Dear students, faculty, and staff,

Attached you will find a document that outlines our plans for the Fall 2021 semester to mitigate the ongoing effects of COVID-19. There, you will find summaries of our new and continuing procedures and protocols that have been designed with the safety of our community as our top priority.

There is a significant possibility that certain details in the Plan will shift in coming days and weeks in response to rapidly changing circumstances. For example, just over the weekend, Lake County crossed into a category of “substantial transmission” of COVID-19, which means that masking indoors is now strongly recommended for vaccinated individuals (beyond the current requirement for the unvaccinated). Several large universities have recently announced a move to a universal masking policy indoors; if we make that change, a campus email will be sent promptly detailing the revised guidance.

Because we are very concerned about the quick and dangerous spread of the delta variant, we will align with CDC guidance and require weekly COVID tests of all unvaccinated individuals (including those with medical and religious exemptions to the vaccine). Compliance with this safety precaution is mandatory.

We offer our thanks to the Health and Wellness staff and Human Resources staff for the work they are doing to track down every last student and employee to account for their vaccination status. Please – if you haven’t already – respond to their outreach and help us complete out our records.

We look forward to welcoming you back to campus and our return to a vibrant, in-person campus community!

Stephen D. Schutt, President
Davis Schneiderman, Krebs Provost and Dean of the Faculty
Andrea Conner, Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students
__________________________________________
Andrea B. Conner
Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Lake Forest College

conner@lakeforest.edu
847.735.5200
Rosemary House
555 North Sheridan Road
Lake Forest, IL 60045

Pronouns: she / her / hers

Posted 8/3/21

Dear Students,

Do you need to make changes to your Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 schedule?

Did you receive authorization to register for a course for which you're currently waitlisted?

Registration will be open tomorrow, August 4 at 8:00 a.m. through August 17.

Please review the following resources before registering:

Registration Guide (PDF)
Registration Guide (video)
Frequently Asked Questions
Waitlists and Course Authorizations 

• Incoming Fall Transfer and Readmitted Students — Registration remains open through the Fall Add/Drop Period.
• Incoming First-Year Students – You can view your schedule soon, and will be able to discuss and make changes with your advisor during New Student Orientation.

Please contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@lakeforest.edu with any questions!

Sincerely,

Registrar’s Office

BJ White – Registrar
Jennifer Kenworthy – Associate Registrar
Katie Isler – Transfer and Registration Coordinator

Posted 8/3/2021

Arrival Instructions 

Each student that arrives on campus between August 6 and August 25 must proceed directly to the designated check-in location below during the arrival times listed. There, a comprehensive, socially-distanced, check-in process will allow students to pick up keys, have their ID photo taken (if needed), purchase a parking pass (if eligible), and obtain any other relevant arrival information or materials.  

Unvaccinated students will also be tested for COVID upon entry and will not be allowed to complete their check-in unless their rapid COVID test results are clear. After checking in, all students will be given parking directions for their residence hall move-in.

For move-in, we ask students to limit their move-in helpers to two whenever possible. Move-in helpers will be required to follow the current College face masking policy, which, at this writing, includes masking if unvaccinated. 

Early Arrivals, First Connection: Certain populations of students are currently approved to come to campus early for College-sponsored reasons. That schedule is listed below; please note that all arrivals must occur before 4:00pm in order to facilitate on-arrival COVID testing for unvaccinated students during the testing clinic’s open hours. No other early arrivals will be granted.  

New Student Orientation, New-to-Campus Orientation:

Returning Residential Students: 

 Posted 7/30/21

Greetings Foresters,

Due to a power supply issue with the Sports and Recreation Center, the building will be closed Monday, August 2 through Friday, August 6 and we will reopen Sunday, August 8. If there are any changes to the schedule, you will be notified. Lastly, a friendly reminder that the pool will be undergoing normal annual maintenance and will not be available August 1 through 25.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

If you have any questions please reach Monserrat Figueroa via email at mfigueroa@lakeforest.edu

Thank you for your understanding,

Blake Theisen, MS, CSCS
Associate Director of Athletics

555 North Sheridan Road | Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: 847.735.6155
Lake Forest Athletics

Posted 7/30/21

Dear Lake Forest College Community:

Due to declining textbook sales in the brick-and-mortar store, Follett informed us in late spring of their intent to terminate our current retail contract. This is unfortunately a common occurrence across the country for small colleges. Just as with neighborhood bookstores, students have in recent years increasingly bought their textbooks online and from vendors other than Follett; this is not simply a COVID phenomenon. Follett is not willing to operate the brick-and-mortar store, so we are now, with little planning time, facing a re-imagining of the traditional bookstore. The reconstituted Bookstore Committee has been meeting this summer to determine future direction.

Because we have existing integration among Follett, Moodle, and our student financial aid voucher system, the College will transition to Follett’s online store this fall. The primary difference is that there will be no physical location for books on campus. All book purchases will be made online using the current website: Folletts College bookstore at Lake Forest College Apparel, Merchandise, & Gifts (bkstr.com)

Used textbooks will still be available, and the website will also offer text rental as an option. Students will continue to pick up their books through Mail Services when they have them shipped, and books will also be returned using the postal service.

On campus merchandise and office supply retail offerings: Parkhurst Dining has agreed to manage the College’s merchandise and office/school supply retail offerings. Office supplies will be added to the Market, and Parkhurst will continue to sell Forester clothing and gift items in the current bookstore space. The physical bookstore location will be closed the next two weeks (weeks of July 26 and August 2). Parkhurst will be open for operation on August 9. Those with Follett gift cards will be able to use them in the online store.

Book Vouchers: The College has partnered with Follett Bookstore for eligible students to purchase books online using a book voucher. This means that students with an anticipated credit balance on their account for the fall semester can use their credit to charge books for the fall term to their student account. Please note, credits are projected at the time financial aid eligibility is reviewed and are subject to change. As such, students will need to review their accounts and confirm that they have adequate funds in place to cover their tuition and fee balance in addition to the books/items charged. Students are responsible for the cost of books/items charged to their credit, regardless of changes in aid eligibility. Students may use their vouchers until September 1st, 2021. To request a voucher, please email studentaccounts@lakeforest.edu. In the email, please include the student ID# for processing efficiency. Book vouchers may only be used on Follett’s online website and cannot be redeemed for cash.

Best,
Jessica West, chair of the Bookstore Committee

Bookstore Committee Members:
Dawn Abt-Perkins
Dominique Allion
Capri Gonzalez
Emily Grimm
Aldo Guzman
Patrick Hussey
Dan LeMahieu
Jim Marquardt
Jessica West
Jennifer Wilson


Jessica West
Controller
Lake Forest College
555 N. Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 735-5039

Posted 7/27/21

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,

Next Thursday, July 1, 2021, will be the 20th anniversary of my arrival at Lake Forest College. I am very grateful to all of you for giving me the privilege to serve as the College’s president.

Two decades is a considerable period for anyone, and I informed the Board of Trustees this morning that the academic year ahead will be my final one as president. I am confident that the right time has come for this transition. The pandemic is largely behind us, and the College is in strong shape for the future. The biggest entering class in our history will arrive this August, Brown Hall is nearly finished, the new Health Professions Program is rapidly advancing, we completed a $140 million campaign last autumn, and our diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are making meaningful progress.

The three officers of the Board of Trustees and I have discussed this over the past several weeks. As Board Chair David F. Gorter ’80 will relate in a separate campus message today, the Board will form a search committee of trustees, faculty, staff, students, and alumni later this summer, and will also select a highly regarded professional search firm. By the beginning of September, the search committee will open a national search for the College’s next president, who will begin work next summer.

For the six months from July through December 2022, at the Board’s request, I will work as president emeritus to complete several key fundraising projects. Thereafter, from January through June 2023, I will take my first-ever sabbatical before moving on to my next chapter.

Throughout the academic year ahead, of course, I will continue to work full tilt. I can’t wait to see everyone return to campus this fall, after all of the past year’s challenges and isolation. I also look forward to the long-term planning process beginning this summer, which will produce inspiring new directions for the College by next spring. 

I feel very fortunate to have played a role in the life and progress of the College. Together we have launched thriving new academic programs, increased enrollment, improved our campus, connected with Chicago, formed valuable partnerships, and reached many other goals that make me proud. What matters still more is the life-changing education that thousands of students have experienced and continue to experience here every year. To our faculty and staff who provide that education with such talent and commitment, and to our students who seize their opportunities here in such inspiring ways, I thank you from my heart.

Stephen D. Schutt
President
Lake Forest College

Posted 6/28/21