mind after filling out the form that you wanted to be on campus but now will be remote, this decision has to be made before the first day of classes for the spring semester in order to receive a correct updated bill.
• Spring move-in will take place over a multi-day period with shifts during the end of the first week of February that students will be able to sign up for. There will be more information shared in the upcoming weeks about this process. As you consider what to bring with you for the spring, please keep in mind that you should pack lightly.
• Fraternity and Sorority Houses will be used Spring 2021. House Managers will need to email an updated roster to housing@muhlenberg.edu by Friday, December 4, 2020.
• If you are currently living in the Lehigh Valley but did not receive approval from the College, you are not required to break your lease to live on campus this spring. However, you must notify HRL so that we can maintain accurate records.

Seniors (2021 class year)

• If you were not scheduled to live in 2201 Chew Street or Taylor Hall, your assignment will be what was originally scheduled for the Fall 2020 semester.
  • If a roommate/suitemate/apartmentmate is no longer coming to campus housing, the remaining roommates/suitemates/apartmentmates will be given 48 hours after HRL sends them an email to notify them that they have a vacancy to request someone to fill the remaining space. After that, the space will be offered to students who are no longer able to live in their previously selected assignments.
  • Seniors interested in changing their original housing assignment will have the opportunity to sign up for a waitlist to look at other options on campus. Please note, based on availability we cannot guarantee that every new preference will be able to be accommodated.
• If you were originally scheduled for 2201 Chew or Taylor Hall, HRL will be contacting you to discuss your preferences and finalize your housing assignments. All seniors will be able to select housing before the Sophomores and Juniors are re-housed. 
• If you are a senior who was scheduled to live with juniors or sophomores, they will still be able to be your roommates/suitemates/apartmentmates.
• Triples will only be assigned in circumstances in which students request one another and space allows.

Juniors (2022 class year)

• You will participate in a housing lottery the week of Monday, December 14th.
• Groups that participated in MILE lottery will still be eligible to select MILE apartments/houses, but there may be a more limited spaces after the additional seniors have selected their housing.
• Before housing selection last spring, we generated a random general lottery number for every student. If you participated in another housing process besides general lottery, you did not receive your lottery number at that time, but if you will be participating in general lottery you will receive that number via Muhlenberg email. 
• Students who transferred to Muhlenberg for Fall 2020 will also receive a randomly generated lottery number.
• Juniors who selected housing with Seniors will still be able to live in those spaces.
• Triples will only be assigned in circumstances in which students request one another and space allows.

Sophomores (2023 class year)

• You will participate in a housing lottery the week of Monday, December 14th.
• Groups that participated in MILE lottery will still be eligible to select MILE apartments/houses, but there may be more limited spaces after the additional seniors have selected their housing.
• Before housing selection last spring, we generated a random general lottery number for every student. If you participated in another housing process besides the general lottery, you did not receive your lottery number at that time, but if you will be participating in the general lottery you will receive that number via Muhlenberg email. 
• Students who transferred to Muhlenberg for Fall 2020 will also receive a randomly generated lottery number.
• Sophomores who selected housing with Seniors will still be able to live in those spaces.
• Triples will only be assigned in circumstances in which students request one another and space allows.

First Years (2024 class year)

• You will be notified of your spring housing assignment by Friday, January 8th.
• There is an extremely high chance that you will be placed into a double in Prosser, Walz, or Brown Hall (for female identifying students only). Singles will be very limited.
• We will be able to honor roommate requests as long as both students request one another on the Spring 2021 Housing and Dining Registration Form.
• Triples will only be assigned in circumstances in which students request one another and space allows.

In the event that the pandemic causes the College to vacate the campus, the following refund policy has been put in place. Room and board refunds are calculated for each student based on the amount of grants and scholarships (“gift aid”) they received from all sources. Grants and scholarships  include but are not limited to all sources including institutional, state, federal, tuition benefits, veteran benefits, and outside sources (church, civic organizations, etc.).  Merit and talent based scholarships are included. The initial calculation begins with a refund based on unused meal plan swipes and dining dollars plus the number of days of room charges not able to be utilized and is modified by the amount of grant aid, if any, received.

This approach prorates each refund based on financial aid grants awarded by the College or government sources. Underlying this approach is that each payment from a student and family is spread over all of the charges for a semester, as are student grants. In reversing this process—refunding money for unused housing and meal plan—we returned the share the student and family paid from their own resources, including loans.

Example of a student living on campus if the College moves to remote learning halfway through the on campus portion of the semester.  This calculation would change if there is more or less than half of the semester remaining :

Room charge for semester: $3,415

50% of semester’s room charge: $1,708

Total charges for the semester: $33,513

Grant aid student received for semester from all sources: $25,202

Student payment and loans: $8,311 (24.8% of the semester bill)

Credit refund for housing to the student:

$1,708 room charge x .248 = $424 returned to student

Example of a student subscribed to a Gold meal plan (Muhlenberg’s most common meal plan):

Board charge for semester: $2,798

Dining Dollars already spent: $250 of $400 Dining Dollars (leaving $150 unused)

Swipes already used: 92 of 210 swipes (leaving 118 swipes, or 56.2%, unused)

Unused Dining Dollars: $150

Unused swipe value: $1,348 ($2,398 x .562)

Total unused meal plan value: $1,498

Total charges for the semester: $33,513

Grant aid student received for semester from all sources: $25,202

Student payment and loans: $8,311 (24.8% of the semester bill)

Credit refund for housing to the student:

$1,498 unused meal plan value x .248% = $372 returned to student

The Dean of Students Office will host webinars to help students prepare for their return to campus or to continue with remote study for the spring semester. These webinars will be held on:

• Tuesday, January 26
  • 6:00 - 7:00 p.m EST: Residential on-campus, off-campus and commuter students
  • 7:15 - 8:15 p.m. EST: Remote students

Zoom information has been emailed directly to students and families.

Due to the pandemic and our need to keep the community healthy and safe, we take our COVID-19 Policy incredibly seriously. While more specific information will be forthcoming, you can anticipate a phased approach to the visitor policy in which there will be restrictions regarding who is permitted in your room, and respective building, apartment or house. More specific details will be shared this week regarding the COVID-19 Phased Approach to the Visitor Policy.

Students who are found in violation of the COVID-19 Policy will be held accountable through our Student Conduct system. Violations of this Code can jeopardize your standing at the College. 

Because the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to evolve rapidly, our testing strategy will be adaptable to the situation. The College plans to employ a four-pronged approach to testing:

• Pre-Arrival Testing: Students are required to undergo COVID-19 testing 72 hours prior to arrival on campus for the spring term. Muhlenberg College will partner with a testing company to provide students with an at-home COVID-19 test to complete in advance of their arrival to campus.
  
  
• Ongoing Surveillance Testing of Asymptomatic Individuals (as available): As many college-aged students can be asymptomatic carriers of the virus, the College will provide testing for COVID-19 on a regular ongoing basis as often as weekly during the spring 2021 semester. The College will be mindful of the use of testing and other medical resources (e.g., PPE) appropriately to ensure that we are not contributing to a greater scarcity of resources in our larger community.
  
  The College will be placing students in testing groups using a risk stratification rubric and groups will be tested weekly or bi-weekly accordingly. In addition, as conditions evolve and based on higher and lower risk times during the semester, all students may be tested weekly during specific periods of higher concern for virus transmission.
  
  
• Symptomatic Testing: Students who have symptoms will be tested for the virus, with appropriate follow-up afterward.
  
  
• Post-Exposure Testing: The College will test individuals who are deemed to be “close contacts” of someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Transition to In-person Learning and Residential Living
February 1 - 14

The College will begin the semester at COVID-19 Alert Level 3 - High Alert.

Why will the College begin at this alert level, especially since we will participate in student pre-arrival testing?

Students will complete pre-arrival testing before traveling to Muhlenberg College between February 1 and February 5. The goal of this testing is to prevent students who have the virus from traveling to campus and moving into congregate living situations until they have completed isolation and are no longer contagious. 

After receiving negative pre-arrival test results, students will travel to campus and move in with assistance from family or friends. Because both travel and exposure to others during the move-in process may result in an increased risk of exposure, all students will enter a transitional, modified quarantine period. Muhlenberg’s on-campus testing of all students will begin on February 8. The initial quarantine period—which will run through February 14—will allow us to move students into the College safely, provide time for students to acclimate to new policies, procedures and protocols, and for initial test results to be gathered and analyzed so that they can serve as initial baseline data for the semester.

In the sections below, you will find information about what to expect while the College is operating under a Level 3 - High Alert:

Level 3 High Alert indicates:

Students, faculty and staff should:

• Limit everyday activities to increase safety;
• Order meals-to-go;
• Limit any unnecessary in-person contact with others;
• Begin self-monitoring for symptoms twice daily.

The College will:

• Allow in-person courses to move to remote instruction at the discretion of the faculty member;
• Limit all in-person activities/programs/services including dining;
• Actively seek the guidance of local health authorities to guide future decisions;
• Restrict access to on-campus facilities;
• Restrict all visitor policies;
• Continue to consult frequently with local health officials.

Given this initial alert level and out of an abundance of caution, the College will begin the semester using a transitional, modified quarantine from the date of a student’s arrival through February 14.  

The transitional modified quarantine will include the following guidelines and restrictions in addition to the items listed above:

• Students will be allowed to walk around and hang out outside in groups of 4 or less.
• Students will be able to access Seegers Union for the following purposes:
• Meal Service at GQ, Java Joe, WDC to GO and the Wood Dining Commons for through the line, take-out only.
• MULE Community Cabinet
• ’Berg Bookshop
• Replacement ID Cards
• Students living ON-CAMPUS can reserve academic spaces for studying/participating in class through IMLeagues.
• Students can sign up to go to the Life Sports Center, however, the capacity of the LSC will be reduced during this period of time. 
• Students may use the library to get materials or to study.
• Off-campus students can come onto campus for class, Life Sports Center reservations, grab-and-go dining and to use the library.  
• On-campus students can go off campus for essential purposes only. These includes:
  • shopping: pharmacy and immediate grocery or personal items;
  • medical appointments;
  • employment;
  • academic requirements.
• Student-athletes: Athletics will be in PHASE 1 of the College’s “Return to Play” guidelines for Spring athletes only and only for outdoor strength and conditioning activities.
• We will begin with the phased approach to the Visitor Policy in the residence halls with Phase One during this transitional period. Please see page 12 of the COVID-19 policy for more detailed information. You will find a brief summary below:

Suites, apartments/houses and fraternity & sorority houses: No visitors permitted.

Traditional halls:

• The capacity of any single room in a traditional hall is two students from the same family unit at any time (*see full policy for the definition of “family unit”).
• The capacity of any double in a traditional hall is three students from the same family unit at any time. Students are permitted to have a maximum of two visitors in a room from a family unit in addition to a resident of the room if a roommate is not present.
• The capacity of any triple in a traditional hall is three students from the same family unit at any time. Students are permitted to have a maximum of two visitors in a room from a family unit in addition to a resident of the room if two roommates are not present. 
• Public lounge use permitted with face masks, social distancing and adherence to the occupancy limit posted in the lounge; occupants must be residents of the specific residence hall.
• No use of public kitchens.

The faculty and staff are currently working on revising the Fall 2020 schedule to accommodate our present health situation and course needs. In addition, we are creating a new Winter Term which will be explained further below. Beginning on Tuesday, July 21, you will have the opportunity to view both Fall and Winter schedules and make plans for your upcoming courses.

This website contains some important information to help you navigate this process.                                                   

Since the times for some of our fall classes have changed, you will want to carefully review your current courses. A few classes have been canceled and removed from your schedule. As you look at the course schedule you will see a Note attached to each course indicating whether or not the course will be offered in person, will be a hybrid course, or totally online. Use the information on times and the way the course will be offered to help you inform your choices.

In-person courses will require all students and instructors to follow our social distancing guidelines and may be taught in a variety of campus spaces, some typically used for non-academic purposes. You may also be taking classes outside as weather permits or at a different time than previously scheduled. 

Online courses may be synchronous, where learning is happening in real-time, or asynchronous, using digital technology in a variety of ways to engage students with course materials and each other. Hybrid courses typically provide a mix of in-person and online learning opportunities. Within the hybrid model, some instructors may choose to schedule frequent meetings with students in person but also utilize discussion boards or blogs for deeper class interactions. Other hybrid courses may rely more on digital learning tools and have fewer real-time interactions. This summer, the college has invested resources so that our faculty could enhance their digital learning skills in order to ensure that course learning goals are reached regardless of the teaching modality utilized.  

While it is our hope that we will remain on campus, as planned, until November 20th, we recognize that we may have to move all our courses fully online before the semester ends. With this in mind and the recognition of best practice in online/remote pedagogy, we are recommending that students enroll in no more than 3 courses.

We do understand, however, that some students may need to take more than 3 courses to stay on track, so we created a Winter term. Students will be able to register for 1 course in the Winter term. The courses will be available for your review on July 21. You just need to choose the Winter Term in the semester drop-down box. If you are registered for 3 to 4.5 course units in the fall semester, there will be no additional tuition cost for the Winter Term course.

Students may want to connect with their academic advisor(s) before they decide to change their schedule. While it is not necessary for you to change any of your courses, it is likely that you will want to make changes. In addition, you may want to add a winter term course. It is important that you plan wisely. 

Consider the following questions as you review your existing fall schedule and consider utilizing the drop/add process:

• Are all of my fall courses still being offered and if so, have the times of these courses changed? In order to accommodate physical distancing, some courses needed to be moved to different days and/or times. Additionally, faculty may have moved a course to the Winter term or canceled the course until a later semester.
• Am I on track to graduate if I take 3 credits in Fall 2020? 32 course units are needed to graduate.
• Am I interested in taking a Winter term course? (hence allowing me to roster only 3 credits in the Fall). See the schedule and more information in the next section. The Winter term is an intensive four-week online course.
• How did I perform academically in the spring once courses moved online? Students should consider some of the challenges they faced once they moved home that impacted their academic success and if those challenges are still a concern if they have to return to online learning.

Important Fall Planning Dates:

• July 21-24: Advising of returning students as needed
• July 27: Seniors drop/add date (A-K at 8:30; L-Z at 10:30 a.m.)
• July 29: Juniors drop/add (L-Z at 8:30; A-K at 10:30 a.m.)
• July 31: Sophomores drop/add (A-K at 8:30; L-Z at 10:30 a.m.)
• August 22 - 23: First-year student drop/add

Drop/Add Process and Additional Information for Fall and Winter Term:

1. Drop/Add and Winter Term registration for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors will take place through Capstone. First year students will be placed into courses by the Registrar’s Office and will drop/add during Orientation.
2. To add a Winter Term course students must select the Winter Term from the drop down menu when they register. Select Fall Semester if they drop/add a fall course.
3. Students must be enrolled in 3 or more courses to maintain their full time status, receive financial aid and live on campus at Muhlenberg. Students cannot register for 2 courses in the Fall Semester and one in the Winter Term and still be considered full time. They must register for a minimum of 3 courses in the Fall Semester. Note: if a student withdraws from a course after the drop period, they will still be considered full time if they only remain in 2 courses. However, in this case, we recommend that they take a Winter Term course to make up the credit, if possible.
4. A normal course load for students at Muhlenberg College is 4 courses per semester. Students may enroll in up to 5.5 units in the fall (not recommended) but if they choose this option they cannot take a Winter Term course.
5. Winter Term: students may only enroll in one course unit for the Winter 2021 term (i.e., that may be satisfied by one 1-credit course or two 0.5-credit courses). All courses will be taught online. These courses will be 19 days of intense study and independent and/or group work. Students should understand that a Winter Term course will demand their full time and attention over the 19 days. The Spring semester will start one week after the Winter Term ends, on Monday, February 8, giving students (and faculty) little down time before the new semester begins. Any incomplete courses from the fall will also have to be completed during the Winter term.
6. At this time, the Academic Policy Committee is not changing the withdrawal deadline or the pass/fail policy for the Fall 2020 semester. Should Muhlenberg move to remote teaching for Fall 2020, APC will again revisit both the withdrawal deadline and the pass/fail policy & solicit faculty input about the possibility of modifying both, as we did in Spring 2020.
7. Students cannot register for an Independent Study during the Winter Term. Students may be able to register for an internship credit but the faculty advisor should contact Michele Deegan, dean of academic life, to discuss this option.

The Lehigh Valley Association of Independent College (LVAIC) has shared additional resources with member institutions to support student needs during this time. Information about free WiFi and data plans, low-cost computers and laptops, mobile plans, storage, car rentals and more can be found here.

We understand that COVID-19 may have been disruptive to your daily life and may have also created additional financial burdens. If you are in need of financial assistance to support you during this transition, including funds for internet access, computer and technology equipment, travel expenses and emergency funds for groceries and other essentials, please complete this form for emergency grants and we may be able to assist in funding your need.

If your concern is related to internet access, we suggest you contact your local provider and identify yourself as a college student. Many providers are offering discounts or free services to students. If they do not, please have them provide you a quote for set up and service and include this cost information in your grant request. In the short term, if you have a cell phone, you can utilize it as a mobile hotspot for internet service.  

All programs abroad for Fall 2020 have been deferred until spring and fall of 2021.

If you experience an emergency, please call Campus Safety at 484-664-3110 if you are on campus or call 911 if you are away from campus.

IMPORTANT: If you are feeling sick, the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your community is to stay home and contact your healthcare provider. If you are on campus this summer, please contact Health Services (484-664-3199).

Counseling Services has moved to an emergency consultation model of care and will continue to provide services remotely for consultations and urgent concerns, including on-call counseling after hours. Click here for more information and or to schedule a consultation.

All campus buildings are currently closed to the public.  Limited card access will be available to students approved to remain on campus. 

For students who remain on campus, please be advised that all campus buildings have been closed, except Seegers Union. Seegers Union, the Wood Dining Commons (for take-out only) and the M.U.L.E. Community Cabinet remain open during the following times:

Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday - Sunday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

If you are in need of additional meal swipes, please contact the Dean of Students Office at DeanOfStudents@muhlenberg.edu.   

Students who were not approved for access to campus facilities may not return to campus. If a student has left an essential item (i.e.medication, academic textbook, etc.), please email housing@muhlenberg.edu and we will make our best effort to mail it to you. For all other items, we ask for your patience in waiting until campus is reopened to all students.  

The Student Help Desk will be available during normal summer office hours, Mon.- Fri. 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. 

How do I get help?

• Initiate a support request online
• Click on the IT Support Portal tile in the OneLogin application portal
• Click on Service Catalog
• Report an Issue
• Once an incident has been created, you may check the status by clicking on "My Items"
• Call us at 484-664-3566
• If the support team member is on the line you will be put into a queue. You may choose to leave a detailed message at any time and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

• Email us at helpdesk@muhlenberg.edu

• Report an Issue (no login required) (e.g., unable to login to account, forgot password)

• Please include your name and preferred contact information in the anonymous form, as your login information is not passed for follow-up. 

Supervisors of student employees may determine whether or not it is appropriate for students to work remotely and make appropriate arrangements in partnership with their student employees. A new process for logging student hours for remote work has been implemented.  Please speak with your supervisor for these details.

While first-hand experiences are limited at the moment, we invite you to join us for these new virtual events sponsored by the Office of Student Engagement. We will continue to share the most up-to-date information about Student Activities through our Instagram and Facebook pages. Some of these events include trivia contests, movie watch parties, photo contests, gaming contests, open mic nights and more. Check back often for updates and join us!

Students

The Mailroom lobby is currently closed. The Mailroom is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  Please communicate with staff through email at mailroom@muhlenberg.edu. 

Your packages: If you are on campus for the winter semester and receive a package notification email from the mailroom, please email the mailroom with your Seegers Union mailbox number and a preferred time to pick it up. Once an appointment time is established, Mailroom staff will place your item on the "student pick up table" located outside, on the right side of the mailroom. Please adhere to your appointment time to allow for social distancing. You may drop off packages with pre-paid labels and stamped letter mail at this location as well. If you need to ship items home at the end of the semester, please email for an appointment time.  If you are not on campus currently, it is important to update your current address with your vendors to avoid packages being accidentally shipped to campus.  

Your letter mail: Is delivered Monday-Friday to Seegers Union mailboxes for students living on campus for the winter semester. There is a “US Mail” drop off slot for outgoing stamped letter mail at this location which is emptied at 11 a.m. daily. (Pre-paid outgoing packages must be delivered to the mailroom).

At the conclusion of the fall semester, Mailroom staff began forwarding first-class letter mail to the addresses provided on Capstone for all students that left campus. Mailroom staff will stop forwarding mail two weeks before the start of the spring semester for returning students. If you are not returning in the spring or studying remotely, Mailroom staff will continue to forward your first class mail.

Faculty/Staff

Faculty/Staff

The Mailroom lobby is currently closed. The Mailroom is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. to assist you. Please communicate with staff through email at mailroom@muhlenberg.edu or call 484-664-3162. As of Monday, November 23, staff began holding most departmental mail/packages in the mailroom until someone is on campus to pick it up. There is no rush to pick it up; mail can be held until next semester if needed. Staff have reestablished the mail bins in the Haas rotunda for the same departments that picked up their mail in that location previously at the beginning of the pandemic. If you need a project mailed out, please continue to email to let staff know when to expect it and bring it to the "Outgoing" table located outside, on the side of the Mailroom. Please include a department cost center and name/phone number on projects/mail in case staff have any questions.

At this time, the Life Sports Center and Pool are for use by Muhlenberg College faculty, staff and students only. Guests (including family members) and alumni are not allowed to use the facility until further notice.

General Usage (Not Applicable in Level 3 or 4 COVID Alert)

All faculty, staff, and students must schedule an appointment to enter the weight room, fieldhouse, cardio loft or indoor and outdoor tracks. There will be no outside guests or family memberships to the LSC at this time.

Capacity will be restricted, and pre-registration is required.

A Reservation System is available to students, faculty and staff. The reservation system link will be available on the Muhlenberg College website and the Muhlenberg App.

You will be able to make a reservation starting at 7 a.m., two days prior to the desired date. A waitlist will be maintained for any slots that fill up, and you will receive an email should a spot open up 30 minutes in advance of your start time. Anyone who makes a reservation but does not show up for their session more than three consecutive times will be subject to loss of privileges of the LSC.

LSC Hours

The LSC Hours for January 2021 are Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Prior to the start of the Spring 2021 semester, hours will be redefined.

What to Do Before You Come to the Life Sports Center

Complete the Self-Assessment in the iMuhlenberg mobile app. If you are not feeling well or are experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19, please stay home.

A mask or face covering is required at ALL times when indoors and outdoors, including when using the weight room and cardio equipment.

Participants should bring their own water bottles and the water fountain will be limited to filling water bottles.

What to Do When You Arrive at the Life Sports Center

• Arrive no more than 5 minutes early for your workout time and practice social distancing.
• Your temperature will be taken and you will show the app screen with the green check on the daily symptom checker. Individuals with T≥100.00 (by non-contactless infrared thermometer) will not be permitted to enter the Life Sport Science Center.
• Scan your Muhlenberg ID. No one is permitted to enter without an ID.
• Please note various signage, floor markings and equipment modifications and respect these new measures.
• Use hand sanitizer before entering and after leaving the gym.

The weight room will have individuals entering through the main weight room door and exiting by LSC Café.

Anyone using Scotty Wood Stadium (including track) must enter and exit the stadium through the LSC Café doors. The exterior stadium gates will be locked at ALL times.

Life Sport Center Usage, Equipment and Programs (Not Applicable in Level 3 or 4 COVID Alert)

LSC usage will be limited to cardio equipment, indoor and outdoor track and strength equipment.

• Cardio equipment reservations will be available for use in the cardio deck and in the fieldhouse. Max usage will be 45 minutes. There will be 10 spots per session, per area.
• Strength equipment will be housed in the main weight room and the field house only. Max usage time will be 45 minutes. There will be 10 spots per session, per area. Capacities for each area will be limited to 10 people per session.
• Indoor Track in the fieldhouse will have every other lane available for use to ensure social distancing – limited to 45 minutes. There will be three lanes available per session.
• Outdoor Track in Scotty Wood Stadium will have every other lane available for use to ensure social distancing – limited to 45 minutes. There will be three lanes available per session. You must still enter via the LSC – but you may come and go through the Café doors to access and leave the stadium.

Equipment

There will be no equipment available to check out nor will your personal equipment be permitted in the building

Fitness/Recreation Programs

Group fitness classes (yoga, Zumba, body sculpting) will be offered remotely, with hopefully some outdoor class offerings in an outdoor tent that will be called the Recreation Tent. The reservation system will be utilized for in-person offerings and notification will be sent when available.

The Spin Room will NOT be available for use; however, several spin cycles will be relocated to the field house.

A reservation system will be utilized for ALL in-person offerings.

Alumni Pool/Open Swim

Pool hours are 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Prior to the start of the Spring 2021 semester, hours will be redefined.

Recreation, Intramurals and Club Sports

Open recreation (pick-up basketball), intramural sports (indoor soccer, volleyball and basketball) and club sports (Ultimate Frisbee) are considered high contact sports and will not be permitted at this time. These activities may resume later in the semester if the LSC opening protocols have been successfully implemented.

Outdoor low-risk activities (badminton, ping pong, Frisbee golf and the fencing club) will be permitted.

Weight Room Guidelines

• Participants are expected to wipe down equipment before and after each use,
• To limit the spread of germs equipment fitness equipment must NOT be moved.
• No equipment can be taken out of the weight room and no outside equipment is permitted.
• Maintain 6 feet of distance between yourself and others at all times.
• Foam rollers, medicine balls, power bands, TRX straps, etc. will not be provided.
• Adhere to all direction signage.
• Adhere to all guidelines and instructions provided by Staff.

Cardio Loft Guidelines

• Thoroughly wipe down equipment before and after use with disinfectant materials provided.
• To limit the spread of germs, please use only one piece of equipment on each visit.
• Maintain 6 feet of distance between yourself and others at all times.
• Adhere to all direction signage.
• Adhere to all guidelines and instructions provided by Staff.

Spaces unavailable until further notice:

• Indoor Courts for open recreation basketball, soccer and volleyball
• Field house for intramural and club sports
• Equipment Checkout
• Locker-Rooms
• Racquetball Courts
• Spin Room
• LSC/Freshens Cafe

There will be no stretching or yoga mats available.

There will be no outside guests or family members at this time.

Play Your Part

We are committed to doing everything we can to maintain a safe and healthy environment and we are relying on CDC and local health department guidelines. It is up to all of us to take responsibility in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Please play your part and remember some of these key points as you return to the LSC:

• Stay home if you feel sick
• Bring your own water bottle
• Keep your distance
• Wipe down equipment before and after use
• Wash or sanitize your hands frequently
• Participants should report to workouts in proper gear and immediately return home or to the residence hall to shower at the end of the workout.
• Change and wash clothing immediately upon returning to your residence from exercising.

Failure to follow posted directions and instructions from staff will result in removal from the Life Sports Center.

Each student must:

• practice good hand hygiene by washing their hands with soap and water or using hand sanitizer thoroughly and frequently throughout the day;
• maintain a physical distance of at least six feet from other people;
• clean their rooms/living spaces regularly and disinfect surfaces that may carry the COVID-19 virus;
• restrict travel to essential trips only. To mitigate any spread of the virus, the College strongly discourages students from traveling beyond the immediate Allentown area; and
• receive a flu vaccination by November 1, 2020 and submit documentation to Health Services through the health portal.

Each student is required to agree to and submit the Student Health and Safety Contract and complete the College’s on-line COVID-19 education program through Canvas prior to receipt of keys for College housing.

Students must comply with the requirements of the College’s Mandatory Face Mask/Covering Policy.

• On-campus groups or gatherings of any kind shall be limited to 25 or fewer people and shall be subject to the social distancing, face mask/covering and other applicable requirements of this Policy. In addition, students must strictly comply with all restrictions, guidelines and instructions regarding the use and occupancy of College buildings and facilities such as classrooms, lounges, restrooms, dining facilities, etc. Such restrictions, guidelines and instructions will be posted at each location. Student’s use of any College facilities for meetings, etc. must be pre-approved by the College.

• Off-campus groups or gatherings of any kind involving students or student groups shall be limited to 20 or fewer people and shall be subject to the social distancing, face mask/covering and other applicable requirements of this Policy.

Students must comply and cooperate with the College’s symptom monitoring, temperature checks and testing protocols and procedures.

Contact tracing is an integral component of the overall strategy for mitigating and containing COVID-19. Accordingly, students must provide complete and accurate information and otherwise comply and cooperate with the contact tracing protocols and procedures established by the College and local officials.  In this regard, the College will have staff trained to assist with contact tracing on campus. In collaboration with the Allentown Health Bureau, these staff will assist the College in systematically identifying “close contacts” of confirmed cases and notifying them as quickly as possible. Contacts will then be quarantined for 14 days from the last day of exposure. Any individuals who present with symptoms will be referred for health care evaluation and will likely be tested (students) or recommended for testing (faculty/staff). For the purposes of our contact tracing efforts, a “close contact” is defined by the CDC as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

Students must comply with the College’s Pre-Arrival and Travel Related Quarantine Guidelines, Quarantine Guidelines for Possible Direct Exposure to COVID-19 and Isolation Guidelines for COVID-19.

Students are required to wear/display student IDs at all times while on campus.

• COVID-19 Lease Addendum. Where applicable, students shall strictly comply with the requirements of the COVID-19 Lease Addendum to the Housing Lease.

• Compliance with Mandated Physical Room Set-Up. If a physical room set-up is established by the College for a student’s living space (i.e. location of beds, desks, etc.), the student must maintain the physical room set-up.

• Compliance with Living Space Restrictions. Students must strictly comply with all restrictions, guidelines and instructions regarding the use and occupancy of their on-campus living space (i.e. limits on who can be in a living space, etc.).  Such restrictions, guidelines and instructions will be posted at each location.  The College’s phased approach to Muhlenberg students' visiting other students in residence halls.

• Decision to Forego Student Housing. If a student chooses to study remotely and forego student housing for the Fall semester, the student will be contacted by Housing and Residence Life (HRL) in the fall via the student’s Muhlenberg College email to determine if the student would like to return to campus for the Spring semester.  If the student chooses to return, HRL will first see if the student’s assigned space for Fall is still available and honor that assignment if it is available.  If it is not still available, HRL will work with the student to select a new space. The College will guarantee housing for all such students for the Spring semester.  If a student chooses to take a Leave of Absence for the Fall semester, the student must notify the Registrar of the student’s intent to return for Spring.  Once the College has been notified of the student’s return, HRL will work with the student to select a housing assignment.  Again, all students are guaranteed housing at the College. 

• Off-Campus Housing. In the event that the College moves to distance learning and closes the campus/College operations, the College shall not be responsible for any rent, utilities or other expenses incurred by any student or student group in connection with off-campus/third-party housing.  In addition, any student that obtains off-campus/third-party housing for the Fall 2020 semester will be permitted to remain off-campus for the Spring 2021 semester, provided that the College reserves the right to require any such student to live on-campus if such student fails to treat neighbors with common courtesy and respector fails to comply with this Policy, the Student Code of Conduct, all local, state, federal laws, and policies, and City of Allentown noise, disorderly conduct, trash and recycling collection, and parking ordinances.

• Commuting. All students, regardless of how far they live from the College, may submit to the Office of Housing & Residential Life a request for permission to commute.

• Parking. First-year students may have a vehicle on campus and are required to follow the Parking Rules and Regulations Policy.

Students may only meet with visitors to campus in designated outdoor areas and in the Library, Seegers Union and Chapel. Visitors are not permitted to enter any residence halls, MILE houses or academic or administrative buildings.

Singing Guidelines. Subject to noise limitations found in the Muhlenberg College Office of Housing and Residence Life College Housing Regulations and Lease, students will only sing alone in their rooms on campus, in their residences off-campus or in a designated practice room assigned by the Music Department.