Dear CSN Family,
Today, NSHE Chancellor Thom Reilly instructed all system institutions to extend remote instruction through the end of the semester, and to postpone or develop alternatives to an in-person spring graduation ceremony.
The chancellor also addressed several other issues in his memo, including tenure, grading, delinquent student accounts and deferred payments, the hiring freeze, course withdrawals and an upcoming special Board of Regents meeting. This meeting will be needed to formally address some of the issues raised in the memo.
I understand that the decision to postpone the Commencement Ceremony will be disappointing to our students. We realize how important this annual ceremony is, so it is our sincere hope to reschedule it for this summer or fall. I say that knowing that the future is unclear right now. We do want the opinions of our graduating students on this important topic, so we will soon send them a short survey seeking their feedback. I will notify the entire CSN community as soon as we have more details.
Extending remote instruction through the end of the semester was not an easy decision either, but it is the right one in this time of uncertainty. There has been so much positive energy and effort focused on ensuring our students can learn remotely and we need to make sure they have a sense of stability for the duration of the semester. At this point we are unsure whether we will conduct the summer session remotely, but please know that if the decision is made to do so, it will be made with the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff in mind.
Please remember to visit our website at www.csn.edu/coronavirus for the latest updates on COVID-19 and for links to critical community and student resources available to you.
Thank you all for your continued dedication to our students and to each other. Your collective efforts these last few weeks have been truly inspirational.
Federico
