A Philanthropic and Fiscal Partner

Lebanon Valley College has been an integral partner with the residents, businesses, and organizations of Annville, greater Lebanon Valley, and the state of Pennsylvania for more than 150 years. The people of LVC make a positive daily impact on Annville and the wider community through their volunteer service, financial support of local business and charitable organizations, and taxes paid to local and state governments—a more than $80 million impact statewide according to a 2014 analysis by the Association of Independent Colleges & Universities. 

LVC students, faculty, employees, and alumni volunteer thousands of service hours each year for numerous area organizations. They buy goods and services that create jobs and support local businesses. LVC employees purchase homes in the community and are active as charitable board members, volunteer firefighters, and nonprofit volunteers.

In addition to being Lebanon County’s 17th largest employer, the College’s engaged involvement in the region positively affects all areas of society, ranging from partnerships with local schools to the many free campus-based benefits shared with the community. Here is a sampling of how LVC has been involved with the local community in recent years.

Academic Community Partnerships

Faculty and students engage in numerous high-impact academic experiences in partnership with local schools and non-profits and provide thousands of hours of work through internships.

Community Organizations 

Faculty, students, and staff volunteer for numerous organizations and events, including serving on boards, assisting with fundraising, and conducting research and other academic projects. 

Financial Impact

The College understands the community’s financial needs. Since the 2001–2002 academic year, the College has made more than $1.4 million in voluntary contributions to the Annville Community (Annville Township, Annville-Cleona School District, Union Hose Fire Co., Union Hose Fire Truck, Downtown Project, Streetscape Project, other). In addition to outright donations, the College provides additional financial value to the local community through:

• The financial value of the volunteer services provided by College faculty, staff, and students.
• Taxes paid by College employees for goods and services, including homeownership, and for local and state earned income.
• Dollars spent by faculty, staff, and students in the community.
• The academic and volunteer services provided by faculty, students, and staff to non-profit.
• The value of free and/or low-cost events and facilities made available to the local community.

Education

Lebanon Valley College provides Annville-Cleona School District students 15 scholarship classes each semester (worth more than $286,000 dating back to July 2001). The College also has agreements with two Lebanon County school districts for their students to be dually enrolled at LVC. Finally, the College offers classes at the Milton Hershey School (MHS) each year, as well as hosting MHS students on campus for classes.

Also, in 2017–2018 LVC enrolled 210 full-time undergraduates from Lebanon County. Of these students, 90% were awarded $4,667,176 in grants and scholarships directly from LVC.

Payroll

Lebanon Valley College employed 399 full- and part-time faculty, and staff in 2017 who reside in Lebanon County representing a payroll of $12.9 million. LVC’s total payroll for all employees in that same year totaled $23.5 million. Of the $12.9 million in payroll paid to Lebanon County residents by the College, $4.5 million went to employees residing in the greater Annville area. 

Taxes

The College has traditionally kept properties on the local tax rolls except when they have a direct educational purpose. At present, the College maintains 13 Annville/North Annville properties on the tax rolls. Since 2012, the College has paid more than $4,502,256 in township, county, and school taxes. 

Voluntary Contributions to the Annville Community (since 2001–2002; as of 10-18)

• Annville Township ($374,900)
• Annville-Cleona School District ($290,700)
• Annville Free Library ($4,000)
• Union Hose Fire Company ($52,100)
• Union Hose Fire Truck ($50,000)
• Downtown Project ($250,000)
• Streetscape Project ($250,000)
• Other ($27,450)

Total = $1,403,100 

Student-Athlete/Athletics and the Community

All Dutchmen athletic teams support at least one charity, ranging from volunteering and hosting games dedicated to awareness and fundraising, to hosting children afflicted by disease to running educational awareness events. All LVC student-athletes have adopted a stretch of Route 934, and support community-wide programs such as Step Up! and It’s on Us! The College’s athletic facilities are also used by numerous area organizations ranging from events such as military recruitment to high school graduations to PIAA high school playoff contest. 

Student Community Service

Lebanon Valley College students volunteered more than 22,000 hours of their time during the 2018–2019 academic year, equaling $561,215 worth of service for the Lebanon County community and beyond. The students served in partnership with more than 124 community service organizations and initiatives.

Other Community Benefits

The College values its close relationship with the Annville community. A healthy and vibrant town benefits the community and Lebanon Valley College. As such, the College is an open campus and invites community members to numerous free, or low cost, events each year and offers campus facilities for community use throughout each academic year. Here is a sampling of additional community benefits offered by the College:

LVC Sports Center

The Edward H. Arnold Sports Center and Heilman Center provide recreational activities and fitness programs that are available to local residents for an affordable fee. Also, the College is a planned evacuation site for the American Red Cross and the Milton Hershey School. It also hosts public regional events, such as the 2015 U.S. Army Soldier Show. Moreover, local and regional schools use our award-winning athletic fields for interscholastic competition and practice.

Alumni

More than 2,243 LVC alumni live in Lebanon County (2,068 households) and 337 LVC alumni live in the greater Annville (307 households). 

Local Schools

The Lebanon Valley Education Partnership (LVEP) was established in 1989 between LVC and the Lebanon School District to encourage children to study, stay in school, and aspire to attend college. Currently, there are 10 LVEP scholars pursuing an LVC degree and 61 have graduated, receiving free tuition. The College also hosts the graduation ceremonies for Annville-Cleona High School and Palmyra High School, as well as their post-graduation and post-prom parties. 

LVC has a reverse transfer agreement with HACC that provides a pathway for students, currently enrolled at Lebanon Valley College, to transfer credits achieved at Lebanon Valley College back to HACC in order to earn an associate degree from HACC. The two partner colleges also have a Dual Admission Program that enables students to receive administrative support as they work toward earning degrees from two regionally recognized institutions. 

Physical Therapy/Speech-Language Pathology

The College’s upper-level physical therapy students and department provide free physical therapy treatment for referred patients of the Lebanon Free Clinic and Volunteers in Medicine Free Health Clinic through the C.U.R.E. (Compassion Undenied Rehabilitation Experience) program. And, the College broke ground in December 2019 on a speech-language-hearing clinic that will benefit community residents.  

The Arts

Many LVC educational events and programs are open and free to the community. These include an annual free performance by the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, ValleyFest, Christmas at The Valley, concerts, recitals, student theater, and art shows. Each year, the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery features several exhibits ranging from local artists to historic masters. Moreover, Gallery faculty and art majors conduct free projects in the community and local schools. In addition, the student-run theater group—Wig and Buckle—stage low-cost plays and musicals to which the public is warmly invited each year. And, art faculty work with veterans at the Lebanon VA Medical Center on a project that has expanded to other centers.

Vernon and Doris Bishop Library Vernon and Doris Bishop Library

Local residents can borrow from the more than 150,000 items in the Vernon and Doris Bishop Library print monograph collection. In addition, from within the library, visitors can access more than 100,000 electronic books, 59,000 electronic journals, and more than 200 online databases.

VITA

Beginning in 2008, LVC students have provided thousands of hours to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which is available to assist low-income, elderly, and otherwise disadvantaged taxpayers complete their federal, state, and local taxes. In the past two years alone (through spring 2017), LVC’s VITA student volunteers completed more than 500 federal, state, and local returns at no cost, helping clients retrieve more than $600,000 in tax returns that they otherwise might not have received.  

Conclusion

We are proud of the deep and mutually beneficial relationship between the College and its neighbors and are grateful for the connections that make the Lebanon Valley such a wonderful place to live. 

December 5, 2019