Dear Lafayette Leopards,
I wish you much ease and success as you engage with the remainder of the fall 2025 semester and prepare for your final exams. As you conclude the fall semester, I share the following as valuable information, especially for our students remaining on campus during the break period.
All residence halls will close (5:00 pm), and the college meal plan (7:00 pm) will end on December 16, 2025.
Students are expected to depart campus within twenty-four (24) hours of their last exam or by 5 p.m. on December 16, 2025 (whichever comes first), as access will deactivate at that time. Students remaining on campus any later than December 16, 2025, must apply for Winter Housing if living in college-owned or operated housing.
If you missed the registration deadline, please email reslife@lafayette.edu immediately.
The college will close for Winter Recess on December 24, 2025, and reopen on January 5, 2026. Only essential/emergency services will be available during this time. In the event of an emergency, please contact Public Safety at 610-330-4444.
Following Winter Recess, students may return to their residence halls/campus room assignment beginning Saturday, January 24, 2026.
Only students with special permission as pre-approved team/group members may arrive before January 24, 2026. Remember to bring your keys and student ID.
Students without approval will not be allowed access to their residence hall/campus room assignment. Public Safety will adhere to this expectation.
Students moving to a new assignment for the Spring semester must clear all personal belongings from their Fall assignment and return their room key to the Office of Residence Life before departing for the break. Exceptions to this policy require prior authorization from the Office of Residence Life.
There are increasing incidents where scammers will impersonate people, groups, or organizations you know to deceive you. They want you to reveal personal information or send them resources.
Please be vigilant about emails or texts that request your personal information or money. Here is a resource from our Technology Team about Phishing and Other Fraudulent Email Practices.
The Counseling Center will be open regular hours through finals week. Beginning Wednesday, December 17th – December 23, 2025, the Counseling Center will be open 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. (closed 12-1 p.m.). It will then be closed until January 5, 2026, when the College reopens. During January, the Counseling Center will be open 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. (closed 12-1 p.m.) until spring semester classes begin.
Should you need mental health support when the Counseling Center is closed, students can speak with a crisis counselor by dialing the main number (610) 330-5005. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, please call Public Safety at (610) 330-4444.
Additional crisis resources are also available. Togetherall is an online, peer-to-peer mental health community where you can receive and provide support anonymously. It is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
For end-of-semester and winter break dining location hours, please visit the Dining website. Simon’s Market, however, will remain open throughout this time, accessible 24/7, and restocked with meals regularly. Off-campus locations that accept Pard Dollars remain options as well.
Starting with dinner on January 6, 2026, and concluding with lunch on January 24, 2026, meals will be available in Upper Farinon (including weekends). Students on campus may dine in this location for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Pard Dollars will be the only acceptable form of payment; meal plans will not be active during this time. Students with meal restrictions/allergies should contact Dining in advance at dining@lafayette.edu.
Hours and costs will be as follows:
8-9:30 a.m. Breakfast ($4.65)
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Lunch ($9.35)
4:30 p.m.-6 p.m. Dinner ($14.00)
Should an emergency arise for which you need immediate assistance, the College has an Emergency Fund available to help if the need meets the outlined parameters.
Bailey Health Center will transition from regular hours on the last day of finals to a 9 a.m.-4 p.m. schedule with a lunch break until December 22, 2025. It will then be closed until January 5, 2026, when the College reopens. During January, hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. until classes start.
Should non-emergency medical needs arise, the local bus service, LANTA, has several routes that could provide transit to local urgent care facilities or hospitals. The list below includes the facilities and the corresponding LANTA Route/bus you would take, which you may compare with the LANTA schedule.
St. Luke’s Care Now, 2003 Sullivan Trail, Easton, PA – Route 214
Easton Hospital Wellness Center, 1800 Sullivan Trail, Easton, PA – Route 214
Advance Physical Therapy PC, 318 Town Center Blvd. Easton, PA – Route 214
St. Luke’s Hospital, 250 21st St, Easton, PA – Route 214 to EBT, then Blue Line or Route 106
LVHN Express Care, 3701 Corriere Road, Easton, PA – Route 214 to EBT, then Route 106
Patient First Primary & Urgent Care, 2450 Butler St, Easton, PA – Route 214 to EBT, then Route 106
St. Luke’s Hospital Anderson Campus, 1872 St. Luke’s Blvd, Easton, PA – Route 214 to EBT, then Route 220
LVHN Express Care, 2101 Emrick Blvd. Bethlehem, PA – Route 214 to EBT, then Route 220
NorthStar Urgent Care, 430 Nazareth Pike, Nazareth, PA – Route 214 to EBT, then Blue Line to Route 327
St. Luke’s North Medical Center, 153 Brodhead Rd, Bethlehem, PA – Route 214 to EBT, then to Blue Line to Route 327
During the break, the recreation center’s operating hours are amended. Please see the Recreation Services page for hours.
Skillman & Kirby Library’s operating hours will be amended during the break. Please see the Library’s website for the amended hours.
Students who wish to connect with a local religious community during break can consult the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life’s website for more information.
The Pard Pantry, located in the Leopard’s Lair of the lower-level Farinon College Center, will be open on the following dates:
Monday, December 15: 12 p.m.- 2 p.m.
Monday, December 22: 12 p.m.- 2 p.m.
Monday, December 29, and Friday, January 2:12 p.m.- 2 p.m.
Because the college is closed during this time, students should arrive at the rear entrance to Farinon College Center for assistance in gaining access to the building and space.
Jan. 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23: 12 pm – 2 pm
Students with significant and unexpected food or other emergency needs should also consider submitting a request to the student emergency fund.
Parking enforcement will continue throughout the winter break period.
If you are leaving a car on campus during the winter break, it must be registered with Public Safety (even if you have a permit). Contact Jenn Borgo at Borgoj@lafayette.edu. All requests must be via email. Due to the possibility of snow over winter break, all vehicles staying on campus must be moved to the Bushkill Lot B for the following dates: 12/17/2026 – 1/23/2026.
If you do not have a parking pass for the spring semester, do not bring a car to campus. At this time, all parking is fully assigned, and the waitlist must be filled before accepting any other parking requests. The City of Easton Parking Garage has parking available downtown. You may use the link below to purchase a parking pass if you need a car near campus. https://www.easton-pa.com/242/Parking-Garages
A partnership between the College and the Lehigh and Northampton Transit Authority (LANTA) provides free transportation to current students, faculty, and staff. LANTA Bus Service operates 363 days a year. It offers reliable, consistent access to the Easton Bus Terminal, with stops along Cattell Street on College Hill, as well as at Giant Plaza and Weis Market in Forks Township, using Route Number 214. In addition to these routes, members of the Lafayette community may board any LANTA Bus, making the entire Lehigh Valley accessible.
I wish you much success in the remainder of your semester and your finals.
Respectfully,
Dean Snipes