Dear Graduate Community,
We want to follow up on the message that just went to campus, “Lehigh Update on Fall Semester,” to explain what the plan for Fall means for graduate students in particular.
Lehigh Housing
Graduate students who have secured Lehigh-owned housing will not be affected by the de-densifying plans. In other words, if you live in or plan to live in Lehigh graduate housing, nothing will change. And, if the university pivots mid-semester to fully remote learning, you will be able to stay in your housing.
Quarantining
The quarantining rules outlined in the “Lehigh Update on Fall Semester” email also apply to all graduate students. If you are coming from an international location or from a state considered a “hot spot” by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you must self-quarantine in a non-hot-spot state for 14 days before coming to Lehigh, or in your on-campus or off-campus housing, before coming onto the rest of campus.
International Graduate Students
As the July 30, 2020 email from IOSS explained, Lehigh asks that international students who are not currently in the U.S. remain in their home countries for the Fall semester and start or continue their education remotely. This guideline applies primarily to newly admitted international graduate students. There are two exceptions to the policy. First, international graduate students who are already in the U.S. may come to campus. Second, new international doctoral students who are able to obtain a visa may petition their department for an exception. Please contact your department directly.
Tuition
There will be no change in tuition for graduate students, even if you are taking all courses remotely.
Please email your individual program director or department chair if you have any questions about how the University’s plans are affecting your situation for the Fall semester. For general questions, please contact or covidg@lehigh.edu. In addition, you can always contact us as well. This will be a semester like no other, but we are deeply committed to supporting a high-quality and meaningful educational experience for our graduate students.
Warmly,
Beth Dolan, Deputy Provost for Graduate Education (bdk3@lehigh.edu)
Kathleen Hutnik, Associate Dean for Graduate Life (kaha@lehigh.edu)