December message from President Belton

Dear community,

It’s the last day of fall finals at PLU! Thank you for all of your extraordinary efforts this semester. Students, staff, and faculty across the university have been actively working with and for each other to keep one another healthy and safe—and we want to say thank you for that, Lutes.

You continued to follow protective practices.
You kept your testing appointments so we could prevent asymptomatic spread.
You kept your socializing (mostly) to small groups.
You stepped up to keep single cases from becoming an outbreak.

Along with the many challenges and heartbreaks of this global pandemic, there were many lessons that were affirmed for our community this semester:

Together, we know that you don’t have to be in-person to stay close.
Together, we know that a strong network that uplifts and supports you is integral to getting through tough times.
Together, we know that combining science and heart can help us protect ourselves and each other.
Together, we know that there’s almost always something to be grateful for, that gratitude is a catalyst of hope, and that hope is in turn a catalyst for action and purposeful work.

Bid goodbye to 2020, and see you in 2021!

• To continue to keep our community safe and healthy, we’re asking all students who have any reason to be on campus to remain vigilant about COVID protocols, including fully participating in the testing calendar associated with your particular role (e.g., residential student, student-athlete, student employee, a student in an in-person or blended class). Students returning in J-Term have received or will receive this information from Residential Life, their coaches, clinical instructors, supervisors, or the PLU Testing Team. The January testing calendar will be posted once athletic schedules are confirmed.
• Beginning in January, most students will participate in rapid testing using a self-swabbed COVID test that provides results in 15 minutes. Tests will be proctored in the NEW Spring 2021 student testing center, located in the Chris Knutsen (CK) Hall in the Anderson University Center.
• Please remember that telemedicine and remote-care services are here for students year-round. LuteTelehealth provides 24/7/365 access to medical and mental health support, via both on-demand and scheduled appointments. Things may not catch up to you until you have had additional time to rest, so please reach out at any point.

We are all PLU together, and we wish each of you a safe and restorative winter break.

In community,

Allan Belton
President

Dr. Joanna Gregson
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Joanna Royce-Davis
Vice President for Student Life

Teri Phillips
Chief Operating Officer and COVID-19 Site Supervisor

Elizabeth Hopper
Director of the Health Center