As we enter the season of gift giving, it’s worth noting that an early delivery has arrived.
That gift is in the form of time and talent. Team members from across the CSN community have been working diligently to ensure that students are able to comply with the Nevada State Board of Health’s new COVID-19 vaccination policy.
In August, the board mandated that all students enrolled in either in-person or hybrid courses at the state’s public colleges and universities will need to provide proof of a completed COVID-19 vaccination series or documentation for a medical or religious vaccination exemption. The policy applies to credit and non-credit courses beginning with spring semester.
The Admissions and Records/Registrar team took the lead with this compliance initiative in late September by creating a webpage for students to upload their documentation and developing an internal review protocol. Next came the process of preparing step-by-step compliance instructions that were emailed to all students. And since mid-October, a network of interdisciplinary volunteers at the college has been processing the submissions.
As of Dec. 10, more than 23,000 proof of vaccination and exemption forms have been submitted online, with many more expected.
That said, some students won’t be seeking registration assistance until mid-to-late January, and they may not have begun the necessary steps for COVID-19 proof of vaccination or exemption compliance.
In these instances, exercise your standard warm greeting to these students and refer them to the csn.edu/coyotetracks webpage for access to the one-stop resources they will need to pursue enrollment. Your guidance will help students minimize confusion regarding the necessary COVID-19 vaccination documentation and also reduce delays in their registration for spring courses.
Your ability to problem solve and collaborate across departments with this challenge—and on a tight deadline, no less—is nothing short of inspirational. Given the spirit of the season, your commitment to this effort is the ultimate gift toward putting Students First so they can persist toward their educational goals.
With gratitude,
Juanita
Juanita L. Chrysanthou
Vice President for Student Affairs
