Northern State resuming normal operations this fall

May 2, 2020

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State University will resume on-campus operations, including face-to-face learning, for the fall 2020 semester, following the guidance of the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Northern’s decision, announced in conjunction with the Board of Regents statement, followed careful consideration by campus leadership, said NSU President Dr. Tim Downs.

“Northern is truly a great community, and we pride ourselves on being a place that feels like home for our students,” Downs said. “With that in mind, we felt it was important to return to the stable, supportive educational environment provided on campus – in the safest way possible. We must look to find a balance between offering a great student experience and the health and wellbeing of our campus community.”

One offering Northern will soon announce is the availability of select single occupancy residence hall rooms for the fall semester.

Northern will work to develop rigorous health and safety protocols over the summer. Protocols will be based on best practices and CDC guidelines. Campus leadership is also creating contingency plans as needed to deal with the fluid COVID-19 situation. Specifics will be shared once plans are finalized.

“It won’t be a return to normal; we’ll be forging a new normal, based on best practices and recommendations from medical personnel,” Downs said. “We’ll continue to adapt, grow and move our campus community forward – together.”