University of Nevada, Reno to begin online delivery of courses Monday, March 23

Acting in an effort to promote the health and safety of its students, faculty, staff and the community it serves, the University of Nevada, Reno made the decision today to enact alternate operations in a number of key areas. Although the University is not closing campus, it is making a concerted effort to greatly reduce the collection of people on campus in order to diminish the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). As of today, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus on campus.

These decisions have been informed by the dynamic and ever-changing nature of the outbreak of coronavirus throughout the world and in the United States. They have been made in consultation with campus administration, the Nevada System of Higher Education and the University’s partners in the public health community, including the Washoe County Health District and State of Nevada Public Behavioral Health.

The University will begin online delivery of all for-credit academic courses Monday, March 23, the week following Spring Break. The University has compiled an extensive list of resources to assist in delivering courses online. All faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro, an enterprise video conferencing platform with real-time messaging and content sharing.

The University is also directing all students to remain home and not return to campus following the completion of Spring Break March 22, until further notice. If students who are currently residing in residence halls do not have the option to remain home following the completion of Spring Break, they should contact University Residential Life and Housing immediately at 775-784-1113.

Students who have employment on campus should work with their supervisors to determine flexible arrangements regarding their pay and expected duties.

The University is directing the campus to cancel or postpone all public or special events with planned attendance of more than 150 people and to offer refund options, effective March 13. This directive shall be in place until further notice.

With recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of State’s issuance of a Global Travel 3 alert, the University is suspending all University-supported international travel and non-essential domestic travel by University employees and students. Domestic travel essential to University operations must be authorized by the traveler’s supervisor.

The University has created a Novel Coronavirus Information Page, which is updated regularly. The page contains the latest information and includes a variety of sources, as well as tips for faculty, students and staff regarding issues that could arise from coronavirus.

Administrative faculty, classified staff, student employees, postdoctoral scholars, temporary hourly and medical residents should report to work per their normal schedule. All employee types may discuss the possibility of working remotely with their supervisor.

For those experiencing anxiety or stress, the University has resources to help faculty, staff, students and its campus community navigate this challenging time. Self-care is an important consideration. Students in need of Counseling Services can call 775-784-4648. Employees in need of counseling can contact Human Resources, 775-784-6082.

For any questions regarding this shift in operations, the University has set up a 24-hour information line at 775-682-9900.

The University continues to review and adapt its planning and strategies as more is learned every day and will continue to communicate the latest developments on this important topic.