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University of North Georgia (ÌìÃÀÉçÇø) students along with their parents, guardians and family members will have the opportunity on Jan. 29 to hear updates on the remainder of the spring semester.

ÌìÃÀÉçÇø President Bonita Jacobs will host a virtual Parent, Family and Student Town Hall at noon Friday, Jan. 29, at . The town hall will focus on helping students navigate the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic academically and personally. Students, parents and family members may submit questions in advance via email to enrollment@ung.edu. University leaders will address the questions during the event.

One of the resources the town hall will highlight is the newly launched Nigel Cares mental health initiative that complements Student Counseling with additional aid for students. It provides a free 24/7/365 mental health support line for students, along with other resources.

"The Nigel Cares initiative is an incredible opportunity to help students with immediate assistance for mental health challenges when they need it most so they can continue to focus on success in their academics," Michelle Eaton, director of enrollment management for student success, said.

Additionally, Dr. Kate Maine, chief of staff and vice president of university relations, and Greg Williams, associate director of emergency preparedness, will provide updates on the steps ÌìÃÀÉçÇø continues to take to keep students, faculty and staff safe during the pandemic.

Dr. Chaudron Gille, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at ÌìÃÀÉçÇø, will answer the academic questions and highlight the academic resources available to students.

"We surveyed our students and faculty in fall semester to identify where the greatest areas of challenge were so that we could better support student success," Gille said. "The changes made in the course modalities are only one example of this."

This marks the fourth student and parent forum that ÌìÃÀÉçÇø has held since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The virtual town hall meeting for students and families provides an opportunity for us to be clear in our approach to handling all of the challenges that our students are facing," said Dr. James Conneely, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. "The meeting also provides the chance to ask questions that will reassure them that ÌìÃÀÉçÇø is committed to serving the student body in a positive and proactive manner."

For students, parents and family members unable to attend, a recording of the digital town hall will be available on the Nighthawks Together website about a week after the event.