Chancellor Rose’s Letter to the NSHE Community Regarding the COVID-19 Vaccine
To the NSHE Community,
As the distribution of vaccines for COVID-19 has begun throughout Nevada, the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) continues to work collaboratively with local, county, state, and federal authorities to ensure that all NSHE students, faculty, and staff receive the best available information and practices regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) to safeguard the health of Nevada’s entire public higher education community.
We have partnered with the Office of the Governor and officials from the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health regarding vaccine distribution information. This process has included NSHE’s COVID-19 Task Force made up of members of every institution, as well as institution presidents, faculty, staff, and student leaders. Information has been evolving daily, if not hourly, on planning efforts.
The State of Nevada continues to receive limited doses of the vaccine from the federal government. NSHE is committed to making COVID-19 vaccines available to all who want them, as soon as possible.
As you may know, vaccine distribution is being based upon a tiered system. University Police Services Directors Adam Garcia (Southern Command) and Todd Renwick (Northern Command) are leading their respective regions’ vaccine planning efforts. Below is a summary of the tiers based on this week’s information.
Tier 1
Vaccinations for the NSHE community are actively ongoing for all eight NSHE institutions and regions (Clark County, Washoe County, Elko/Humboldt/White Pine Counties). This includes front-line health care faculty/staff and university police officers. Last week, GBC, UNR, and TMCC Tier 1 eligible candidates began receiving the vaccine. UNLV, CSN, and NSC Tier 1 eligible candidates will begin receiving the vaccine on Monday, January 11 at the UNLV Point of Distribution and Tuesday, January 19 at CSN.
Tier 2
Essential NSHE employees who conduct on-campus and in-person face-to-face work with students and/or the public will be eligible for the Tier 2 category. This category does not include NSHE employees who have been working remotely. Rather, this category is for those employees who are most at risk for exposure, including face-to-face contact, irrespective of whether they serve in an academic or administrative role. We do not expect Tier 2 to begin any sooner than Monday, January 11, and may occur later than that date.
Tiers 3 and 4
We anticipate that the remainder of NSHE faculty and staff as well as students living in residential housing will be eligible for Tier 3 vaccinations. The remaining student body and the public will likely be in Tier 4, which may not begin until later in the Spring 2021 Semester.
Southern Vaccine Plan
UNLV has been designated as a Point of Distribution (P.O.D.) vaccine site pursuant to an agreement with the Southern Nevada Health District. This P.O.D. designation will enable UNLV to administer the vaccine to both members of the NSHE community and members of the public. The UNLV P.O.D. will become operational on Monday, January 11.
University Police Services Director Adam Garcia’s (Southern Command) team has developed an online portal that will allow NSHE students and employees to log in, answer a series of questions, and determine where and when they may be eligible to receive the vaccine. We anticipate there will be three portals: (1) UNLV will have one portal that will serve UNLV, DRI (South), UNR (employees in Southern Nevada), and NSHE SA/SCS (South); (2) CSN will have one portal that will serve all CSN campus locations; and (3) NSC will have one portal. The online portals may go live as early as this Friday, January 8.
A second P.O.D. is anticipated to open on CSN’s Henderson Campus on January 19 to serve additional members of the NSHE community and public.
Northern Vaccine Plan
UNR has partnered with the Washoe County Health District, which has established a P.O.D. at the Reno Livestock Events Center, and will have a designated “NSHE Priority Lane” access line for members of the NSHE community, which will serve UNR, TMCC, DRI (North), and NSHE SA/SCS (North).
University Police Services Director Adam Garcia (Southern Command) and Todd Renwick’s (Northern Command) team are working with the Vice Presidents and Deans of the respective Northern institutions and the Washoe County Health District to designate members of the NSHE community and their appropriate tier grouping. Once those individuals are identified, they will be contacted via email in Southern Nevada, and in Northern Nevada, utilizing the Workday/PeopleSoft System regarding when and where they may receive the vaccine. Note that Northern Command has been actively working and coordinating resources with WNC in Carson City and GBC in Elko.
Carson City Plan
WNC has been designated by Carson City as P.O.D., which is expected to become operational as soon as Friday, January 15.
Great Basin Plan
GBC is partnering with the Elko County Health District and local hospital.
Meanwhile, we must all continue to be vigilant and follow all health and safety directives and protocols.
In concert together, the vaccine distribution and our other tools can effectively combat the spread of COVID-19 so we can all start to make our way back to normal.
Please continue to watch for more vaccine related information and updates on NSHE’s and the institutions’ websites as the situation evolves. Visit nshe.nevada.edu/covid-vaccine-distribution/ for more information, which also includes a portal to submit questions.
I have a tremendous amount of confidence based on the science related to the vaccine and I will be signing up to receive my vaccine as appropriate.
Sincerely,
Melody Rose, Ph.D., Chancellor
Nevada System of Higher Education
