College of Southern Nevada

Additional questions from July 29, 2021 President’s Town Hall that panelists did not get to answer before the town hall ended. 

Will employees be allowed to telecommute if they must quarantine?

• Employees will be able to work virtually if an approved telecommuting agreement has been agreed upon and in place.

Just to be clear, will we be teaching in-person classes in the Fall semester with both faculty and students wearing a mask?  

• Under Governor’s Directive 47, yes, faculty and students will be required to wear face coverings on campus.  

The signage at the new building at the Henderson campus reads, ‘The Betty Engelstad…’ but leaves off Mr. Ralph Engelstad. The School of Health Sciences at CSN is called, ‘The Ralph and Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences.’ Why is it different in Henderson?

• The naming of the building was determined by the donor. The building houses a select subset of health programs, science courses and NSC Nursing Simulation.

Recognizing that COVID-19 is very dynamic, are there predetermined conditions that will trigger hybrid classes becoming remote? Will faculty and/or students be able to decide together when they are uncomfortable enough to meet less than published?

• The environment is very dynamic, and we have plans in place to be able to pivot to more distance learning and/or hybrid courses if we need to.  Guidance from the County, State and NSHE will continue to be provided to the NSHE institutions in this regard.  Faculty and/or students are not permitted to change the published modality of instruction for their classes.

We will soon start having new student employees returning to our departments, will they be required to fill out the return to campus protocols form? If so, where can they access it to complete it?

• At this time, the Return to Campus Acknowledgement has been suspended due to the changing environment.  Rather, return to campus protocols will follow the guidance provided by NSHE, the Southern Nevada Health District, and the governor.

Who will be enforcing mask mandates on campus?

• Masks are required of all individuals on campuses, sites and centers.  In the case of a non-compliance with an employee, please contact Human Resources.  In the case of a student that will not comply, please contact the Campus Provost or designee for purposes of student conduct.  However, any issues that arise of a confrontational level, please contact UPD. 

Do we practice COVID contact tracing @ CSN?

• Yes, we practice contact tracing through our case management approach.  Additionally, we coordinate and work with the Southern Nevada Health District.  It is important that individuals communicate with our WELLNESS@CSN.EDU so that our process is effective. 

If you don’t have an office, but are in your own cubicle, is it ok to take off your mask while in your cubicle?

• Please wear a face covering while in your cubicle space.  

During this time, are people currently at risk of losing their tenure track jobs that are under ADA & FMLA accommodations for unusually high risk of COVID19 complications and being required to work from home as signed off by a physician?

• Tenure cannot be revoked based on an employee exercising their rights under the FMLA and ADAAA.

For those who cannot attend convocation in person but are at the North Las Vegas campus, will they be able to purchase items from the food trucks out of pocket?

• Yes. On the RSVP form choose “Remote Online” as your attendance venue and select Yes as your answer to the question Do you plan to attend on-site food truck lunch. Please see visit the Horn Theater on the day of the event for a lunch coupon.

Will we need to wear our masks while actively teaching in the classroom on campus?

• Yes, face coverings are required in classrooms and during instruction. 

The UC system is mandating vaccinations. Does the chancellor have the authority or inclination to enact mandatory vaccinations to attend in person classes?

• The State of Nevada has communicated that vaccination requirements for students is determined by the State Department of Health.  The Department is considering vaccinations for NSHE students.  As we have updated developments we will keep the college apprised. 

What are the chances that we will be returning to a distance learning model or hybrid model?

• The environment is very dynamic, and we have plans in place to be able to pivot to more distance learning and/or hybrid courses if we need to.  Guidance from the County, State and NSHE will continue to be provided to the NSHE institutions in this regard.

Has there been any discussion about reducing classroom capacity for the fall? 

• At this time, we do not anticipate a change in classroom capacity.  CSN continues to be flexible in instructional modality, and recognize that some disciplines and/or programs may not lend themselves to a remote environment.  

NSHE allows professional staff sick leave for “personal illness”. Does personal illness include mental illness or only physical illness? It seems some supervisors/divisions allow the use of sick leave for mental health issues while others require use of vacation time for those struggling with mental health issues. Thank you for clarifying.

• Employees and supervisors should contact HR for each circumstance that may involve sick or vacation leave and if there are questions.  HR can provide guidance on the appropriate leave for each specific circumstance.

Is there a projection about the demand for online classes vs classroom? Also, do we have estimates about how many students we expect that have not yet registered for classes? It is very challenging to adjust schedules in this ever changing landscape. Thanks for any guidance.

• CSN conducted a student instructional modality survey in Spring 2021 and asked students to share their preferences for instructional modality for their Fall 2021 class schedule.  48% of student respondents indicated that they wanted in-person class experiences, 48% of student respondents indicated that they preferred fully remote classes and 4% did not have a preference.  The class schedule for fall 2021 was built with these student preferences in mind.  Student enrollment for fall 2021 continues.  As of August 1^st, there are still several thousand new students and returning students who have not yet enrolled for fall 2021.  The last month of enrollment prior to the start of the regular 16-week fall semester is important.  The CSN Strategic Enrollment Management leadership team has engaged a variety of strategies to ensure every student who wants to enroll, can enroll.  We are monitoring enrollments daily and responding to enrollment trends strategically.

Will an instructor be required to wear a face mask while actually lecturing, or can they remove the mask while talking?

• Yes, face coverings are required in classrooms and during instruction. 

Does the new Telecommuting Policy effect academic faculty or just administrative faculty.

• The Telecommuting Policy applies to Administrative Faculty and Classified Staff.  Academic Faculty are exempted from the Telecommuting Policy.

If our supervisor approves the telecommuting schedule for our department, do we need to wait until our request has been signed by everyone before beginning to work from home?

• The signature of the supervisor and appointing authority, with confirmation of receipt in HR is needed prior to a telecommuting arrangement commencing.

Will there be any possible requirements for staff, faculty, or students to get a vaccine?

• Vaccination requirements for staff, faculty or students will be determined by the appropriate State of Nevada entity and/or body. 

Why isn’t there more prominent signage showing where the COVID vaccines and tests are being conducted? Speaking specifically for the NLV campus, community members entering from the NE end of campus (by the T building) have no idea where to go on campus. Even the signage that use to be on Cheyenne Ave is spotty. Will this change?

• CSN will augment the Southern Nevada Health District signage regarding vaccinations and testing.

There’s lots of mixed messages, with executive leadership saying not 100% in person but that is NOT the message many of us are receiving. What are we doing to communicate what the plan for fall actually is?

• If this question is about instruction for fall 2021, there are three instructional modality options for students across the class schedule. The proportion of class offerings by modality is dependent on the course discipline and equipment/facility instructional needs.  Here is the latest (August 1^st) snapshot of instructional modality for Fall 2021 by academic school:

School	Modality	Number of Sections	Proportion of Class Sections by Modality
AAT	Hybrid	47	9.42%
In-Person	247	49.50%
Web Remote	205	41.08%
Total	499
A & L	Hybrid	49	4.36%
In-Person	307	27.31%
Web Remote	768	68.33%
Total	1124
BHPS	Hybrid	43	9.03%
In-Person	139	29.20%
Web Remote	294	61.76%
Total	476
EBSS	Hybrid	55	6.89%
In-Person	202	25.31%
Web Remote	541	67.79%
Total	798
HS	Hybrid	47	13.13%
In-Person	192	53.63%
Web Remote	119	33.24%
Total	358
MS	Hybrid	76	8.68%
In-Person	440	50.23%
Web Remote	360	41.10%
Total	876

Can you please give an update on the status of the student unions re-opening? We want coffee!!

• The Student Unions are currently open for services. Beginning in the Fall 2021 semester, the Proudly Serving Starbucks coffee shops will be available at our three main campus locations. In addition to serving the full menu of hot and cold beverages, the locations will also make available for purchase pastries, bottled drinks, breakfast items, and hot food options for lunch and dinner.  

We are super excited about the opening of the Henderson Health & Sciences building!!!! What can we expect at the event?

• The Grand Opening will be on August 25^th at 6pm – please plan to attend!

Obviously you cannot answer this definitively, but has there been anything in communications from NSHE or the Governor that suggests we will again have to all go home like mid-March last year?

• We do not anticipate a campus closure.  Increasing vaccinated rates within the southern Nevada community including our faculty, staff, and students is an important step to managing COVID. 

Will faculty be required to hold in-person office hours even if they are teaching fully online?

• The CSN Faculty Workload Policy remains in effect.  Here is the language regarding full-time faculty office hours from the policy: 

Office Hours: Each full-time Academic Instructional Faculty contract will include five (5) office hours per week, per semester on average; to be spread over several days during each semester. Access provided by office hours should account for the mode of delivery and schedule of the course(s) taught at any given time.

Are the class modality being changed as cases continue to rise or are we sticking to what we have planned?

• The environment is very dynamic, and we have plans in place to be able to pivot to more distance learning and/or hybrid courses if we need to.  Guidance from the County, State and NSHE will continue to be provided to the NSHE institutions in this regard.

Will Vegan lunches be provided from the food trucks at convocation?

• Yes.

We are being told we are a priority, but honestly, it does not feel like it. A coworker tested positive for COVID, was in the office and we were never informed even though many of us are immune compromised. We have made this very clear. The honor system is not working. We can still get sick if the conditions are outside of guidelines. There has been little support for telecommute even though it is unnecessary to be in the office and it feels like we are forced to work in potentially dangerous situations for no valid reason.

• HR cannot provide a response for an unconfirmed circumstance.  Please contact HR with concerns regarding this matter.  Mask requirements are effective for all individuals (vaccinated or unvaccinated) effective July 30^th.  We cannot stress enough the importance of completing the daily health assessment, not coming to work if you are not feeling well, communicating with WELLNESS@CSN.EDU, and getting vaccinated if possible.   

Is mandatory vaccination on the table with NSHE Board of Regents and CSN? Many US institutions across the US have already imposed this requirement for Fall 2021.

• Vaccination requirements for staff, faculty or students will be determined by the appropriate State of Nevada entity and/or body.

Is it a good idea to have beginning of semester meetings live?

• Please work with your respective dean or department leadership regarding in-person meetings.  If the meeting is needed to be conducted in person, we recommend using larger venues such as lecture halls or Student Union ballrooms if available.  It is recommended that a virtual option be provided for academic school and department meetings for those that prefer to participate virtually at this time.  

Will academic affairs/school departments offer some type of standardized language for faculty to include in our syllabus related to COVID/face covering requirements/attendance, etc.?

• This is under discussion and should there be some boiler plate language, it will be provided to all faculty.

Is there any talk about moving face-to-face classes to web-remote if the transmission rates get above a certain amount?

• The environment is very dynamic, and we have plans in place to be able to pivot to more distance learning and/or hybrid courses if we need to.  Guidance from the County, State and NSHE will continue to be provided to the NSHE institutions in this regard.

Regarding telecommuting, how likely is it that the supervisor’s decision will be upheld and supported by upper administration, without being dictated otherwise?

Are students’ input included in this decision making process? And if not, where can students go to make their voices heard?

• Student government is the representative body for student stakeholders.  In addition to the student government executive officers, each campus has senators. CSN Administrators systematically seek input from student leaders in decision making.  

Bill stated that we are using a Hybrid model however some supervisors are telling their staff they will not approve it and know that there is no an appeal process for the staff to get assistance.

• Please contact HR for questions regarding a specific telecommuting circumstance.

Many of us do not have an hybrid option as Bill said. In fact we have lost many employees because of this. What is going to be done to ensure that we will have hybrid options in all areas?

• Please contact HR for questions regarding a specific telecommuting circumstance.

I am glad that CSN is now being very clear that Supervisors need to be flexible with schedules especially with COVID is now on the rise. A lot of supervisors are denying and are not open to a more hybrid schedule for staff.

• Please contact HR for questions regarding a specific telecommuting circumstance.

What is the likelihood of CSN going back to complete online/remote operations for Fall 2021? 

• We do not anticipate a campus closure.  Increasing the southern Nevada community including our faculty, staff and students that are vaccinated is an important step to managing COVID. 

The current directive states that everyone should wear masks in all public spaces beginning Friday, are our own offices included?

• If you are alone in private office you are not required to wear a face covering however, can continue to do so.  

Is mandatory vaccination on the table with NSHE Board of Regents and CSN? Many US institutions across the US have already imposed this requirement for Fall 2021.

• Vaccination requirements for staff, faculty or students will be determined by the appropriate State of Nevada entity and/or body.

I believe my question about hybrid/remote was misunderstood. What I am asking is if the Delta variant gets to a certain dangerous level – do you already have a plan to make things hybrid/remote across the board to provide everyone the same protection and safety, not just those who have roles that can easily be performed remotely?

• The environment is very dynamic, and we have plans in place to be able to pivot to more distance learning and/or hybrid courses if we need to.  Guidance from the County, State and NSHE will continue to be provided to the NSHE institutions in this regard.

Why isn’t the Chief Diversity Officer a panelist? Many of us have questions about Sawgrass and other diversity concerns but we are not able to get answers.

• Our Chief of Staff/Diversity Office is typically our moderator, we apologize but Mr. Weekly was not available to participate today.  

Several staff/people on CSN campuses are testing positive or around people who are positive, but they are not reporting. I feel uncomfortable being in the same space if a person has tested positive. How can I report them so that CSN has better data to the true numbers?

• HR cannot comment on an unconfirmed positive test.  Please utilize the Wellness@CSN.edu to report any confirmed cases or exposure.

If the numbers of Covid cases continue to rise, will CSN go completely remote for both students and CSN staff?

• The environment is very dynamic, and we have plans in place to be able to pivot to more distance learning and/or hybrid courses if we need to.  Guidance from the County, State and NSHE will continue to be provided to the NSHE institutions in this regard.

Will we force staff to take ALL vaccines (shingles, flu…) for the safety and wellbeing of students and staff?

• Vaccination requirements for staff, faculty or students will be determined by the appropriate State of Nevada entity and/or body.

Many of our students’ financial situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19, what is the college doing to help these students with the federal funding that CSN received. Spelman College is clearing outstanding tuition balances using federal funding from COVID-19. Where did the federal funding for CSN go?

• Through the CSN federal HEERF funding, the College has supported students registered during Summer 2020, Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 that had an outstanding balance.  CSN was able to support over 3,400 students with funding that addresses all or a portion of their outstanding balance.  Student received a communication regarding this support and have been encouraged to reach out to Financial Aid, Advising and Counseling for additional assistance to enroll and continue their academic programs.  Additionally, the Counseling department is supporting students needs through the Student Emergency Fund application and funding. Financial aid has awarded $7 million twice (total $14 million) during the pandemic.  The first was in spring 2020, and the second was in Spring 2021. There is an additional $30 million to be awarded to ease the financial impact of the covid pandemic.  A task force is working on criteria for such awards.  Additionally, a portion of the institutional HEERF funding will be used to support students impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.  

Can more signage be placed outside of buildings and the parking lots where the COVID-19 testing and vaccination is being held for the students?

• CSN will augment the Southern Nevada Health District signage regarding vaccinations and testing.

Please consider having outside signage to direct those seeking COVID testing/vaccine to prevent them from entering buildings or stopping others to ask for directions. Someone (unmasked) knocked on my car door window to ask me where they could get the vaccine. I’d prefer signs direct them rather than they feel the need to ask. Thank you!

• CSN will augment the Southern Nevada Health District signage regarding vaccinations and testing.

Will our department meetings and deans meetings be remote during convocation?

• Please work with your respective dean or department leadership regarding in-person meetings.  If the meeting is needed to be conducted in person, we recommend using larger venues such as lecture halls or Student Union ballrooms if available.  It is recommended that a virtual option be provided for academic school and department meetings for those that prefer to participate virtually at this time.

I think we all know confrontations with people who refuse to follow mask guidelines on campus are inevitable. What extra security and support will be provided to faculty and staff to handle this problem? 

• Masks are required of all individuals on campuses, sites and centers.  In the case of a non-compliance with an employee please contact Human Resources in the case of a student that will not comply please contact the Campus Provost or designee for purposes of student conduct.  However, any issues that arise of a confrontational level please contact UPD.  

President Biden just imposed a policy of all federal employees be either vaccinated or submit to regular testing, so why our President Z cannot impose the same on our faculty, staff and students? 

• The College works within the framework of the Nevada System of Higher Education.  

The Spring 2022 teaching request form in my department didn’t have a space to request an overload class. Are overload classes being suspended for Spring 2022?

• Overload classes are not suspended for Spring 2022.  Faculty should work with their respective department chairs regarding their workloads for spring 2022.

Please clarify… if you test positive if vaccinated you don’t have to quarantine?

• All positive cases of COVID-19 will need to quarantine regardless of vaccination status. Fully vaccinated individuals that are exposed to a positive case may not need to quarantine if they meet certain criteria please communicate with WELLNESS@CSN.EDU.    

Can CSN reinstate Covid sick time?

• Restoration of Administrative Leave is a decision made by NSHE in collaboration with any communications or directives given by the Governors Office.  If an employee has been confirmed to have been vaccinated, they may be eligible for paid administrative leave under the Governors Directive, if it is confirmed they have been exposed to COVID or are required to quarantine due to exposure.  

Businesses are starting to require weekly testing for COVID-19 for unvaccinated individuals. Will CSN start this process?

• Under the Governors Directive, mandatory testing will be required for unvaccinated employees beginning August 15.

To return to the question about whether school and department meetings will be in-person: our dean has stated that we are expected to attend in-person. That message came to us over a week ago, but there has been no recanting of that demand. Will deans be required to allow faculty to opt out of in-person attendance despite this dean’s demand?

• Please work with your respective dean or department leadership regarding in-person meetings.  If the meeting is needed to be conducted in person, we recommend using larger venues such as lecture halls or Student Union ballrooms if available.  With that said, it is recommended that academic department and school meetings be conducted in the hybrid environment with a virtual option for those that prefer to participate virtually at this time.

Dear CSN Family, 

Today, I join with the White House, NSHE Chancellor Dr. Melody Rose, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education, the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and countless others in expressing our concern over a recent federal court ruling regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.   

The DACA program was implemented in 2012 through an executive order to give thousands of undocumented young adults a work permit and shield them from deportation. This past Friday, a U.S. District Judge in Texas ruled the program unlawful. Judge Andrew Hanen’s ruling barred the administration from approving new DACA applications. The ruling, however, does allow the current DACA recipients to remain protected and able to renew their protected status. It is imperative that the United States Congress act as soon as possible to pass federal legislation to provide a permanent immigration solution for the hundreds of thousands of youths covered by the program.   

At CSN, we value the diverse population of students, faculty and staff that make up the CSN family. We strongly support the pursuit of education by all of our students including DACA-undocumented students. As a community college, we must reflect the diverse sectors of the community we serve.  

There are resources available for those who may need them. The UNLV Immigration Clinic’s University Legal Services Program offers free legal advice and representation to the UNLV and CSN communities. To schedule an appointment, call (702) 895-2080 or email immigrationclinic@unlv.nevada.edu. The Immigrant Home Foundation also provides assistance and resources to immigrant families. To schedule an appointment, call (702) 889-4431 or email info@immigrantfoundation.org.  

For additional information, please contact the CSN All-Access Committee. Some of the resources available to our DACA and undocumented students include the CSN Alternative Scholarship Application and the CSN Student Emergency Fund. To learn more about immigration resources in general, see the Nevada Immigrant Resource Guide.  

Thank you.   

Federico Zaragoza 

President 

College of Southern Nevada 

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Dear CSN Family,

As we celebrate our nation’s freedom and independence today, I encourage you to reflect on the heroic efforts of our CSN alumni and graduates who are amongst front-line health professionals and first responders who have put themselves at risk to ensure our safety and thus to provide all of us with the freedom to celebrate Independence Day with our families and loved ones. These sacrifices epitomize the type of heroic actions that Americans have made throughout our nation’s history to preserve the liberties and freedom we enjoy today. 

As Americans, we are inspired by our Declaration of Independence that address principles of diversity and inclusion. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” At CSN, we celebrate the diversity of our students and employees and provide safe and welcoming learning environments for everyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or religious beliefs.  

Thank you for all that you do to our help our students and community to achieve, succeed, and prosper. Please know that our collective work contributes to our nation’s ability to create opportunity and evolve into a more perfect union.  

Have a safe and happy 4^th of July holiday. 

Federico Zaragoza
President
College of Southern Nevada

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Dear CSN Family,

I am pleased to announce that James McCoy has accepted the position of Vice President of Academic Affairs after a national search. Mr. McCoy has been serving as interim VPAA since November 2020, and joined CSN in 2003

James is an award-winning scholar, community leader, and ambassador for our students. His higher education career spans more than 20 years, including Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Success for the Nevada System of Higher Education, as well as several roles at CSN, including Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Associate Vice President for Academic Success, Chair and Lead Faculty for the Department of Communication and as a tenured Communication Professor.  James was also an instructor at several community colleges in California, where he taught an array of communication courses. Prior to working in academia, he worked in radio broadcasting as a radio morning show host and radio station program director.  

He was the Co-Creator and Executive Producer of the acclaimed documentary No Greater Odds, serves as a national Fellow and Content Expert for Complete College America, and has served as the CCA state lead in Nevada. His latest work with CCA involves the development and implementation of the Momentum Year — this includes Guided Pathways strategies complete with purpose first, academic mapping, proactive advising, 15 to Finish, Meta Majors and co-requisite math and English in the first year. 

A highly sought-after national keynote speaker and presenter, James often talks about the important work that community colleges do in the United States. Additionally, James speaks and consults for corporations, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions throughout the country.   

James earned a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication and Master of Arts in Communication from California State University, Fresno. He will have an earned doctorate in Community College Leadership from Ferris State University prior to beginning his tenure as VPAA at CSN. A cancer survivor and cancer research activist, he actively serves on the Board of Trustees for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. James and his wife reside in Las Vegas, where they are raising their two children and serving their local community.        

Please join me in congratulating VPAA James McCoy!

Federico Zaragoza
President
College of Southern Nevada

Dear CSN Family,

Juneteenth has always been a celebration of hope and freedom — and I applaud the designation of this special day as our newest Federal Holiday. As we celebrate, let us affirm our desire to end anti-black racism, engage in open dialogue with one another, and pursue changes to advance our institution to ensure equity.

Today we acknowledge that on this day in 1865, two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, federal troops arrived Galveston, Texas and assumed control to ensure that all enslaved people were “thenceforward, and forever free.” Two months after President Lincoln (who signed the proclamation) was assassinated there was finally a reason for hope and the day became an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

As we endeavor to create a community, state and nation true to the notion that all of us are created equal, we must reflect on our history while actively pursuing a better tomorrow. The racism, bigotry, hate and intolerance in our past has no place in our future. Today, Juneteenth is a chance to celebrate and renew our commitment to one another and equality for all people. Happy Juneteenth.

Stay safe and God bless.

Federico