About COVID-19/Coronavirus

To ensure the continuity of education for our students and as a practical matter, please be prepared to conduct all coursework online until further notice. We continue to hear updates from national, state and local health authorities, programmatic accreditors, and licensure agencies. No doubt there will be further changes to which we will have to respond collectively.

We encourage you to visit NU’s Student Services page or contact advisor@nu.edu to schedule meetings in an online format.

Decisions about whether or not to hold in-person events, activities or gatherings will be made on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with current regional, state and federal guidelines. If you have questions about a specific event, please contact Dr. Nancy Rohland, Vice Chancellor of Communications and Community Engagement, at nrohland@nu.edu.

Although our physical library is not accessible at this time, the NU Library’s online resources and staff are available to support the needs of our NU community. Our online library offers access to hundreds of thousands of online books, journals, and videos, as well as 24/7 online reference assistance and live chat services.

On March 17, we informed you that National University will remain online until further notice. To ensure the continuity of education for our students, as a practical matter, we will plan to conduct all coursework online until January 2021, and until further notice. These actions are being taken in the interest of the health and safety of our own community, as well as the wider community, as we try to minimize the potential spread of coronavirus.

Effective March 18, 2020, National University campuses and facilities are no longer physically accessible to students, faculty, staff, and the general public until further notice. We encourage you to visit NU’s Student Services page or contact advisor@nu.edu to schedule meetings in an online format.

Please be prepared to complete all coursework online until further notice. We continue to hear updates from national, state, and local health authorities, programmatic accreditors, and licensure agencies. No doubt there will be further changes to which we will have to respond collectively. Contact safety@nu.edu with questions.

National University is currently completely online during the COVID-19 pandemic with very narrow exceptions for clinical practice of essential workers. The university does not endorse, condone, nor require students to engage in face-to-face meetings in formal or informal settings with professors and/or their classmates pursuant to current state, county, and local health regulations and guidelines. If you have a concern regarding face-to-face course requirements, please contact safety@nu.edu

Given the hands-on nature of certain lab classes and field/practicum/clinical requirements for degree completion, individual Colleges are working closely with their faculty and have communicated specific instruction plans to impacted students. We continue to hear updates from national, state, and local health authorities, programmatic accreditors, and licensure agencies. No doubt there will be further changes to which we will have to respond collectively. For questions, please reach out to the following:

• College of Letters & Sciences: COLS@nu.edu
• College of Law and Public Service: COPS@nu.edu
• Sanford College of Education: credentials@nu.edu

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) recognizes that the COVID-19 situation is fluid and rapidly changing and that schools may need to adapt their procedures and policies to address the significant public health concerns associated with the virus. As such, although F-1 students are normally restricted in the number of courses that can be taken in an online modality, you will remain in status while attending the remainder of your March course online. Please contact iss@nu.edu if you have additional questions.

You recently received notice that as of March 18, National University campuses and facilities are inaccessible to students, faculty, staff, and the general public until further notice. As a result, the University has made the difficult decision to suspend the Federal Work-Study program until further notice. If you are currently scheduled to work after March 18, please email Ashlie Greene, Associate Director of Financial Aid. From there, Financial Aid representatives will communicate with your supervisors. Once campuses resume standard operations, our Financial Aid representatives will coordinate with your supervisor to discuss remaining funding and your supervisor will contact you to discuss your schedule.

Please ensure that you follow the course syllabus for reporting of absences and/or contact your instructor if you are unable to attend any class meetings or complete any assignments for any reason. Due to the University’s unique one-course-per-month format, prolonged absences may have a significant impact on a student’s educational goals. If you are unable to attend your course due to illness for an extended amount of time, the University will remain as flexible as possible and within Department of Education guidelines to ensure that any negative impact or disruption resulting from your absence is reduced. You may also contact the Student Accessibility Services Office and the Financial Aid Office for more information.

Many people across the globe are facing, or expect to face, a number of challenges in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, so it is important to remember that you are not alone. Our Student Wellness team has compiled a number of resources that may help you navigate some of these challenges. Read about these resources in this PDF.

If you need homeschooling resources, Sanford Harmony’s free Harmony at Home toolkit is here to make this time as easy as possible for your family.

Yes. Many educators have transitioned their classrooms online or made other modifications in the wake of COVID-19. This site provides helpful resources and best practices to help you navigate your new situation.

Veteran students will continue receiving benefits, including Monthly Housing Allowance, at the resident rate until December 21, 2021 or until the school resumes in-person courses, whichever occurs first. Veteran students must continue to meet all benefits eligibility criteria through December 21, 2021.

The recent passage of H.R.8337 enables the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue providing the same level of education benefits to students having to take courses online due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The law gives VA temporary authority to continue payments uninterrupted in the event of national emergencies, allowing for continued benefits even if the program has changed from resident training to online training.

Students receiving benefits are not required to take any action. If you were scheduled to take an in-person course, National University will continue to certify your attendance as such for the upcoming terms.

Please contact Veteranaffairs@nu.edu if you have additional questions.

NU’s Student Wellness Team is available to help students deal with a variety of circumstances including mental health concerns, high levels of stress, homelessness, housing and/or food insecurities.

As a student, you also have free access to SilverCloud Health, which offers secure, immediate access to online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) programs for: stress, depression, anxiety, and resiliency. There is a new program called Space from COVID-19, which provides practical tools and strategies on how to support your mental health during this unprecedented time by learning about how to deal with things you don’t have control over as well as how to build new routines amidst change to name a few.

You can choose to go through the program self-guided or you can select a coached option if you would like some accountability and support along the way. You can create your Silvercloud account today with the pin: “national”. Additional resources:

• CDC Daily Life Coping
• World Health Organization: Coping with Stress
• U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs: Managing Stress
• American Psychological Association: Pandemic Information

The CARES Act, signed into law March 27, 2020, includes several sources of funds for postsecondary educational institutions and provides approximately $14 billion that will go directly to higher education institutions to support the costs of shifting classes online and for grants to students for food, housing, technology, and other purposes.

The University received $2.28 million in cash grants for students.

Institutions are required to use the money directly on students to cover unforeseen expenses related to disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus, including but not limited to food, housing, health care, child care, technology, and course-related materials.

Only students who are or could be eligible to participate in Title IV programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), may receive emergency financial aid grants. Students who were enrolled exclusively in online programs on March 13 (the date of President Trump’s national emergency proclamation) are not eligible for HEERF-student share funds, per the Department of Education (ED).

Only students who are or could be eligible to participate in Title IV programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), may receive emergency financial aid grants. Students who were enrolled exclusively in online programs on March 13 (the date of President Trump’s national emergency proclamation) are not eligible for HEERF-student share funds, per the Department of Education (ED).

Students must have completed at 13.5 quarter units since July 2019 and be scheduled in at least 13.5 quarter units in the next seven months.

Per ED’s April 29 guidance, students enrolled in an exclusively online program are not eligible. An exclusively online program is an educational program that only offers online classes; that is, the educational program has no residential classes over the course of the entire program. A hybrid academic program that is constructed to allow students to complete both online and residential classes is not an exclusively online program.

ED’s guidance does not require students to file a FAFSA for grant eligibility, only that student recipients have filed or be eligible to file a FAFSA.

ED’s guidance does not require students to file a FAFSA for grant eligibility, only that student recipients have filed or be eligible to file a FAFSA.

An application will be required to be considered for a grant. Students can apply here. The first deadline to apply for funds is June 1, 2020. The first funds should be distributed mid-June 2020. Going forward, applications received by the 1st of each month will be reviewed for that month’s funding cycle. Funds will be distributed over a six-month period.

Students will receive a response within 3-4 weeks of submitting an application. If you are not selected for funding for the month you initially apply, your application will be considered in the next review cycle without having to reapply. The University anticipates distributing the funds over a six-month period.

All grants will be awarded in amounts of $1,000. This allows the University to support a larger population of students during this difficult time.

ED has made clear that the emergency cash grants to students cannot be applied toward outstanding balances, and must be disbursed directly to students, using means such as check, electronic funds transfer, payment app, or pre-loaded debit card.

The University has taken the actions below to help impacted students.

• Student Business Services is extending payment due dates for students currently set up on an existing payment arrangement for March, April, May, and June 2020 terms until June 30, 2020. Classes will not be dropped for non-payment during this time. Payments may be deferred by contacting SBSAdvisor@nu.edu.
• Student Finance is extending due dates for current terms through June 30, 2020. For any questions or concerns, contact stuact@nu.edu or finaidinfo@nu.edu.
• NU Institution loan payments and accrual of interest has been suspended through September 2020 with 0% interest, in alignment with federal student loans per the U.S. Department of Education. NU Institution loan questions should be submitted to PerkNuhelp@nu.edu.

On March 19, 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom, the California State Public Health Officer, and the Director of the California Department of Public Health issued an order directing all residents of California to stay at home or their place of residence effective immediately and until further notice. National University will continue to provide course instruction, student services, and advising in an online format to support academic continuity and help students stay on track to meet their academic goals. At this time, only a select group of staff members have received direct notice from their supervisors to come to campus to maintain critical operations and functions. If your job duties can be performed remotely, your supervisor will work with you to facilitate a successful transition plan.

The University’s The Remote/On-site Work Committee is actively meeting with the NU community to update and develop policies, procedures, and best practices to cultivate safe and productive work environments.

If you are now an employee with temporary remote status, please make sure you adhere to the basic guidelines below. This list is not intended to be exhaustive. For more information, please contact benefits@nu.edu.

• Do not activate “Out of Office” auto-responders or messaging unless you are utilizing sick time/PTO.
• Notify your supervisor and coworkers of changes to your core remote work schedule.
• Be available to your supervisor and coworkers by telephone and email during core hours.
• Return calls and emails in a timely manner.
• Participate in any required video/teleconferences, scheduled on an as-needed basis.
• Have office calls forwarded to the remote site (if/when possible).
• Answer the telephone during core hours.
• Request supervisor approval prior to working overtime (non-exempt employees).
• Take rest/meal breaks while working remotely in full compliance with all applicable policies and laws.
• Request supervisor approval to use vacation, sick, or other leave in the same manner as when working at Employee’s regular work location.

The health and well-being of the University community is our top priority, and a variety of University officials are continually monitoring reports from the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) to stay up to date.

National University has enacted a number of changes due to COVID-19, including modified operations at our physical offices and campuses, as well as the transition to remote work. These decisions prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of faculty and staff, and the students.

Considering the recent data and trends of the virus, the University has made the following decisions:

• Remote work and operations will continue until further notice, except for essential employees. Employees deemed essential for NU purposes have been or will be contacted by a certain date.
• Instruction for most courses will be conducted exclusively online until further notice. We will continue to prioritize in-person instruction for various essential worker disciplines that cannot be taught online per the accreditor/licensure agency.

CDC guidelines recommend that all employees should stay home if they are sick until at least 24 hours after their fever is gone. (Note: Not everyone who is sick will have a fever. Individuals with suspected or confirmed flu-like symptoms, who do not have a fever, should stay home from work at least 4-5 days after the onset of symptoms.)

No. We understand that everyone wants to protect themselves from becoming ill, but we want to remind our community that we also want to protect ourselves from any actions based on unsubstantiated fear or uncertainty, which can lead to individuals acting out-of-character or going against our Values. The university empathizes with anyone who has been a victim of this virus, and for those affected by ancillary actions related to its spread. We support those who are affected by these circumstances. Read more here.

Yes, employees can leverage the Teledoc option, which allows employees to virtually contact (by phone or video) and connect with Board-certified, licensed doctors available 24/7 to treat non-emergency medical issues and get prescriptions when needed.

If you are located in California, you are eligible for benefits under the State Disability Insurance Plan (SDI). SDI will pay up to 60% of your weekly earnings to a weekly maximum. You can find more information here. Read more here

Everyone is encouraged to follow CDC, WHO, and California Department of Public Health websites for updated information, resources, and guidance from public health authorities.

Per the CDC, any employee who is sick with COVID-19 or suspect they may have been infected with the virus should stay home except to get medical care, separate yourself from other people and animals in your home, wash your hands regularly, clean common areas often, and contact your healthcare provider. For additional guidance please visit the CDC site.

As a likely consequence of this transition, results of end-of-course evaluations may be affected. We will continue to work with faculty representatives, in accordance with Faculty Policies, to assure that none of our faculty are negatively affected by this important transition.

If you are an employee seeking further information, an additional set of FAQs is available via SharePoint and can be accessed here through Single Sign-On. If you require assistance, please contact benefits@nu.edu.

Uncertainty can be stress-inducing and anxiety-provoking for many people. The resources found in our Quick Links and below may help you cope during these difficult times:

• World Health Organization: Coping with Stress

The CDC has issued several Level 3 warnings, recommending that travelers avoid nonessential travel in a number of countries. Please consult the CDC’s Travel Notices page for more information. In addition, given the extraordinary coronavirus situation, you should consider the risks of being placed into a mandatory quarantine or having fewer options for return travel should you choose to travel during this time.

Based on recommendations from the CDC and U.S. Department of State travel advisories, we are suspending university-sponsored travel to countries outside of the United States until further notice, this specifically includes study abroad. NU also recommends limiting university-sponsored travel within the United States.

We strongly encourage students, faculty, and staff to reconsider and avoid traveling during spring break, especially those living in California where citizens are ordered to stay home, except for essential needs. We know that may not be possible, but everyone should be aware of travel warnings, quarantine restrictions and other guidance from the U.S. CDC to help inform personal travel choices.

The University is not able to make individual recommendations for personal travel. We recommend that travelers review the CDC travel warnings and frequently asked questions for travelers before traveling.