College of Southern Nevada employees will work remotely

College of Southern Nevada announced Thursday that all employees who can will work remotely for the rest of this month and that only “essential on-campus college operations” will continue.

The college also will switch in-person classes — with the exception of a few health care, and career and technical education classes — to a remote format and will cancel or postpone all on-campus events scheduled this month, President Federico Zaragoza wrote in a message to students and employees.

The decision is in response to Gov. Steve Sisolak urging Nevadans on Tuesday to stay home as much as possible for the next two weeks and for businesses to allow employees to work from home.

College of Southern Nevada, a community college with about 27,000 students and three Las Vegas Valley campuses, was already holding about 90 percent of its classes remotely this semester.

The switch to remote work began Thursday and continues until at least Nov. 30, Zaragoza wrote. Employees can work with their supervisors to stagger visits to campus — which must be done by the end of the day Friday — if they need to retrieve belongings.

College officials hope the new restrictions are temporary and that by Nov. 30, “we can resume activities on a limited basis, as we have been doing for the bulk of the semester,” Zaragoza wrote. But, he added, “please know that if the state’s numbers do not improve, we may be forced to remain in an almost completely remote environment through the end of the fall 2020 semester.”

UNLV is asking faculty to shift from delivering classes in-person to remote when possible, President Keith Whitfield said in a Thursday announcement. The university was already offering about 80 percent of its fall classes remotely.

“We will operate with reduced in-person courses and services through the end of the semester,” he wrote. “As you are aware, conditions remain fluid.”

There aren’t any changes planned to residence hall or dining facility operations, Whitfield said. “However, students who are in all remote courses and have other housing accommodations are encouraged to move out during the Thanksgiving break. Any residents who wish to do so will receive a prorated refund of room and board.”

UNLV will also further reduce its business operations from Dec. 19 to Jan. 10 during winter break, he said, and some buildings will be closed.

At Nevada State College in Henderson, “all gatherings, meetings, and events (both on and off campus) should be limited to those that are small, truly essential, and cannot occur in a virtual format,” Vice President of College and Community Engagement Edith Fernandez said in an announcement.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.