Remote Instruction Opening Week
A Message from Interim President John W. Mills:
Dear NVU Students, Faculty, and Staff,
With the current COVID-19 situation, we have decided to make some changes to the start of classes next week. Please read carefully so you understand the details.
The first week of classes will begin on time on January 18, but all classes will be remote. We are making this decision to flatten the curve and to decrease campus density. Additionally, weather may exacerbate safe travel to campus. Snowfall is expected Monday throughout the day.
- Students, you may delay your arrival to campus and take your classes from home OR you can arrive on campus as planned and take them from your room. Commuter students, you are welcome to come to campus if you need high-speed internet to take your class. All students must follow all of the health and safety protocols outlined below.
- Check your NVU email and Canvas for Zoom links and details about how your class will meet. If you have not heard from your professor prior to your class time, please email them.
- We know remote learning can be difficult. We are making this pivot to keep the NVU community safe.
- Faculty, consistent with our week-one remote pivot last fall (on the Johnson campus), please report to your home campus to teach remotely from your classroom or office. Please post clear instructions for your students in Canvas, and email them as well.
Student Arrival to Campus and Testing Protocols
Students, you may arrive on campus as planned this weekend or you may delay your arrival to anytime during the week or the following weekend. Students living on campus must fill out the housing arrival form to indicate their arrival plans.
All students are expected to test in advance of departing for campus. Do not come to campus if you test positive or if you are showing signs of illness. A rapid testing kit will be given to all students upon arrival. Follow-up testing will be announced later and at NorthernVermont.edu/COVID19.
Campuses Will be Fully Operational
Our campuses will be operational the week of January 17. The dining halls will be open, employees will be on campus, the health and wellness office will be open, and athletics will go on as planned.
Again, we are making this move out of an abundance of caution to keep our NVU community safe and to flatten the curve at NVU as cases continue to rise. There are indications that cases are beginning to decrease in cities such as Boston.
The urgency of this message is to underscore that we need to pivot to remote teaching and communicate how to do that to our students, especially those new NVU students who haven’t had to do this before.
Health and Safety Protocols–#STAYHEALTHYNVU
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- Wearing masks indoors when you are with anyone else is mandatory.
- Get BOOSTED. Vaccination and the booster (when eligible) is a requirement for all students and employees See correction regarding employee vaccination below. Students may submit their proof of booster at NorthernVermont.edu/Covid19Vaccination (You will need to upload images of the front and back of your vaccination card.)
- Keep small social gatherings to a minimum—ALWAYS mask.
- Wash your hands.
- Socially distance.
- Stay home if you are ill, symptomatic for COVID-19, or know you were a close contact of someone who is positive.
Thank you. Stay tuned for updates. Keep up-to-date at NorthernVermont.edu/COVID19.
#STAYHEALTHYNVU
John
CORRECTION:
A Message from Interim President John W. Mills
Dear NVU Faculty and Staff,
Please note that I have a correction to make in my message sent via Tracy Sherbrook with the subject line, “Message from the President: REMOTE INSTRUCTION Opening Week.” Per VSCS Chancellor Sophie Zdatny’s message on Monday, vaccination and boosters are NOT “required” for employees. Rather, the Chancellor’s Office intends to adopt a “vaccinate or test” policy. Please see the chancellor’s full message below my signature.
John