by Kahwit Tela | Jan 31, 2022 | COVID-19, News, News Slider
While other schools delayed the return to in-person for remote learning, Lipscomb returned to school with an indoor mask mandate that has been extended from Jan. 21 to Feb. 7. “Currently, our overall number of COVID-19 cases in the Lipscomb community remain fairly consistent. We also had a significant increase in the number of cases among faculty and staff this past week,” Dr. Matt Paden, executive vice president, said in the email Thursday. Positivity rates on campus have been increasing steadily since the start of 2022, and on Jan. 4, Lipscomb reached its highest rate so far. According to the Campus COVID Statistics, more than 40 positive tests occurred on Jan. 18. The majority of the positive tests were from students. Maggie Bradford, a junior marketing major from Onekama, Michigan, is in quarantine after testing positive last Wednesday. Bradford originally went into quarantine with her roommate in their dorm room Monday after showing symptoms. After receiving her positive test results, she was moved to the quarantine floor Wednesday. “I feel like it might go up a little bit more just because of how contagious the Omicron variant is and just with how many people are (together) all the time in class and things,” Bradford said via Zoom. “…With this [variant] especially, it’s easy to have and not realize you’re sick with it until you come down with symptoms. You can be contagious before you have symptoms.” Despite the cases on campus possibly going up, Bradford said Lipscomb has done a “good job” in keeping their students safe through protective efforts, such as encouraging students to wear masks. The mask...
by Kathryn Farris | Jan 4, 2022 | COVID-19, News, News Slider
As the upcoming semester gears up, questions have been circling over the current rise in COVID cases across the state and postponements of in-person learning for other area universities. Lipscomb notified students and faculty via email on Tuesday morning that the university will welcome back students for in-person learning as previously planned. “We continue to believe that it will take every member of the Bison Herd doing their part to ensure we can have a productive and engaging semester,” said Dr. Matt Paden, executive vice president, in his email to students. “An effective way to mitigate the spread of the virus is to wear a mask.” Lipscomb is “temporarily” reinstating the indoor mask mandate for students, faculty and guests regardless of vaccination status. Masks will be required indoors through Jan. 21. Lipscomb has since updated the policy and extended the mask mandate to Jan. 31. “The CDC, as well as state and local health officials, recommend wearing an N95 or KN95 mask if possible,” Paden said. “These masks provide the greatest protection of everyone against the virus. We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust as appropriate.” Vaccinations are additionally being encouraged by the university. Free COVID vaccine and booster drives are scheduled to take place this semester on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1-3 p.m. in Bennett Campus Center. University faculty (including student workers) are “currently required to comply” with the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) federal vaccine mandate for employers with 100 or more employees. This means, before Jan. 10, Lipscomb employees will be required to receive the COVID vaccine to adhere to federal guidelines. “The U.S. Supreme Court has...
by Hannah Cron | Oct 14, 2021 | BREAKING NEWS, COVID-19, News Slider
After several months of campus-wide indoor mask requirements, Lipscomb is moving to an indoor mask recommendation, effective Oct. 16. Lipscomb students and faculty were alerted of the upcoming change via an email sent out Thursday afternoon ahead of the fall break long weekend. The relaxed guidelines are a result of a decrease in COVID numbers campus-wide. “Due to your diligence, we have seen a significant decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases and individuals in isolation or quarantine. As a result, effective Saturday, Oct. 16, the updated mask policy is that masks will no longer be mandatory but will be recommended,” said the email sent to the Lipscomb community. While masks will no longer be required indoors, they will still be worn inside in certain situations. Faculty may still choose to require facial coverings in any of their respective classes and labs. Anyone preparing or serving food in a group setting must also wear a mask. Another exception to the rule is that anyone who is asked to put on a mask by someone within six feet of them is required to comply. “When requested in good faith by a Lipscomb student, faculty, staff member or guest who is presently wearing a mask indoors, a Lipscomb student, faculty, staff member or guest who is within six feet is required to wear a mask,” according to the statement prepared by the university. Lipscomb will continue to offer vaccination clinics with both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon in Bennett Campus Center. Lumination will continue to provide updates about Lipscomb’s COVID...
by Kathryn Farris | Sep 29, 2021 | BREAKING NEWS, COVID-19, News Slider
The Lipscomb community will remain under an indoor mask mandate till at least October 15. The extension was updated on the university’s website and follows a recent decrease in campus cases. “Because of your diligent efforts, the number of positive cases on campus as well as the number of students, faculty and staff in quarantine is headed in the right direction,” said the university in an email to the community. “Let’s keep up the hard work so we can continue to have a strong semester!” The Lipscomb mask mandate applies to all students, faculty, staff and guests in university buildings (regardless of vaccination status). The university is also pushing vaccines, informing students that “approximately 99% of those in our nation who are having serious adverse effects or are dying as a result of the virus are unvaccinated.” Lumination will continue to keep you updated...
by Camryn Given | Sep 6, 2021 | COVID-19, News Slider
President Randy Lowry doesn’t exactly remember his first day at Lipscomb. He does remember sitting in his office for the first week or two and not thinking there was much to be done. Now, 16 years later, as he prepares to end his time as Lipscomb’s president, he no longer has to wonder, “What am I supposed to be doing?” “Eventually, we figured that out and the pace picked up,” Lowry told Lumination Network. “Once the pace picked up, it hasn’t paused since then.” Lowry said there were a lot of emotions he associated with his coming to Lipscomb, including hopefulness for what he could accomplish. “This Christian college, which is a sister school to Pepperdine where I was coming from, really could and should be the leading university in our church fellowship,” said Lowry. “I was filled with anticipation, very excited and complemented to be here.” Now, as Lowry steps down as president at midnight tonight and assumes the role of chancellor, he says he’s looking forward to taking a break. He added for context that most university presidents only serve six years. “After 16 years, if we’re being really honest with ourselves, we’re probably more exhausted than we know. And so I’m going to sleep for the first 10 days,” he said with a laugh. Lowry said that in the next few months he’ll be taking a working sabbatical in which he wants to take piano lessons, which he hasn’t done since high school. He also said he plans on spending a lot of time with his nine grandchildren, all of whom have been born during his...
by Kathryn Farris | Aug 11, 2021 | COVID-19, News, News Slider
The Lipscomb community will be required to wear a mask in indoor spaces beginning Friday. The announcement was made to students and faculty in an email Wednesday afternoon; it follows a recent surge in local Delta variant cases. “As we are preparing for a strong start to the year, the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to spread and has proven to be markedly more transmissible than earlier strains of the virus,” said the university in its notification of the mandate. “Because of the increasing presence of the Delta variant, we have implemented a few policies and procedures to help mitigate the spread of the virus in an effort to start the semester strong. These are similar to the policies at peer institutions such as the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Middle Tennessee State University and Belmont University.” The Lipscomb mask mandate currently expires Sept. 3 and applies to all students, faculty, staff and guests in university buildings (regardless of vaccination status). The university is also pushing vaccines, adding in the email that “approximately 99% of those in our nation who are having serious adverse effects or are dying as a result of the virus are unvaccinated.” Lumination will continue to keep you updated on this developing story...
