“Your return home to NVU is approaching. I and the NVU faculty and staff miss you. I have heard from many of you that you, too, are excited to be back with your friends and campus community,” read a recent email from Northern Vermont University President Elaine Collins. There are more updates to be aware of to be prepared for your return to NVU campuses this fall semester.
A few details were laid out in President Collins’ email:
- the wearing of face masks covering the nose and mouth will be required inside,
- COVID-19 Testing will occur on all campuses, at no cost to students,
- the CastleBranch App will be used as a tool to assist in prevention and education around COVID-19.
One particular domain that will have to work through more challenges than most will be fall athletics. The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) for sports competitions is cancelled, thus no competitions or championships will be taking place. NVU will be stepping up and taking it upon themselves to provide a robust experience this semester. More information about this can be found on the NVU-Hornets and NVU-Badgers websites.
Another announcement was made in an email from Thom Anderson, Associate Dean of Academic Programs, which impacts everyone taking or teaching classes. Follett, the company that partnered with Northern Vermont University to provide the Bookstore, has decided to close the physical bookstore on the Lyndon campus, but, students can still buy or rent their class materials online.
A few other important details with the bookstore:
- students should consider shopping and purchasing for their books now to be prepared for the start of classes,
- a temporary pick-up location will be available for online orders for the first two weeks of classes,
- Jeremy Greenwood is the NVU Bookstore Manager and is available for any questions you may have.
More recently, Erin Rossetti, Director of Student Life at Lyndon, reached out to students to provide updates with campus arrival procedures. Commuting students must conduct a check-in and COVID-19 testing on August 13 and 14. Secondary screening and testing will take place seven days after. Any students considered commuting students but are still traveling from out-of-state must quarantine for 14 days. Residential students must sign-up in advance to check-in by calling 802.626.6418 beginning anytime from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. The close off date to register for check-in is July 28 at 4:00 pm. Any residential student who misses this date will be emailed a check-in time chosen for them.
It’s important to note that anyone who does not receive the necessary COVID-19 testing upon the selected arrival dates will not be allowed to participate in classes.
Specific notes residential students should remember:
- only one helper may assist for move-in and all other vehicle passengers must remain in their vehicles,
- each person who arrives on campus will participate in COVID-19 screening,
- using public transportation to travel to your campus will require quarantine for at least 7 days.
Two important policies that impact all students are as follows: any travel outside of Vermont for both commuting and residential students will require quarantine, and, face coverings that cover the mouth and nose will be required for anyone coming to campus.
Please remember to check your emails regularly for on going updates regarding the upcoming start date of August 18. The sooner you prepare with registration, the better, and remember to stay up-to-date on NVU health and safety regulations.
Feature Photo by Alexandra Huff