For more than twelve years, NVCC’s Monthly Newsletter has been the link between the College, the campus, and the community. On behalf of all my colleagues at NVCC, welcome to our fall 2020 semester. We will begin with some important information about NVCC’s re-opening.

This fall semester, about 85% of our courses are virtual, and the few on-ground classes that are in classrooms look very different from previous semesters because desks and tables are now spaced out for social distancing. 

Faculty have learned new and expanded skills for teaching and supporting students online. They have rearranged syllabi, created new lessons, and re-thought ways to connect with their community of learners, and they’ve done so quickly and ably. 

Staff have been calling, advising, and registering students non-stop, all while assuring them they will be okay this semester. These efforts are continuing through next week to make sure we meet the needs of all who want to enroll at NVCC! 

Our maintenance and IT staff have been working all summer to get us ready for the fall: they’ve been preparing Chromebooks and laptops for students to borrow, moving desks, stacking chairs, hanging signs, covering drinking fountains, installing hand sanitizers, ordering masks, setting up plexiglass barriers, and preparing our campus to be as safe as possible. 

For the collaboration of all our colleagues to make our campus as safe as possible and to provide a productive learning environment for our students, I am deeply grateful, and I am honored to be a part of a community that consistently stays so dedicated to our students and supports their goals. You truly serve our students well. 

Those of you who know me, know that I blend a realistic perspective with optimism, and I’m able to hold those dual perspectives because of you. When I arrived at NVCC five years ago, I was immediately struck by the strong sense of community, of a shared commitment to working together, to helping students reach their goals. This strong foundation of the NVCC community allows us to move forward with enthusiasm for possibilities. Let’s hold on to hope and work toward the future together!