Dear CSN Family,

As concern over the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow, I want to let you know that the College of Southern Nevada is preparing measures to ensure academic and operational continuity, while also taking care to keep our campus community safe and healthy. We will continue to update you on these measures as they develop.

You may be aware of NSHE Chancellor Thom Reilly’s recent memo, which calls on all system institutions to be prepared to transition to remote and virtual instruction no later than April 3. CSN’s Incident Management Planning Team is committed and actively working on this planning in college instruction, student support, and institutional services. Please note, no decisions have been made, however, and no closure or cancellations have been planned or scheduled.   

I suspect that, like me, you have been following the news on this issue closely, and you are concerned. Please know that I am in close contact with our Incident Management Planning Team, NSHE officials, and local and staff health experts, to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of our faculty, staff and students remains paramount. We stand ready to respond appropriately, including making future changes to classroom procedures if and when we deem them necessary. I want to reiterate, at this time, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our campuses.

We have no plans to cancel CSN-sponsored events, on campus or off, but we will be reviewing each event based on the most recent health advisories and official information. We are monitoring local, state and federal guidelines that have been released regarding gatherings and social distancing, and will continue doing so as the situation evolves. We are also working with external groups with scheduled events on our campuses in case circumstances require event cancellation.

A quick reminder that employees who feel ill should stay home and notify their supervisor. See the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines on “What to do if You Are Sick.” Any employee who believes they may be a member of the defined vulnerable population for COVID-19 as set forth by the CDC guidelines should consult with their supervisor as well.

While all international travel was canceled several days ago, there have been questions about the cancellation of faculty and staff domestic travel. At this time, in state and out of state travel will be restricted, as is attendance at local conferences without approval from your respective vice president. For your safety, we recommend that faculty and staff refrain from attending large events and social gatherings in general.

Finally, please keep in mind that while COVID-19 is a worldwide issue, it may affect those all around us. We must support our campus and local communities, regardless of their ethnicity or background. We should never stereotype or stigmatize any individual or group, and we should always treat each other with respect and empathy.

Thank you.

Federico

CSN Students, 

As we continue to monitor the developments around coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we want to reiterate that all faculty, staff and students should refer to our website (www.csn.edu/coronavirus) for additional information as it becomes available. 

We understand this is a time of uncertainty and stress for many of you and for our students. We have received a number of inquiries from our community. We want to call your attention to a few key points and provide new information.  

1. Your health and the health of your loved ones is a primary concern for CSN. If you are not feeling well, contact your professor according to the details in your class syllabus. We encourage you to stay home and seek appropriate medical attention if you are not feeling well.  
2. Excused absences, assignments and exams will be handled according to normal procedures listed in your class syllabus. 
3. Students who are planning to travel overseas during the upcoming spring break are strongly encouraged to follow the latest guidelines for travel by visiting CDC’s traveler information. Please carefully weigh the risks and benefits of potential international travel or travel to states reporting confirmed cases of COVID-19. Monitor travel advisories daily and prepare for the possibility that travel restrictions and quarantine protocols in other countries and some domestic locations could change with short notice.

Please keep in mind the impact of COVID-19 is worldwide but may also affect our friends and the lives of families all around us. It’s important we support our campus and local communities regardless of their ethnicity or background. We should never stereotype or stigmatize any individual or group, and we should always treat each other with respect and empathy.

As stated in our last email, we will keep you updated through the website and via email. Should you have any questions or concerns about CSN’s precautions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Carey Sedlacek in Environmental Health & Safety at 702-651-4817.

Sincerely,

Federico

CSN Family, 

As we continue to monitor the developments around coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we want to reiterate that all faculty, staff and students should refer to our website (www.csn.edu/coronavirus) for additional information as it becomes available. 

We understand this is a time of uncertainty and stress for many of you and for our students. We have received a number of inquiries from our community. We want to call your attention to a few key points and provide new information.  

1. Please be flexible in working with your students. Their health and the health of their loved ones are our primary concern. We encourage you to work with them if they believe they need accommodations in order to continue their studies.  
2. Please offer students understanding and accommodations such as make-up exams, alternate assignments, flexibility on attendance, and flexibility though additional use of online learning or the emailing of assignments.   
3. We want you to know you should feel comfortable in your classroom environment as well. If you are feeling ill, please follow normal class cancellation protocols. 
4. Classes should not be canceled because a student reports they are not feeling well or have flu-like symptoms. Please encourage them to stay home and seek appropriate medical attention. If a student states there may a potential exposure to coronavirus, immediately email the incident management planning team at wellness@csn.edu. Include as much detail as possible and your contact information, but please do not include the student’s name or personal information. A member of the team will contact you for further information.  
5. Students, faculty and staff planning to travel overseas during the upcoming spring break are strongly encouraged to follow the latest guidelines for travel by visiting CDC’s traveler information. Please carefully weigh the risks and benefits of potential international travel or travel to states reporting confirmed cases of COVID-19. Monitor travel advisories daily and prepare for the possibility that travel restrictions and quarantine protocols in other countries and some domestic locations could change with short notice.

Please keep in mind the impact of COVID-19 is worldwide but may also affect our friends and the lives of families all around us. It’s important we support our campus and local communities regardless of their ethnicity or background. We should never stereotype or stigmatize any individual or group, and we should always treat each other with respect and empathy.

As stated in our last email, we have set up an incident management planning team and will keep you updated through the website and via email. Should you have any questions or concerns about CSN’s precautions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Carey Sedlacek in Environmental Health & Safety at 702-651-4817.

Sincerely,

Federico

Dear CSN Family,

We know there is growing concern locally and nationally regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff will always be our top priority. 

While there are currently no confirmed cases reported in Nevada, the Southern Nevada Health District has announced the first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in a Clark County resident. We will continue to keep you updated regarding recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Southern Nevada Health District moving forward. 

We do believe we must take precautions now to ensure we have appropriate protocols in place to respond to this evolving situation as needed. To that end, we have taken the following actions:

• A website has been set up at www.csn.edu/coronavirus.  This page will direct you to important resources and college updates.
• An incident management planning team has been established to monitor the situation, liaison with appropriate agencies and make recommendations to the CSN Policy Group already established in our emergency operations plan. 
• Additional sanitary and cleaning supplies are being ordered to ensure they are available in public facilities and student gathering places.
• Janitorial service rotations will be increased in some of the aforementioned areas to ensure surfaces are routinely disinfected.

If anyone has questions or concerns regarding COVID-19, please contact Carey Sedlacek in Environmental Health & Safety at 702-651-4817.

We will continue to monitor developments and provide frequent updates both through my office and the website.

Best,

Federico

Dear students, faculty, and staff:

The College of Southern Nevada and the Environmental Health and Safety department continue to closely monitor the evolving outbreak of novel coronavirus – now officially named Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

It is important for the CSN community to know that while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers this to be a serious public health concern, based on current information, the immediate health risk to the general American public remains low. COVID-19 is NOT currently spreading within US communities, according to the CDC. However, it’s important to note that current global circumstances suggest it is likely the virus will continue to spread worldwide.

Since our last update, the CDC has issued new travel guidance urging individuals to avoid unnecessary travel to both China and South Korea. In addition, they are recommending extra precautions for older adults and those with chronic medical conditions traveling to Japan, Italy, and Iran. 

To slow the spread of COVID-19 into the United States, new entry procedures have been implemented. Foreign nationals who have visited China in the past 14 days are not permitted to enter the U.S. at this time. 

American citizens, lawful permanent residents, and their families who have been to China in the last 14 days will be allowed to enter the U.S. but will undergo medical screening and possibly additional activity restrictions. For more information regarding COVID-19 travel alerts, please visit the CDC’s Information for Travelers website.

Other than avoiding travel to current outbreak areas, there is no need to take additional precautions beyond those you would normally take to avoid the spread of colds and viruses. 

• Stay home from work or school when sick – remain home until the fever has been gone for at least 24 hours
• Avoid contact with other people who are sick 
• Wash hands often with soap and water. If not available, use hand sanitizer
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
• Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing

A note about face masks: Face masks are most useful for preventing disease spread when they are worn by people who have symptoms. This is why people are asked to wear a mask at doctors’ offices and hospitals if they are coughing or sneezing.

CSN will continue to monitor the Coronavirus situation carefully and will take proactive and prudent measures to ensure the health and safety of students and staff in accordance with guidance provided by the Southern Nevada Health District and the CDC.

You can continue to monitor the latest COVID-19 updates at the following websites:

• CDC’s Situation Summary
• Southern Nevada Health District

If anyone has questions or concerns regarding COVID-19, please contact Carey Sedlacek in Environmental Health & Safety at 702-651-4817.