Vol. 17 Edition 7 | November 24, 2020

An aerial photo of the NAU North Campus and a beautiful fall view of the San Francisco Peaks.

Message from the President

Dear Rebecca,

Please accept my heartfelt thanks as we approach the end of the fall semester and the holiday weekend. We have much to be grateful for at NAU, starting with the trust of our Lumberjack families as our students continue to pursue their studies.

We are deeply grateful for your and our students’ efforts to keep our communities safe during the pandemic. Students have done a great job of being mindful of others and staying healthy.

We are excited to have celebrated more than 2,500 Lumberjacks who graduated this past weekend. Our students have been truly inspiring in their resilience and commitment to their studies.

I recently spoke to a group of NAU students who were summoned home from overseas studies programs at the start of the pandemic last spring. Many of them prepared for and looked forward to these experiences for years and had to cut them short, completing their programs through a combination of efforts with NAU and host country mentors online.

They presented their final projects a few weeks ago, some in their chosen languages on subjects of study that included chemistry, physics, mechanical engineering, and marketing. I encourage you to watch their presentations. I think you’ll find them compelling, especially given the challenges many faced to complete them.

This is just one example of the resilience I’ve seen from our students over the past 10 months. I hope you are inspired, too.

I thank you again for your support as Lumberjack families. Tom and I wish you happy and safe holidays.

We look forward to seeing everyone in January.

Sincerely,

Rita Hartung Cheng

NAU President

NAU student, dressed in their cap and gown commencement regalia, celebrating their achievements.

Fall 2020 Commencement

During this difficult and historic time, your student has demonstrated tenacity and flexibility in accomplishing their goals. Now it is time to celebrate!

A recording of the virtual commencement ceremony will be available through the winter at nau.edu/commencement. There, you can explore custom student slides, convocation recognition, and personalized notes of encouragement.

Find out more and plan your commencement celebration by visiting nau.edu/commencement.

NAU student, in a white turtleneck, participating in an online career session using a laptop..

Give Your Jack the Gift of Career

Janelle Iris Seibert, Career Development

NOW through December 25, Career Development is proud to host our Second Annual Career Steps Contest. Career Steps are online, self-paced modules that cover career-related topics. This year’s Career Steps Contest includes 9 bundles to choose from that encompass different career areas that we have seen as areas of growth for most students. Your Lumberjack can choose which bundles would benefit them most! Each bundle consists of 4-5 Career Steps and with each bundle completed, their potential for awards increases. Each week of our contest, we will be drawing for a $25 gift card. We will announce our winners for the $50 gift cards and the $100 gift card the week of December 28.

For information about the contest and bundles, please visit us at bit.ly/careerstepscontest.

Finally, as a reminder to those with a graduating Lumberjack, students will still have access to NAU Career Development for up to a year after they graduate for FREE. Encourage them to create a virtual appointment with one of our Career Specialist to navigate their next journey. As always, we are happy to answer questions via email (Career@nau.edu) or phone (928-523-1087). Let’s career together, Lumberjacks!

A group of NAU students studying abroad and participating in an immersive class outdoors.

NAU-Led Education Abroad Opportunities

Joseph Miller, Education Abroad

Education Abroad within NAU’s Center for International Education offers many types of study abroad opportunities to NAU students. Students and families often consider program duration an important aspect of their program options. NAU’s Education Abroad programs range in length to include the full calendar or academic year, semester, and short-term opportunities known as NAU-Led Programs.

NAU-Led Programs offer 2- to 8-week international courses taught by NAU faculty all over the globe, allowing students to earn 3-6 credits over the summer. These faculty-led opportunities comprise the fastest-growing area of education abroad nationally and increase access to international opportunities for students whose academic, career, or personal responsibilities may not allow for longer-term experiences. NAU-Led programs often offer more affordable options for students, especially when combined with NAU education abroad scholarships, such as the ASNAU GO scholarship.

Students can join NAU faculty on an active archaeology project in Belize, complement their on-campus language courses with an Italian immersion program in Italy, or learn about international development first-hand in Malawi. With nearly 40 NAU-Led Programs offered each year, students have an exciting selection of international opportunities that provide affordable alternatives to long-term study abroad programs. For many students, NAU-Led programs spark continued pursuits abroad and a thirst for more international experiences.

The application deadline for Summer 2021 NAU-Led Programs is February 15, 2021. To learn more, you and your student are invited to attend the NAU-Led Program Fair from February 2 – 4, 2021. To search for programs and apply, please visit edabroad.nau.edu.

Free COVID-19 Testing sign displayed outside of the NAU University Union.

Spring 2021 COVID Testing

On-campus COVID-19 testing will be available to all students during the spring semester, and mitigation testing will be required of some students, staff, and faculty throughout the semester in order to provide a healthy campus environment. Click here for more information on return-to-campus plans and testing information for the spring semester.

Save the Date – Giving Tuesday is Coming!

On December 1, Lumberjacks will join the global movement of generosity by providing a lifeline to students in need. Show the world that Lumberjacks have hearts of gold and make a gift to the Lumberjack Emergency Assistance Fund (LEAF) to help students weather this time of crisis. Visit Giving Tuesday to learn more and make a difference.

Holiday Safety

As your student prepares to travel home for the holidays, please help them remember that their health and safety can affect the friends and family around them too. Please encourage your student to get a COVID-19 test before traveling home and to minimize their risk of exposing themselves and others by limiting their contact during the weeks or days leading up to travel. After arriving home, the safest option is for students to quarantine for fourteen days, especially if they have high-risk family members at home; if quarantine is not possible, please encourage your student to avoid close contact with others for the first two weeks. Other precautions students can take include:

Wearing a mask in public settings, maintaining six feet of physical distance, and washing their hands often.
Getting a flu vaccine if they haven’t already.
Isolating and getting tested if they feel sick.
Paying attention to their mental and emotional health (NAU Telehealth will be available to students in the state of AZ over break).

Thank you for helping to mitigate the spread and protect the ones we care about!

NAU is committed to the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff and follows CDC’s recommended guidelines on COVID-19. Not every photo in this e-newsletter will precisely represent these guidelines, as we aim to accurately present the NAU experience for you and balance that need with imagery that reflects the COVID-19 policies we have in place. Visit nau.edu/jacksareback for our current campus health safety guidelines.

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