End of our Fall 2021 semester

December 2, 2021

Dear Wolf Pack Family,

I hope that you were all able to safely enjoy this past holiday weekend. As the semester nears its end, it is time to take stock of the many achievements our University has seen since we began classes in late August. Throughout it all, our University community has been one of focused determination. I know there have been challenges, and some of you have felt them more acutely than others. To all of you, I wish to express the University’s gratitude for the exemplary work and empathetic actions of so many that have characterized our fall 2021 semester.

The past few days have seen several developments regarding COVID-19. With the World Health Organization’s classification of a new variant, omicron, on Nov. 26, the CDC has made important recommendations as we continue in our efforts to remain vigilant in mitigating the spread of COVID-19. While it is still unclear to what extent omicron has spread, the CDC is recommending that in addition to wearing masks in public indoor settings, washing our hands frequently and physically distancing from others when possible, that anyone five years old and older protect themselves from COVID-19 by getting fully vaccinated. The CDC is encouraging a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for those who are eligible.

In an effort to make vaccinations more readily accessible to our campus community, the Student Health Center is offering free vaccinations and booster shots to all students, faculty and staff. Call (775) 784-6598 to schedule your appointment. You may also find a local provider through Immunize Nevada or the CDC’s VaccineFinder tool. The Student Health Center through an agreement with Northshore Clinical Labs is also offering free daily COVID-19 testing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, to students, faculty and staff. No appointment is necessary. You must have your NSHE ID or employee ID available and complete a registration form prior to testing.

As we make our way toward Commencement this weekend and in the days that follow, through Finals Week, it is clear that we could not have reached this moment without your hard work and concern for those you know and love. This is one of the most exhilarating as well as one of the most exhausting times for our University community—where our institution’s time-honored traditions and rites of passage, flurry of impending finals, grades and deadlines and expectations for a not-that-far-away new year all come together at one time.

Please continue to take good care of yourself, and of others in the coming days. Thank you for all that you’ve done this semester. Our University continues to move forward thanks to the best students and the finest faculty and staff an institution of higher learning could ever hope to have.

Go Pack!

Sincere regards,

Brian Sandoval
President