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The North Dakota State College of Science announced today that it will postpone its spring 2020 Commencement ceremony, which was scheduled for May 15. The event will be held at a later date, which will be announced in the future.

“We recognize the significance of this important milestone for our graduates and their families,” said NDSCS President John Richman. “We are committed to holding this event in the future when health officials determine it is once again safe to host public gatherings.”

NDSCS announced today that it will continue to facilitate academic classes through distance delivery methods through the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. Distance and online learning is scheduled to begin Monday, March 23, and was originally scheduled through April 3. The College remains open with limited staffing, with employees who are able to work remotely doing so.

“This was a difficult decision, as we value face-to-face teaching and learning,” said NDSCS President John Richman. “However, we feel this is the best decision to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of our communities.”

NDSCS will provide additional information to its students and employees early next week with details regarding academic classes, residence hall move-out and tool pick-up, and decisions regarding College events including Commencement.

The North Dakota State College of Science has announced that it will facilitate academic classes through distance delivery methods from March 23 through April 3. These are the two weeks following the College’s scheduled spring break of March 16-20. All classes scheduled to be held face-to-face at the Wahpeton campus and the NDSCS-Fargo location will be held through distance teaching and learning during this time.

NDSCS will remain open and staffed throughout spring break and during the weeks of distance teaching and learning. The College will continue daily operations, and staff will maintain their regular work schedules while being encouraged to practice social distancing.

To the greatest extent possible, faculty will utilize technology to enable student learning through distance delivery methods during this time. This will vary based on course content and learning outcomes, and could include video recording of lectures, online submission of homework and other assessments, and online chat options and other means of instructor-student and student-student engagement. At this time, students will still participate in any scheduled clinical and field experience, as well as internships.

Students who live on campus and plan to leave for spring break are being asked to prepare not to return until April 5. Residence halls will be available when necessary to support students who are unable to leave campus or need to return prior to April 5, and campus dining options will be available to those students who remain on campus. Students will be supported if they don’t have access to online resources when they are away from campus.

“The health of our community is our most important priority,” said NDSCS President John Richman. “We have been consulting with Chancellor Hagerott and North Dakota medical experts, and we have been learning from colleges and universities that have been impacted by COVID-19. While there are relatively few confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region, we feel this is the best decision for the health of our students and employees, and the greater community.”

NDSCS anticipates that it will resume face-to-face classes on Monday, April 6.