Presidential Communications

President Robert S. Nelsen’s messages to students, faculty, and staff.

View Earlier Messages

Reminder: Virtual Spring Address

Jan. 19, 2021 - As a friendly reminder, I hope that you will join me via Zoom webinar at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, for my virtual Spring Address.

Here is the direct link: https://csus.zoom.us/j/89363486981.

You can also locate the link on Sacramento State’s website.

The Spring Address will be recorded so that it will be available for those who are not able to watch the event live. ASL interpretation and real-time captioning will be provided. If you require additional accommodations to view the Spring Address, please contact events@csus.edu.

My intention for the Spring Address is to shed light on what we know, what we anticipate, and what we think it means for Sacramento State. Stingers Up!

Virtual Spring Address - Thursday, January 21, 2021

Jan. 15, 2021 - Please join me via Zoom webinar at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, for what I hope will be my last virtual Spring Address.

Here is the link: https://csus.zoom.us/j/89363486981.

The Spring Address will be recorded so that it will be available for those who are not able to watch the event live. ASL interpretation and real-time captioning will be provided. If you require additional accommodations to view the Spring Address, please contact events@csus.edu.

We have been through turmoil over the past several months, as a Hornet Family and as a nation (including just the past few weeks). Obviously, there are many questions about what’s next. My intention for the Spring Address is to shed light on what we know, what we anticipate, and what we think it means for Sacramento State.

I am experiencing Zoom fatigue, and I am sure you are too. I look forward to the day when we can be together in person. I am extremely grateful for all the work that you have done to ensure that the spring semester can begin safely and productively and for moving our University forward. Stingers Up!

Stay at Home Order Extended

Jan. 12, 2021 - On Dec. 9, 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that since ICU bed availability in the Greater Sacramento Region (including Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties) had dropped below 15%, the Regional Stay at Home Order would be put in place.

The Regional Stay at Home Order was to be in effect for at least three weeks. After that period, the order could have been lifted if our region’s projected ICU capacity met or exceeded 15%. Unfortunately, the situation has only deteriorated—our region’s ICU capacity has continued to decrease, and after the recent holidays, the forecast does not look any more promising. Therefore, the Stay at Home Order has been extended until we learn otherwise.

We still intend to begin instruction—both face-to-face and virtual—Jan. 25. As you know, we decided that the first week of instruction would be 100% virtual, even for face-to-face classes. That decision was made in anticipation of the now very-real spike in COVID cases and hospitalizations, and it was the right decision. Depending on conditions, we may need to extend 100% virtual instruction beyond the first week of classes. We will continually assess the situation over the next few weeks and will communicate as soon as a decision is reached about the subsequent weeks of the spring semester.

Meanwhile, please review the following for updates and clarification about University operations.

Classes and labs:

• All classes and labs (including those approved as face-to-face for Spring 2021) scheduled for Jan. 25 – 29 will be delivered virtually.
• Depending on our region’s Stay at Home Order status, virtual delivery may be extended beyond the first week of instruction.

For students:

• Residence halls will remain open.
• Students living in the residence halls should monitor their email for notices about returning/move-in assignments. Most students will be returning or moving in starting Jan. 21.
• Protocols established by each department during the fall will be observed for equipment return. If changes or new procedures are needed, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) will provide prompt review (call 916-278-2020).
• The Hornet Bookstore will remain open with limited hours to allow pick-up and return of course materials. Please check the Bookstore website for hours of operation.
• Student Health and Counseling Services remains open. Please check its website for hours of operation.
• The ASI Children’s Center will remain open. Please check the Center website for more details.
• Limited outdoor activities will continue to be available by appointment at The Well and Aquatic Center. Please check their website for details.

On-campus research:

• Previously approved on-campus research involving students may continue if deemed necessary for graduation by the provost.
• Previously approved on-campus research that does not involve students may continue.

For employees:

• All employees who are teleworking shall continue to do so.
• In departments that have employees with approved return-to-work plans, managers must re-assess operational/business needs to determine which employees need to report physically to campus to conduct standard University operations.
• All employees who have not received affirmative clearance to report to campus since we depopulated on Nov. 23 must receive new clearance via email from their appropriate administrator/MPP before returning to campus to work.
• All employees who come to campus must have completed COVID-19 Safety Training and should have received their Safety Equipment Package with face coverings and hand sanitizer. Managers should ensure that all employees in their reporting line have sufficient face coverings and sanitizers to remain in compliance with our protocols and to keep our employees protected. Direct any questions about safety training or safety equipment to EHS.

Athletics:

• Men’s and Women’s Basketball are currently competing, albeit with no fans present. You can watch them play for free on PlutoTV. Stingers Up!
• We will follow all NCAA Resocialization protocols in determining next steps for spring sports.

While we are still in the throes of this global pandemic, I am looking forward to the start of a new semester. The Hornet Family faces another period of challenges as we work to deliver a virtual education and continue our operations remotely. I cannot express enough how thankful I am to our staff and faculty for their dedication to our students and our campus. Our students are working diligently despite unprecedented challenges, and they deserve our patience and recognition. These are difficult times for everyone, and I hope we can continue to act with a spirit of generosity, understanding, and kindness as we navigate this semester together.

For those who need additional support, please consider the services and resources offered by Sacramento State. Students should visit Student Health and Counseling Services online, or call 916-278-6461. We have counselors ready to help you through this difficult time. Faculty and staff should contact our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) online, or call 800-367-7474.

Today’s attack on democracy

Jan. 6, 2021 - Education, and specifically higher education, is dedicated to preserving democracy. Storming the United States Capitol is not an act of free speech. It is not a protest – it is an attack. The participants are not protestors. They are not “special.” They are domestic terrorists. Live on television, on our cell phones, on our computers, we are witnessing terrorists trying to destroy the very foundations of our country. I strongly believe that we must condemn this attack and condemn those who are participating in it, along with those who encouraged it with their dangerous rhetoric.

President-elect Joe Biden referred to today’s events as an “unprecedented assault on the citadel of liberty.” He said, “The words of a president matter. … At best, the words can inspire. At worst, a president’s words can incite.” Biden’s words ring absolutely true. As I write this message to the Hornet Family, I fear that this situation has the potential to get worse before it gets better, especially if we do not speak for democracy and against what is happening in our nation’s capital. We do not know how today will end, but we do know that our country must and will move forward, move past this most ugly day.

Today’s work may have been interrupted by chaos, but Sacramento State’s work, and the work of all of us in higher education, will persist. We will endure; we will prevail. But we must do so with love, not with hate.