Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Remote work for CSN to last till end of month
Nudge from governor prompts campus move
College of Southern Nevada has decided that all employees who can work remotely will do so for the rest of this month and that only “essential on-campus college operations” will continue.
The college also will switch in-person classes, with the exception of a few health care and career and technical education classes, to a remote format and will cancel or postpone all on-campus events scheduled this month, President Federico Zaragoza wrote in a message to students and employees.
The decision is in response to Gov. Steve Sisolak’s message Tuesday urging Nevadans to stay home as much as possible for the next two weeks and businesses to allow employees to work from home.
College of Southern Nevada, a community college with about 27,000 students and three Las Vegas Valley campuses, was already holding about 90 percent of its classes remotely this semester.
The switch to remote work began
Thursday and continues until at least Nov. 30, Zaragoza wrote.
College officials hope that the new restrictions are temporary and that by Nov. 30, “we can resume activities on a limited basis, as we have been doing for the bulk of the semester,” Zaragoza wrote. But, he added, “please know that if the state’s
numbers do not improve, we may be forced to remain in an almost completely remote environment through the end of the fall 2020 semester.”
UNLV is asking faculty members to shift from delivering classes in person to remotely when possible, President Keith Whitfield said in a Thursday announcement. The university was already offering about 80 percent of its fall classes remotely.
“We will operate with reduced in-person courses and services through the end of the semester,” he wrote. “As you are aware, conditions remain fluid.”
No changes are planned to residence hall or dining facility operations, Whitfield said.
“However, students who are in all remote courses and have other housing accommodations are encouraged to move out during the Thanksgiving break. Any residents who wish to do so will receive a prorated refund of room and board,” he said.
UNLV will also further reduce its business operations from Dec. 19 to Jan. 10 during winter break, he said, and some buildings will be closed.
At Nevada State College in Henderson, “all gatherings, meetings, and events (both on and off campus) should be limited to those that are small, truly essential and cannot occur in a virtual format,” Vice President of College and Community Engagement Edith Fernandez said in an announcement.