LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It’s the first day of the spring 2022 semester for college students in Nevada.
As 30,000 students head back to the classroom at the College of Southern Nevada and thousands more will attend UNLV.
Not everyone is comfortable on campus as omicron cases surge, but those students do have options. CSN officials say out of their 4,000 class sections, about half of them are fully available online.
Virtual learning isn’t ideal for programs like auto mechanics, culinary or nursing. That’s where faculty says their protocols come into play with masks, social distancing and disinfection.
“We think we’ve built out a pretty good safe space for that to happen,” said James McCoy, VP of student affairs at CSN.
CSN’s newest facility, the health and sciences building, will allow more healthcare students to filter into Nevada’s hospitals. That’s critical at a time where Southern Nevada is facing staffing shortages.
“We’re producing double the number of healthcare support people- nurses, medical assistants, certified nursing assistants, phlebotomists. All these kinds of things that are so necessary in today’s day and age especially with the boom in population that Las Vegas is experiencing,” McCoy added.
There are no vaccination requirements for students at CSN or UNLV.
CSN says about 97% of the faculty is fully vaccinated.
Vaccinations are encouraged, and CSN is offering testing and vaccinations for its student body and staff. You have to visit the Southern Nevada health district to make an appointment.
Registration for CSN is open through Jan. 24.
