On Wednesday afternoon, UT announced that all in-person classes will be suspended after spring break. The cancellations are a proactive measure against the outbreak of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus.
Research facilities and labs at UTK will remain open. Campus offices have been instructed to maintain regular operations.
Faculty and staff at UT have been advised to begin moving all coursework online.
UT has plans to work with the UT Institute of Agriculture faculty and staff, who are located in all 95 counties throughout the state.
There are no reported cases of COVID-19 at any UT campuses, but there are several cases in Tennessee. Other Tennessee universities, including Vanderbilt and Belmont, have temporarily suspended in-person classes as well.
At UT Knoxville and UT Martin, in-person classes are cancelled until April 3, and online classes will be held as a replacement.
UT Chattanooga will resume in-person classes on March 30.
The UT Health Science Center will determine within the next 10 days their plan for class cancellations. Hospitals will continue their clinical rotations as usual.
UT is asking that students who live in residence halls or sorority and fraternity housing do not return to campus after spring break. However, students are able to register for an exemption through University Housing to continue living on campus.
Additionally, all non-athletic university events from March 16 to April 5 are cancelled. This includes student organization events that expect an attendance of 50 people or more. Requests for exemptions from this policy may be submitted to [email protected].
UT has suspended all study abroad programs set to leave after May 20.
UT has also implemented a policy stating that any students, faculty or staff who travel on cruise ships or travel to a Level 2 or 3 on the CDC’s COVID-19 travel advisories page must self-isolate for 14 days following their return. This include abstaining from participating in social gatherings, classes, events and more.
In an email to the UT community, Chancellor Donde Plowman acknowledged the difficulty of this situation.
“I understand the hardship that this presents to all of you, and these are not decisions we made lightly. Our campus response to COVID-19 has been based on ongoing CDC updates and regular communication with public health officials and our own infectious disease specialists at the UT Health Science Center,” Plowman said.
Plowman highlighted the necessity of exercising kindness and avoiding stereotypes during these trying times.
“As we navigate these challenging times as an inclusive campus community, please do not make assumptions about others based on perceived symptoms or identities. We want to foster a campus environment in which everyone matters and belongs. This means showing empathy and respect to — all — Vols, particularly those for whom this may be an especially stressful situation. Let’s do our best to be kind, caring and considerate of one another, especially during difficult times such as these,” Plowman.
Plowman added that faculty and staff should be prepared for the situation in which class are suspended past April 3.
UT will continue updating the community about the situation in the following weeks.
