There are several reasons. (1) Some faculty have underlying medical conditions or relatives at home who are at risk, and therefore cannot take the risk of coming on campus each day and being exposed to dozens or hundreds of other people. (2) Some upper level courses in which we only offer one section may have people learning from home and attending in person. If a majority, or even a large plurality, of students are online, then it will make sense to teach that course online for everyone. (3) Some courses are offered simultaneously to students at Lasell and at other colleges; these courses are necessarily taught online (our Certified Financial Planning courses are an example).

No, you will not receive a discount. As a residential or commuter student, you have the opportunity to interact with other students across campus, learning from each other and from those who are different than you. You can attend faculty members' office hours and develop mentor relationships. You can take part in the informal interactions in the dining hall. You can participate in clubs, student organizations, recreational activities, and athletics. And you will have personal access to health and counseling staff, advisors, and the Academic Achievement Center.   

After carefully considering updated NCAA Return-to-Play guidelines, state and local regulations and recommendations from the COVID 19 Task Force, regrettably, we have decided that the University’s winter teams (men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s indoor track and field) will not compete in intercollegiate athletic competition during the Winter 2021 season.

We have made this incredibly difficult decision based on concerns regarding the health and safety of our athletes, the rising infection rate both regionally and nationally, our ability to safely host visiting teams, and challenges regarding travel to other campuses.

For the rest of this semester, all athletes will still have the opportunity to engage in practices and training sessions with their coaches. We are moving forward with planning for spring sports (baseball, softball, men’s volleyball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s outdoor track & field) and for fall sports to have some limited competition in the spring. We will decide about spring intercollegiate competition in early 2021 when we have a clearer picture of what the circumstances will be.

As in the fall semester, in order to be eligible to participate in any on-campus activities, you must be a resident or commuter student. We will continue to update information as we have it, and we welcome your questions. 

Visit Lasell Dining Services for hours, menus, nutritional information, and more.

Valentine Dining Hall

Boomer's Grill (inside Valentine)

1851

Starbucks

No. Room and board are one combined fee.

Residents will continue to use their meal plan. Staff, faculty, and commuter students may continue to pay for meals on a consumption basis. 

Valentine dining hall will be open until 9 p.m. daily. As the semester progresses, we will reevaluate our late-night hours.

The following changes have been made to the library to ensure access to the space and resources of the library while, at the same time, providing for everyone's safe use. 

Borrowing Resources

You can once again borrow books, DVDs, and other resources from the library and the rest of the Minuteman Library Network. However, you will not be allowed to browse any of the library's bookshelves until further notice. You can browse the collection virtually, using the Minuteman Library catalog. 

To place holds on books, please login to your account through the Minuteman Library catalog. Once the book comes in, you will use our Contactless Pickup form to select a date to pick up your books.  On that date, the books will be on the Contactless Pickup Bookshelf in the Glow lounge, near the blue library return drop box, from 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM. 

You will then return all materials to the library return drop box, instead of at the library desk.   Any resources that are delivered or returned to the library will be quarantined for four days, so please expect some delays when requesting or returning materials. 

Due to this long turnaround time, the library will not be loaning out any reserves, including textbooks. 

Library Space

The library will be open for studying the following hours:

• Monday-Thursday: 8:30 AM - MIDNIGHT
• Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
• Saturday: NOON - 5:00 PM
• Sunday: NOON - MIDNIGHT 

The library has socially distanced, but limited, seating. We ask that you do not move the furniture; it has been specifically arranged to maintain proper physical distancing.  If no seats are open, then the library is at capacity, and you will need to leave and return at a different time. Please wipe down your study space with available disinfectant wipes before and after use. 

Computers and Printing

The library will have a limited number of computers, both Macs and PCs, available for student use.  Please wipe down your computer station with available disinfectant wipes before and after use.  Printing, copying, and scanning will still be available. 

Reserve Study Rooms

You can reserve study rooms as individual study space this semester.   

Virtual Services

All library help, including research help, will be virtual this year.  You can chat, call, text, or email us during the hours that we are open.  The librarians are available for Zoom meetings Sunday-Friday, as well.   

More Information

You can find out more information about the changes to the library here:  https://lasell.libguides.com/covid/home

Grellier/Taylor Field Use

• All users must wear a face covering and maintain 6 ft distancing
• Total users must not exceed 25 people
  • For group reservations, please contact agallatta@lasell.edu
• Individuals and small groups may shoot around/train while maintaining physical distance
• No pick-up games or scrimmaging allowed
• All groups must bring their own equipment
• All users must complete daily symptom check and weekly testing protocol
• No dogs/pets permitted

Athletic Center/Edwards

Fall Semester Hours (subject to change)

Monday-Thursday: 7:00 a.m. – midnight
Friday: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

• Reservations must be made for all use. Make a reservation.
• All users must have a Green Coverified badge to enter facilities. 
• Masks must be worn at all times.

Athletic Center

• Cardio equipment is available in the Athletic Center. Cardio includes three treadmills, two spin bikes, one stationary bike and three elliptical machines. Make a reservation.
• The basketball court will be open for two people per basket. Shooting only, no scrimmaging and you must bring your own ball. Make a reservation.

Edwards

• There are two platforms available, one squat rack/lat pull down station and two bench press stations. Make a reservation.
• All reservations are for 45 minutes with a 15 minute cleaning time in between. 

McClelland Fitness Center

Fall Semester  Hours (subject to change)

Monday-Thursday: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday: 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

• Reservations must be made for all use. Make a reservation.
• All users must have a Green Coverified badge to enter facilities.
• Masks must be worn at all times.
• There are two multipurpose/bench press stations, two treadmill or elliptical stations, one circuit station and one stationary bike available. Make a reservation.
• All reservations are for 45 minutes with a 15 minute cleaning time in between.

There are currently four tents on campus, two of which have hours reserved for dining. Tables and chairs are set up to allow for physical distancing and disinfecting stations are located in each.  

• COVID-19 Testing: Appointments for COVID-19 tests must be made no later than January 20, 2021. Test & Go is available for returning students who live within a reasonable distance from campus. Test & Stay is available for new residents and students who live farther away from campus. 
• Resident Spring Pledge | Commuter Spring Pledge: New students and students returning to campus from being online-only in Fall must complete the COVID-19 Course on Canvas and sign the Spring Pledge. Returning Fall resident and commuter students must also sign the Spring Pledge.
• Residential Life and Spring Semester Move-In: First-year and transfer students enrolling at Lasell for the first time will receive their housing assignments from the Office of Residential Life.

Lasell University has partnered with the Broad Institute in Cambridge to develop our testing protocols and implementation plan. We are using the CoVerified app to schedule testing, share test results with community members, and verify compliance with testing and symptom monitoring requirements.

Residential students will be tested 2 times per week. Commuting students will generally be tested once per week, although some with extensive campus participation may be tested twice per week. Online students will not be tested. Faculty, staff, and campus partners will also be tested on schedules in accord with their campus participation.

Those who are exhibiting symptoms or may have been exposed to an individual with COVID-19 within 14 days of coming to campus need to contact their health care provider and remain in quarantine at home until tested and cleared to come to campus. 

Although, due to our testing program, a 14-day quarantine is not a requirement under current state guidelines, prior to campus arrival, we ask that students adhere to the same expectations that will be in place at the University - maintaining proper physical distance in public areas, wearing masks and face coverings, and practicing good hygiene including regular hand washing. Most importantly, we require that students use good judgment in terms of being in high-risk situations such as large public gatherings, parties, and other activities in which physical distancing is not possible. 

Everyone on campus - students, employees, vendors - must follow our established safety protocols.  These protocols include: wearing masks at all times you are outside of your dorm room or office; maintaining a safe physical distance of a least six feet; being tested for COVID-19 once or twice a week depending on the amount of time spent on campus; never congregating in groups larger than a specified number; not receiving guests on campus; and monitoring each others' adherence to the protocols. It is vital that everyone follow these protocols to guard the health and safety of everyone on campus and of family members at home.

Lasell University will conduct and pay for COVID-19 testing and administration on campus 

All COVID-19 tests are self-administered under the supervision of a member of the Health Services team.

Students would need to be isolated for minimum of 10 days and until cleared to return by Local Board of Health or Lasell Health Services. We would prefer that they isolate at home if possible. If a student has a valid reason for not returning home because of high family risk or home is too far away, Lasell will provide the appropriate accommodations on campus.

That student will need to be quarantine for two weeks. We would prefer that the student quarantine at home if possible. If a student has a valid reason for not returning home because of high family risk or home is too far away, Lasell will provide the appropriate accommodations on campus.

In terms of cleaning, students will continue to be responsible for non-public restrooms in suites and contemporary dorms. In public residential hall bathrooms, housekeeping staff will clean the bathrooms 7 days/week instead of the current 5 days/week.

No guests, regardless of student status, will be allowed in residence halls. 

We are working on a plan for scheduled family visits; otherwise, no guests will be allowed. 

Lasell Works students on Sophomore Year Experience have the same access to campus facilities, events, and organizations as any commuter student, and will need to stay continually abreast of and follow any and all campus protocols and procedures put in place by the University to maintain the health and safety of the campus community.

Both merit and need-based financial aid are institutional grants provided by Lasell University. When we lower tuition, we need to adjust all the institutional aid to make the adjustment equitable for students from a variety of family circumstances.  We have endeavored to keep the proportion of total institutional aid to tuition approximately the same. If we did not adjust merit aid, we could not have reduced the tuition rate as much as we did.

We hope you will recognize that, as far as we have been able to determine, we are the first and perhaps the only college or university to lower the rate of tuition for students studying online or remotely.   

Despite what some people think, it is not less expensive or less work to deliver online courses to students. However, we recognize that studying online is not the same as the on-campus experience.  Academically online courses can be just as effective as in person classes.  But the opportunities for personal and informal growth are not the same. 

As a residential or commuting student, you have the opportunity to interact with other students in class and across campus, learning from each other and from those who are different than you.  You can attend faculty members' office hours and develop mentor relationships. You enjoy the informal interactions in the dining hall.  You can participate in clubs, student organizations, recreational activities, and athletics.  You will have personal access to health and counseling staff, advisors, and the Academic Achievement Center.    

These types of enriching opportunities account for the difference in tuition levels.

No. As long as the student is full time for the semester they will receive the full award for the PELL grant, Direct loans and State grants.

If this situation arises we will immediately switch to online classes. Residential students will receive a prorated room and board charge. Tuition costs will not be prorated.

Please be assured that VPNE, our shuttle partner, has instituted measures to ensure that your ride is as safe as possible.

• They have put into place capacity limits. The shuttles will be limited to seven (7) passengers per shuttle to allow for physical distancing between passengers.
• The drivers are cleaning the vehicles before and after every shift and sanitizing frequently touched services between every run. 
• On top of these measures they are also bringing in a professional cleaning crew to deep clean the shuttles on a regular basis.
• In conjunction with these efforts they have purchased electrostatic sprayers that they will plug-in and spray all the shuttles down with a botanical solution that kills all viruses. This is the same unit that the MBTA uses.

Shuttle schedule

All students will have full access to all the academic support, advising, counseling and other services that Lasell provides. (Online students can take advantage of these services via phone, email, and digital platforms.)

Residential and commuting students will have the opportunity to participate in clubs, organizations, and athletics, and to meet in person with some faculty and staff members. Health and Counseling Centers, along with other student resources, are open and conducting appointments online. Some students will be able to have jobs on campus or at Lasell Village.  

All students will progress toward the same Lasell University diploma, whether they choose to study on campus or remotely.

Online students will not come to campus, except under pre-approved circumstances. They will not be able to participate in on-campus activities or athletics or visit other students on campus. There will be a limited number of virtual activities and club meetings, but for the most part, the life of an online Lasell student will be concentrated on academic responsibilities. Because the experience of online students will not be the same as students in residence, we are reducing tuition and the comprehensive fee substantially.

If you are a residential or commuter student, you will be able to participate fully in campus activities and student organizations both on-campus following all guidelines set by the University and government, and virtually. Meaning, the Office of Student Activities & Orientation will be working to provide events both on campus and virtually. We have been and will continue to work with all student organizations to provide options on how to function both in person and virtually and we will aid in creating a plan that will work best for that student organization.

If you are exclusively online in a given semester, you will be able to participate in all VIRTUAL campus activities and student organizations. As you will not be permitted to come to campus without special permission, you will not be able to participate in on-campus programming or student organizations. The Office of Student Activities & Orientation is working to make as many events and student organizations as possible a hybrid of in-person and virtual. If you are heavily involved in a student club/organization (i.e. on the executive board) we highly suggest you begin conversations on what your regular meetings will look like. We have been and will continue to work with all student organizations to provide options on how to function both in person and virtually and we will aid in creating a plan that will work best for that organization. 

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. The Office of Student Activities and Orientation are still working remote but are answering emails at studentactivities@lasell.edu and/or phone calls at 617-243-2475. 

Students will be allowed to go home as they wish. Upon returning to campus they will not have to quarantine. We encourage students to be safe whenever traveling away from campus and that includes, wearing a mask, washing hands and maintaining proper social distancing guidelines. If they feel ill or are aware of any ill close contacts while traveling, they need to notify Health Services immediately upon their return to campus.