A Message from the President: NSU Sharks Return to Campus This Fall; Vaccinations Required
Because of your continued efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 and the availability of vaccines generally throughout the state and specifically to NSU by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, NSU intends to resume full in-person classroom learning for the fall 2021 semester/term.
We reached this decision after careful planning and consultation with our health care and operational professionals to ensure that we can indeed return to healthy campuses with appropriate safety precautions in place while implementing new guidelines.
As such, we will continue to follow CDC guidelines and our existing rules (modified as stated below) which follow these guidelines, and advice from our own medical professionals and public health experts. In addition, the availability of the vaccine will enable us to return to a “partial pre-pandemic” environment if we adopt a stringent requirement that all be vaccinated.
In summary, the following announcement is for all students, faculty, and staff members:
• ALL NSU STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF RETURNING TO ANY NSU CAMPUS OR NSU SITE FOR THE FALL 2021 SEMESTER/TERM ARE REQUIRED TO BE FULLY VACCINATED FOR COVID-19 EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1, 2021 (effective JULY 1, 2021 for some Health Professions Division programs, please check with your program director). In the next few weeks, we will produce a formal policy to provide for limited exemptions as recognized under law for students or employees with underlying medical conditions that prohibit vaccination or who have sincerely held religious beliefs (not personal beliefs). A detailed policy will follow in advance of the effective dates, outlining a process for providing your proof of vaccination, as well as how to request consideration for a limited exemption.
• With the extra protection of widespread vaccination, the NSU community will be able to resume more activities and operations sooner, leading to a more engaged educational and professional experience. To help everyone learn more about vaccines and have your questions or concerns addressed by NSU medical and health care experts, we will be offering a series of Zoom-based “Shark Talk” sessions beginning this spring and shared through all of NSU’s communications channels.
• To make it even more convenient for the NSU community to receive vaccinations, NSU’s Fort Lauderdale/Davie location is now an official NSU vaccination site, designated and supplied by the Florida Department of Health in Broward County. Any NSU student or employee who is eligible (18+ as of April 5 in Florida) is able to make an appointment online. We continue to cooperate with the State to try to help make vaccinations accessible to NSU students and workers at our regional locations as well, and all NSU students, faculty and staff members are welcome to get their vaccine here at NSU Fort Lauderdale/Davie or through their many local vaccination sites.
• NSU will also keep in place the sanitization protocols that we implemented at the start of the pandemic, including the use of ionization filters that have been installed across our campuses in high-traffic areas.
• NSU dining, sports, and recreation will also resume more of their pre-pandemic, in-person activities and services this fall, while always following the current CDC guidance for safeguarding public health.
• Beginning this fall, BlendFlex capabilities will still exist here at NSU but will no longer be the main “platform” for most classes. Rather, BlendFlex may be an option for some on-ground classes, but only for use under special circumstances or as part of existing hybrid or online program delivery modalities. That said, as was done pre-pandemic, some of our professional undergraduate degrees and many of our graduate programs may continue to offer BlendFlex, hybrid, and/or fully online delivery this fall, while others—particularly those with licensing or clinical requirements—may mandate in-person attendance. Check with your academic adviser if you have questions about your program.
• For NSU employees who may currently be working under the university’s remote work provision, your supervisor will reach out in the weeks ahead to discuss the best arrangements for the summer and fall. Remember: NSU students and employees who will spend any time on our campuses or at our sites beginning this fall are required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 as of August 1.
The pandemic has presented many challenges over the last year, and we came together to adapt—I am truly proud of the NSU community. It is thanks to your vigilance that we have remained free from significant outbreaks this year.
We have been through a lot together, and I personally look forward to welcoming everyone back to classes and activities on our campuses again this fall.