President's Message

Dear LVC Community,

Lebanon Valley College experienced so many historic moments in 2019–20, including welcoming the largest-ever undergraduate class, hosting a memorable Homecoming, celebrating another #1 ranking for job placement in Pennsylvania, and—to the delight of many—completing the bridge connecting the northern and southern sections of campus. Last winter, our community prepared to conclude the academic year by celebrating the Class of 2020 and bidding farewell to President and Dorry Thayne. And then, COVID-19 appeared.

The world went from business-as-usual to volatile and unpredictable in a matter of weeks. The College made the heartbreaking decision in March to send our students home to complete the semester remotely and postpone Commencement. Our faculty and staff pivoted to remote teaching and services within a matter of days and successfully concluded a spring like no other. Dr. Thayne spent his last months as president leading LVC through the pandemic response that required every campus community member to dig deep and find resilience. The faculty and staff analyzed every possible decision, large and small, and innovated to preserve the LVC experience. Students and families persevered despite the stressful situation and financial uncertainty. I am honored to have joined such a caring and committed community at this critical time.

I am glad I had the opportunity starting in May to collaborate (remotely first from Chicago and later in the spring from New Orleans) on our planning for a successful fall 2020 return to in-person learning and on-campus living. Thanks to our faculty and staff keeping students at the center of every decision, we successfully launched this venture. We only transitioned again to remote learning just a short time before our planned shift at Thanksgiving. I heard from many of our students who were so happy that we could offer an in-person residential learning experience for most of the fall. There was other good news—our first-year-to-sophomore retention rate was the highest in nine years, graduate enrollment in new and existing programs flourished, infection rates on campus remained low and manageable, and we preserved jobs. This crisis has revealed the true character of LVC as the caring and hardworking community our students, alumni, and donors know it to be.

Every gift, every volunteer effort, and every internship creates distinctive opportunities for students to go further and achieve more than they ever thought possible. LVC received $5.5 million in cash receipts in 2019–20, more than $3 million of which supported scholarships. Notably, Dr. Valentino Sica ’50 and his wife, Katherine, represent LVC’s newest members of the Laureate Society to recognize the $1 million endowed scholarship they established in December. The Valley Fund received more than $2 million in support of College priorities. Among the capital enhancements made possible by gifts, Leedy Theater received upgrades to seating, sound, lighting, and aesthetics, thanks in part to the generosity of Ken and Linda Leedy P’92. A gift from the Bishop Foundation, developed through the historic connection Kathy, Tom, and Trudie Bishop have to The Valley, supported upgrades to technology, teleconferencing, and moveable furniture in the Frock Conference Room of the Vernon and Doris Bishop Library.

My special thanks to the Thaynes, too, for establishing the Lewis and Dorry Thayne Fund for Inclusive Excellence and Experiential Education. As we look to the future, diversity, inclusion, and immersive, hands-on learning will become even more critical to preparing students to succeed in their careers and meet society’s needs.

My wife Gina and I, as well as our daughters Caroline, Meg, and Emily, are thrilled to be part of LVC. We are grateful for the warm welcome you have given us, and we cannot wait to get to know you better and in-person when the pandemic is over and not just in a small video square on zoom!

I Am a Husband and Father. I Am a Physicist. I Am an Educational Leader. I Am a Dutchman!

Dr. James M. MacLaren, President