Coronavirus: Update From President Elaine C. Collins

April 7, 2020

Dear NVU Students, Staff, and Faculty,

I am thinking of each of you as we together, along with our local communities, our states, our nation, and the world, navigate this pandemic. Though much is happening on a global scale, I know that each of us is personally experiencing the tragic impact of what is happening in our local communities.

Students, the spring 2020 semester is unlike anything any of us has ever experienced. Each of you, like students across the country, are completing your school year in an unusual and unprecedented way. I applaud you as you have turned to remote learning at the same time that you may be struggling with internet speed, adapting to new learning modalities, or even trying to find a quiet place to study among siblings who are also learning at home and parents and caretakers who are working from home as well.

The adaptability and flexibility you are showing now will set you up for success with your future studies and careers. I am proud of you.

Faculty, thank you for the quick move you made to remote instruction. For some of you, I know this has involved new learning and use of new tools. Your creativity is admirable, especially when set in the context of sometimes slow internet and spouses and children at home due to the pandemic.

Currently, nearly all our staff across both campuses is working remotely for NVU. Staff, thank you for your incredible dedication to serving our students. You are thinking outside the box to deliver services through remote means. I especially enjoy seeing NVU come together to deliver virtual events from one campus department to all of NVU.

Thank you also to IT, who has done an incredible job enabling us to navigate remote work. Additionally, I would like to thank members of the Student Affairs team who work both remotely, and on the campuses, to support our students who are away and those who still live in NVU housing.

I would like to give a very special round of applause to the members of the Maintenance, Custodial, and Housekeeping Departments for their hard work and willingness to perform critical tasks during these stressful and uncertain times. The members of these teams have done an extraordinary job. Their dedication and devotion to keeping our facilities running safely throughout this pandemic is an example of NVU’s strength. Thank you.

I hope that all of you—students, faculty, and staff—are well. I miss seeing and working with you. While I enjoy the quiet of home and working with my dogs, Finley and Fergus, there is no comparison to the energy and activity of our two campuses. I hope to return to normal operations as soon as possible.

In the meantime, take good care of yourselves.

Elaine