ABERDEEN, S.D. (Press Release) – Citing the continued high risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus throughout the United States and in the interest of public safety, the South Dakota Board of Regents announced today that classes will temporarily move online for all of its institutions, including Northern State University.

“It has been an unprecedented time in our state, country and world as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and make decisions that are in the best interest of everyone in the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) system,” the BOR stated in its announcement. “The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff throughout the state is our top priority and we continue to monitor the situation around the clock.”

The SDBOR is taking the following actions:

• Beginning Monday, March 23, all classes will be temporarily moved online.
• On-campus, in-person classes are currently scheduled to resume on Monday, April 6.

This is an evolving situation and the SDBOR will revisit this situation and communicate any changes in course delivery again on March 27.

“As leaders in higher education, we are thankful for our university presidents and their staff, who have worked tirelessly the past several weeks, providing wisdom and knowledge to help navigate these difficult times that still include a level of uncertainty,” the BOR stated.

NSU-Specific Information

In light of this announcement, Northern State University encouraged its students to stay at their permanent residences until Sunday, April 5, if possible, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

However, as this may not be possible for some students, especially those who depend on campus housing and dining facilities, Northern stated that residence halls and Dining Services will remain open. Students planning to return to campus should notify NSU Residence Life.

Also, students who need assistance accessing online course information should email access@northern.edu to make arrangements.

The NSU campus remains open for students, faculty and staff concerning basic business operations; however, Northern also announced today that campus is closed to the public until further notice. All campus events through April 3 have been canceled.

No local cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Aberdeen or Brown County. Northern continues to work with regional entities to monitor the situation, including as part of the newly activated Brown County Emergency Operations Center. For more information about this ongoing situation, visit Northern’s COVID-19 Resource Page or call the South Dakota COVID hotline: 1-800-997-2880.