THIBODAUX – Nicholls State University will shift classes online and close campus buildings at 1 p.m. on Monday, September 14 due to the approach of Tropical Storm Sally.
All classes will continue virtually from Monday through Wednesday. Faculty are encouraged to retrieve any equipment necessary for remote delivery today or tomorrow morning. Staff will secure campus during the morning hours before campus buildings are closed at 1 p.m.
Services including the library, recreation center, Fall Camp and Little Colonels Academy will remain open until 1 p.m. Monday. The Grad Expo scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed.
The Nicholls State University Emergency Preparedness Committee has initiated a Phase III alert as the National Weather Service places the Bayou Region under a Hurricane Warning. Tropical Storm Sally is expected to make landfall Tuesday morning as a hurricane and could bring heavy rains, winds and storm surge to the Louisiana coast.
Residence halls will remain open and food service for all on-campus residents will continue until further notice.
All Nicholls classes and services will operate under the guidelines of Nicholls Virtual Campus. The virtual campus was developed by Nicholls faculty and staff during Spring and Summer 2019 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nicholls Online will continue to operate as normal.
Administration initiated the alert in accordance with the university’s Hurricane Emergency Plan, posted at nicholls.edu/hurricane. A Phase III alert is issued when storms in the Gulf of Mexico are projected to make landfall around South Louisiana and the NWS places south Louisiana under a Hurricane warning. The University Emergency Preparedness Committee will now track path, speed and projected storm surge of the storms and initiate any further changes.
All Nicholls departments will refer to the Hurricane Emergency Plan and begin enacting internal Phase III storm preparations at this time. The community will be notified if Phase IV storm preparations are implemented.
Please continue to follow www.nicholls.edu/hurricane and Nicholls social media for updates.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sep. 13, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Jacob Batte, Media Relations and Publications Coordinator, 985.448.4141 or jacob.batte@nicholls.edu
