Actively planning and preparing to be back fall semester

March 8, 2021

Dear Wolf Pack Family,

I am writing you today to share some important information about our plans for the Fall 2021 semester. Before I do this, I must acknowledge the remarkable effort that our students, faculty and staff have put forward since the pandemic first began. This effort, while facing a very stressful time, a time which has included in some cases the loss of friends and loved ones, has brought us to the point where we are now.

The latest trends Nevada has seen over the past few weeks has included the hopeful signs of lower COVID-19 positivity rates, decreases in hospitalizations, and increases in vaccinations. Because of these positive trends, I want you to know that we’re actively planning and preparing on being back for the fall semester — with more options for in-person academics and events, while remaining vigilant in all critical prevention efforts and continuing to prioritize the health and well-being of the University community.

Here are some of the areas of emphasis that we are prioritizing for a successful return to campus in Fall 2021, as we must continue to follow all current protocols and guidance from the state and county: 

• More in-person instruction in our classrooms and laboratories.
• More students living in our residential halls and eating in our dining hall.
• A return to Welcome Week events and a fall semester of student activities designed to re-engage us all with the beautiful campus and its facilities.
• The E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center will be open with additional offerings for physical well-being.
• In-person visits for our entire suite of academic support services.
• Expanded in-person services in Financial Aid and Scholarships to assist students in affording their University education.
• Allowing public attendance for all of our intercollegiate athletics events, guided by recommendations from the county.
• Return of our first-year student academic boot camp, NevadaFIT.
• Opportunities for our faculty and staff to return to work on campus and other locations.
• Return of on-campus and in-person job and internship recruitment fairs.
• Live performances in our performance halls.
• Continued access to professional counseling and psychological services offered through Counseling Services.
• Ongoing strategically targeted public health campaigns, with information provided both in and out of the classroom and displayed prominently throughout campus.

One of the fundamental assumptions guiding our planning is that conditions will continue to improve and that everyday life will continue to open up, as we observe all of the public health guidelines from the state and the county that are meant to mitigate the spread of virus. It is important to point out that if conditions change, reopening plans will need to be revised and will be guided by current state and county guidelines. Specific plans for resumption of Fall 2021 classes, including additional safety measures and starting dates, will be announced to coordinate closely with local public health agencies and follow all local and state health guidelines.

We want our most beloved and anticipated campus traditions and curricular activities that mark every fall semester to return. It is with sincere hope and optimism that we are going to make every effort to provide our students, faculty and staff with the energy and excitement of campus life and to experience first-hand the supportive force that our entire University represents.

I hope you share this feeling with me, this moment seems like it is a little different than previous moments during the pandemic. Saying we have turned the corner might be going too far. And again, it is important to remember the remarkable effort all of our people have made over the past year to help bring our University through a stressful, disruptive and uncertain time to where we are now. Throughout it all, our students, faculty and staff have demonstrated undaunted courage. And now there is real reason for optimism, something more than the cautious optimism we’ve experienced before, to feel that even if there are unexpected fluctuations, we have arrived at a point where finally now is the beginning of a much better time.

Let’s keep working together in achieving this goal of ensuring what we all know our University to be: A special place where people live, study, work, learn and have fun together — all as a part of our resilient Wolf Pack Family.

Go Pack!

Sincere regards,

Brian Sandoval
President