Coronavirus Updates

Northcentral University Update | July 30, 2020

Dissertation Boot Camp
For the safety of our students, staff and faculty, we have decided to cancel the remaining Dissertation Boot Camps in 2020. While we will continue to monitor the situation regarding COVID-19, our next anticipated Dissertation Boot Camp is scheduled for February, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. More information about Dissertation Boot Camps can be found here.

Mask Up NCU
NCU Community, let's all #MaskUp and help stop the spread of COVID-19. A few words from Provost John LaNear:

Support Groups Coming to a Close
Thank you to all of those who joined the NCU support groups since they began in March. Due to declining attendance, the group meeting on Thursdays will be phased out as of August 6. Should you need further support during these difficult times, you are encouraged to reach out to peers on The Commons.

Northcentral University Update | July 20, 2020

NCU’s COVID-19 Response | Current Student Survey Results
Earlier this year, we entered an unprecedented time – and we knew we had to act quickly to support our students, alumni, faculty and staff at Northcentral University.

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus updates provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), we understand that COVID-19 will continue to impact your life in a variety of ways.

As you know one of our many priorities during this time is the safety and well-being of our students, alumni, faculty and family members, from helpful resources to virtual meetups, we want to continue to support you during this challenging time.

Below we share the results of a recent survey sent out to our students – you! – to assess how we have been supporting you during COVID-19.

NCU Response to COVID

• 86% of students have confidence in Northcentral University to respond to this pandemic
• 84% of students surveyed felt that NCU has communicated effectively and clearly concerning potential COVID impacts to my learning and success
• 80% of students believe NCU has shown the flexibility needed to support them in their academic endeavors during the COVID pandemic
• 89% of students believe NCU is still a good fit for them
• 86% of students have confidence in Northcentral University’s ongoing sustainability and ability to meet current and future challenges

Northcentral University Update | July 1, 2020

NCU Virtual Support Groups
Faculty from the Psychology, Social Work, and Marriage and Family Therapy programs will continue to host a weekly support group for members of the NCU community to gather. This is not therapy, but a chance to connect with others and help manage the stressors and challenges we are all experiencing.

The weekly session will be hosted through July 30 on Thursdays from 9:00 – 10:00 am Pacific Time on Zoom - https://zoom.us/j/99214462148.

Northcentral University Update | June 23, 2020

NCU Student Relief Fund
From April through early June, we provided over $700,000 in student aid for hundreds of students who needed a helping hand during this health and economic crisis. The fund is currently exhausted, but we continue to fundraise with a goal of providing additional relief in the future.

NCU Events
All in-person NCU events until September 1 have been canceled, postponed or offered virtually. For now, we expect to host all scheduled events after September 1.

2020 Commencement Ceremony:
We love graduation, and our preference was to hold an in-person ceremony. Our priority, however, must be the health and safety of the NCU community. After reviewing current guidelines from federal and state authorities, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, we have decided hold a virtual ceremony on August 22, 2020 and to postpone this year’s in-person commencement ceremony to the spring of 2021.

Please read the full letter addressing graduation here.

Dissertation Boot Camp and Dissertation Completion Intensive:
These events scheduled for July in Austin, Texas have been postponed to September 20-22. An event for NCU students and alumni will take place over the same weekend.

Offices Remains Closed
All NCU staff and faculty are working remotely, and the offices in Scottsdale, Arizona and La Jolla, California remain closed. This closure will not affect your ability to contact advisors, human resources staff, or faculty. Offices will reopen when it is safe to do so based on state and local guidelines.

Northcentral University Update | April 29, 2020

What The CARES Act Means For Your Student Loans
It's the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which was passed by Congress and has supplied $2 trillion of relief. Part of the CARES Act includes automatic suspension of principal and interest payments on federally held student loans through Sept. 30, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/04/24/844048425/what-the-cares-act-means-for-your-student-loans

Guided Meditation Sessions
Dr. Aurelia Bickler from SSBS will host meditation sessions every Thursday beginning May 7th from 11:00-11:30 a.m. PST.
Zoom link each week: https://zoom.us/j/5016039280

Northcentral University Update | April 1, 2020

What the Coronavirus Stimulus Means for Student Aid
https://www.nacubo.org/News/2020/3/What-the-Coronavirus-Stimulus-Means-for-Student-Aid

Debt Relief for Student Loan Borrowers

• The legislation suspends borrowers’ obligation to make payments on their federal Direct Loans and ED-held FFEL loans through September 2020, and interest will not accrue on loans during this period.

Changes to Academic Progress Standards for Student Loan Borrowers

• Terms impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak will be excluded from the calculation of a student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress.

NCU Virtual Support Groups
NCU is providing a daily virtual support group to the NCU community (i.e., students, alumni, faculty, staff, and adult family members of these groups). The groups will be hosted by faculty from the Psychology, Social Work, and Marriage and Family Therapy programs. These groups are not therapy nor should be seen as a replacement for therapy, but may provide information, resources, and a social support that can help manage the stressors and challenges we are all experiencing. Below you will find the days, times, and link to attend these groups. The group is open to all. There is no requirement to share or talk during the session, some may elect to just come and listen. Participants will need to attend synchronous as the sessions will not be recorded. We ask that all NCU community members attending be respectful and supportive of other participants, and allow all to share. All sessions will last approximately one hour.

Daily Session Schedule (Please note all sessions are listed based on Pacific Coast Time Zone)
Groups will start on April 2nd
Monday   2:00pm - 3:00pm PST - https://zoom.us/j/96626339288
Thursday   9:00am – 10:00am PST - https://zoom.us/j/99214462148

*The Virtual Support Group on Monday, May 25, 2020 will be cancelled for the Memorial Day holiday

Northcentral University Update | March 27, 2020

As we continue to learn more about the impacts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the NCU community, we are rapidly exploring and implementing solutions to help our faculty, staff, and students.

NCU is prepared to support students through the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the unique nature of the situation and known impacts to students, we will provide additional details regarding degree completion, financial aid, practicums, course extensions, and individual accommodations through your School Dean’s Office, NCUOne News posts, email, and this webpage.

NCU is also committed to ensuring our faculty and staff are well supported during this time. We are in a strong position to offer them options that best support their individual circumstances. Our virtual workforce infrastructure enables us to remain flexible to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our dedicated faculty and staff while continuing to remain focused on supporting our students throughout their programs.

If you were unable to attend the NCU Community Gathering, we encourage you to view the recording by clicking here.

Frequently Asked Questions

School of Social and Behavioral Sciences – Department of Marriage and Family Therapy

We have reports from our students that clinical sites are either moving to tele-therapy or shutting down completely. As we work with COAMFTE to provide a tele-therapy solution option we ask any students who are enrolled in a clinical program and are experience site closures to please reach out to your professor or academic and finance advisor for assistance.

Where is NCU sharing information related to COVID-19?

NCU is providing information in the following areas related to NCU services and external resources related to the virus.

• NCUOne News Posts
• The Commons
• Email Communications
• Virtual Gatherings

What happens if my professor falls ill?

NCU is prepared to provide support to any of our faculty or staff who fall ill. Your learning will not be disrupted if your professor becomes ill.

If I become ill, what are my options for taking a leave of absence?

We have many options for students who are impacted. To discuss the best options for you, please contact your Academic and Finance Advisor.

Where can I find best practices on decreasing risks of getting the virus, protecting yourself and others?

We recommend following the instruction from the Center for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and your local city, state, government officials. We provide links to these pages at www.ncu.edu/coronavirus.

What is NCU doing to help students financially or personally if they are impacted?

We are prepared to assist our students to the best of our abilities during this time. We recommend you contact to your Academic and Finance Advisor to walk you through the various details and options that are available.

Additional Resources

Veteran Affairs Resources

VA has implemented an aggressive public health response to protect and care for Veterans, their families, health care providers, and staff in the face of this emerging health risk. They are working directly with the CDC and other federal partners to monitor the outbreak of the virus. Additional resources are available: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/n-coronavirus

Harmony at Home

Our partners at Sanford Education created the Harmony at Home toolkit to support social and emotional wellbeing for students and families during this difficult time. This toolkit offers a variety of lessons and activities, as well as guidance for parents and guardians to set Harmony Goals and use Meet Up and Buddy Up materials. Teaching Students Empathy contains beneficial strategies on how to model, establish, and nurture empathy in these early days of dealing with the spread of COVID-19.

Health Resources and Information

• NCU Health and Wellness Guide
• Visit Coronavirus.gov for the latest official information from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force at the White House
• Visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for official Coronavirus (COVID-19) health information
• Visit FEMA for answers to coronavirus myths and rumors

Mental Health Support Resources

• CDC on managing stress
• Visit Coronavirus.gov National Alliance on Mental Illness

National University Update | March 16, 2020

A Message from the President & Provost

We continue to monitor the coronavirus updates provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). As we learn more, we understand that the NCU community will be impacted in a variety of ways. As we all adjust to some new daily routines, know our priority is the safety and well-being of our faculty, staff, students and family members. We ask you please communicate with us if you are impacted so we can support you to the best of our abilities. Please review the resources outlined below for additional guidance and support.

• Students — should contact us at 866.776.0331 (Option 2) or by email at learnerservices@ncu.edu
• Faculty — should contact their Associate Dean or Department Chair for their School
• Staff — should contact their direct leader

More information for current students can be found in NUOne and The Commons via https://welcome.ncu.edu

Clinic Site Placement Impacts

School of Social and Behavioral Sciences – Department of Marriage and Family Therapy

We have reports from our students that clinical sites are either moving to tele-therapy or shutting down completely. As we work with COAMFTE to provide a tele-therapy solution option we ask any students who are enrolled in a clinical program and are experience site closures to please reach out to your professor or academic and finance advisor for assistance.

Equity and Inclusion

National University is committed to providing an environment that is safe and inclusive for all our members. We urge all our community, in our offices and in our virtual world, to refrain from bias toward community members of perceived Asian descent. As you may have heard, people of perceived Asian descent have experienced stigma associated with Covid-19 and as the CDC warns, there is no association. Each of us has an important role to play in stopping harassment and discrimination. Thank you for joining with us in our agreement to not spread hate. Facts about COVID-19 to help prevent stigma.

Global Health Information and Resources

Precautionary Measures Recommended by the WHO

Frequently clean hands by using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.

• If you are sick (e.g., flu, cold), do not come to work.
• When coughing and sneezing cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – throw tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness.
• If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care.

Center for Disease Control

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices

World Health Organization

• https://www.who.int/
• https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen
• https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/685d0ace521648f8a5beeeee1b9125cd
• https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Additional Resources

• https://www.npr.org/2020/03/13/814615866/coronavirus-and-parenting-what-you-need-to-know-now
  
• https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-13-20-intl-hnk/index.html
• https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-13-20-intl-hnk/index.html

Research Protocols for IRB

The NU Institutional Review Board (IRB) is staying up to date on the latest developments relating to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. We understand that beyond the personal effects this may have on our students, it may also present difficulties with the continuation of their approved research protocols. We recommend that all students approved by the NCU IRB to engage in face-to-face data collection methods such as interviews or focus groups transition to collecting data online or through other remote technologies. If you have not yet submitted your IRB application, please consider reviewing and revising your data collection process under the guidance of your faculty Chair to minimize direct participant interaction.

It is not necessary to submit an IRB modification request, nor to alert the NCU IRB of this change. We want to do whatever we can to support our students in robust research; please contact us if you have specific circumstances that warrant further discussion.

For questions please email irb@ncu.edu

NCU Events

All in person NCU events between now and April 30th have been canceled or postponed. At this time, we are expecting to host all scheduled events on May 1st and after.

Student and Alumni Event – Garden Grove, CA April 23rd – Postponed
alumni@ncu.edu

Dissertation Boot Camp – Vancouver, BC March 30th-31st – Cancelled
dissertationbootcamp@ncu.edu

Dissertation Completion Pathway Intensive – Vancouver, BC March 29th- 31st – In-person event replaced with a virtual event March 29th-31st.
graduateschool@ncu.edu

Concordia University – Portland Doctoral Program Transition Workshop – Vancouver, BC March 30th-31st – cancelled. Virtual support options are available through the Academic Success Center and Center for Teaching and Learning. More details about transfer support will be provided by your faculty members.
events@ncu.edu

2020 Commencement Ceremony: We love graduation, and our preference was to hold an in-person ceremony. Our priority, however, has to be the health and safety of the NCU community. After reviewing current guidelines from federal and state authorities, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, we have decided hold a virtual ceremony on August 22, 2020 and to postpone this year’s in-person commencement ceremony to the spring of 2021.

Please read the full letter addressing graduation here

Commencement Ceremony Update | March 12, 2020

We are discussing the effects of coronavirus at the University-level, and the well-being of our NCU Community is our utmost concern. We are monitoring the coronavirus updates provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and will continue to monitor the situation as the days and weeks go on. We are continuing to plan, and expect to host, the NCU Commencement Ceremony and graduation activities in Phoenix, this August. However, if the guidance from the CDC changes before then, we will re-assess our plans and communicate to students accordingly and swiftly.

Check back here for continued NCU updates.