Photo courtesy of Theresa Danna-Douglas
The College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources first-year students sit in the Lawlor Event Center on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018 The GradFit program is being brought to the university to help students prepare for graduate school.

The University of Nevada, Reno announced that it would be canceling all of its NevadaFIT programs for Fall 2020 on Thursday, May 21. The email was sent to NevadaFIT mentors and mentor applicants.

“There was not a feasible solution to offer an effective NevadaFIT program while maintaining proper social distancing,” said Felicia DeWald, the director of NevadaFit. “The health and safety of our students is our number one priority, and this decision allows campus the time and opportunity to ensure a safe and effective transition to an in-person fall semester with modifications to meet state guidelines.”

All mentor hire processes will be cancelled in Workday, according to the email. No further action needs to be taken by mentors, and those having already completed their onboarding process will receive a message saying their position has been terminated. 

The announcement also shares that incoming freshmen will receive a letter advising them of this change from the Office of the Provost later today. The program was set to run from August 16-21. 

According to the NevadaFIT website, the program brings over 4,000 students to campus, including student mentors. TransferFIT, which is intended for transfer students, will still take place in a limited capacity from August 15-16. 

Freshmen will be able to move in the week of August 18, but the Opening Ceremony for incoming freshmen is canceled. 

The email comes after NevadaFIT was made required for all incoming freshmen. 

Taylor Avery can be reached at oali@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter at @travery98.