March 1, 2021 (11:00 a.m.)
Important Update: Spring 2021 Term at Rasmussen University
As we enter the one-year mark of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we find ourselves, as a community of educators and students, still navigating unprecedented challenges. Never has the balance between personal safety and forward progress been at such odds. It is a tight balancing act, and we continue to remain closely connected to our state regulators and accreditation agencies as we also follow the latest guidance from federal, state and local health agencies. We are determined to ensure that our University community remains steadfast in our practices and protocols to safeguard your health while providing you the path forward into your chosen profession.
The plan is for the Spring 2021 Term, which begins April 5, 2021, to be delivered as noted below. To the greatest extent possible, Rasmussen will continue to offer courses in a distance learning modality with limited residential courses and components integral to the achievement of required learning outcomes. All other University services will remain remote, and campuses will remain inaccessible to the outside public, with limited exceptions.
While additional details about your specific course schedules will be shared in the coming weeks, the institution will follow the course delivery practices of the previous quarter; the following specifics are related to the Spring 2021 Term, which begins on April 5, 2021:
- All Schools of Study: Theory- or lecture-based courses that are delivered online will continue to be delivered online without any change from the prior quarter.
- School of Justice Studies: Law Enforcement Programs
- Residential Skills courses in the Law Enforcement Skills Certificate and the Law Enforcement Associate’s degree program will continue to be available with heightened restrictions on class size and person-to-person skills practice.
- School of Nursing:
- Practical Nursing Diploma program, Professional Nursing Associate’s degree program, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Standard Entrance Accelerated BSN and Second Degree Accelerated BSN Entrance options)
- Online theory- or lecture-based course components that are delivered online will continue to be delivered online without any change from the prior quarter.
- Residential theory- or lecture-based course components will be delivered as online theory courses with synchronous requirements. This means that you will be expected to be present in your online classes at the scheduled times. Attendance will be taken.
- Laboratory components will be delivered in a blended delivery mode. Lecture for labs will remain online with a scheduled date and time. Students will be required to come to campus for necessary skills validation(s). The date(s) and time(s) will be provided to students by the instructor.
- For clinical components in any pre-licensure program, either a portion of or all community-based hours may be offered in the community setting, if available. When community-based opportunities are not available, the clinical component will be delivered in a virtual environment or a campus-based simulation with a set date and time. Simulation sessions are not recorded, and attendance will be taken.
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN Entrance Option), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
- 5.5-Week/11-Week Term: Online courses will continue to be delivered unchanged.
- Residential requirements that take place in your current place of employment or are offered through virtual simulation will continue as agreed upon between you and your instructor.
- School of Health Sciences:
- Residential theory- or lecture-based course components will be delivered as online theory courses.
- All lecture components of the Surgical Technologist program will run residentially as required by the accreditor.
- Laboratory components will continue to run on campus.
- Students will continue to be scheduled into practicum experiences as required for their programs.
- Anatomy and Physiology courses, including the laboratory component, will be delivered fully online.
If you are in a course which includes residential delivery or presence at a community-based practicum experience at a site, you will be expected to follow the requirements and protocols of the most current Rasmussen University COVID-19 Preparedness Plan (https://www.rasmussen.edu/docs/rasmussenlibraries/pdf/COVID19-Preparedness-Plan.pdf). If you have a practicum experience at a community-based site, then you will also be expected to follow any requirements or protocols the practicum facility may have, which may be different from Rasmussen University’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plan.
Before coming to campus or a practicum facility for residential experiences, students are expected to have a Student Waiver of Liability Relating to COVID-19 on file with the University. An email reminder will be sent to you prior to the start of the quarter in the event you do not already have one on file. Please continue to regularly check this page for the latest updates and information.
We wish each of you the best.