Exactly two years ago, Chancellor Donde Plowman sent an email to UT students announcing that they would not return to campus after spring break because of the COVID-19 outbreak. That same day, March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that COVID-19 was a pandemic.
Less than a week later, classes were moved online for the remainder of the semester and all campus events, including commencement, were canceled.
No students would have ever guessed that this topic would still be relevant two years later. However, campus is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
On March 4, Chancellor Plowman announced that UT was moving away from policies and signage specific to COVID-19. Masking signage around campus will now reflect messages that suggest having good health hygiene and staying home if students, staff or faculty do not feel well.
The move was made in response to the CDC downgrading Knox County to a medium COVID-19 community risk level, as well as single-digit cases on campus.
In the announcement, the chancellor showed her appreciation for students and their patience during this time.
“It has been almost two years since we had to first respond to COVID-19. Members of our community have endured so much in that time and shown such resilience and compassion for others. We have come a long way in two years, and I have never been prouder to be a Volunteer,” Plowman said.
Many upperclassmen students at UT still remember the email from two years ago and their time spent at home during these semesters.
Holly Patterson, a now-graduated student at UT that re-enrolled to take classes required for medical school, spoke of her gratitude for being able to have class in-person.
“I knew the announcement was coming, I just didn’t know when to expect it. Going from in-person classes to online was a huge change for me. I’m glad to see that we’re back in person and things are now semi-normal,” Patterson said.
Although most courses are in-person now, many are still offered online. Most students at UT have at least one class that is fully online or hybrid. Additionally, some events and seminars held at UT are offered online, as well as in person.
Emily Alam, a sophomore, provided information on her experience coming to UT completely online as a freshman.
“Some classes were offered in person, but I decided to take it all online to be safe. I noticed that I was starting to slack off in some of my classes. I took 7 classes in the spring, and I wouldn’t recommend it. When doing classes online, I think it’s important to set a schedule so that you know what time you’re going to be working on that class, and not falling behind,” Alam said.
Students and staff alike were glad to return to full on-campus operations this past fall. After more than a year of working apart, many people felt very isolated from the community here on campus.
It can be hard to grow a community and build connections when social interaction is unsafe. Many individuals involved with UT have missed these moments of connection and the relationships built more than they realized after returning to campus.
Gehrig Pfeffer, a junior studying classics, spoke on his experience during the semesters spent online.
“Personally, I felt so detached from the college experience. I had class, but I was stuck in my room all day with nowhere to go. It felt as if I was working a job where I could not clock out,” Pfeffer said.
Although COVID-19 is still very much alive and affecting individuals worldwide, UT has followed the guidelines set by the CDC and instilled many precautious for it.
Furthermore, Knox County’s community level has moved from high to medium for COVID-19 cases. As always, students, staff and faculty are encouraged to talk to their health care providers about masks and other precautions if needed to stay safe and healthy.
