This is a live updated list of all MTSU coronavirus responses, cancellations, and changes. This will be updated as the university puts out more memos. If this list is missing anything, please contact editor@mtsusidelines.com.
MTSU COVID-19 Responses
- The first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported on MTSU’s campus on March 26. Read more here.
- Educational functions “deemed essential to the goals and objectives of the University” proposed after Monday, March 23 may still happen, with social distancing made a priority.
Student Unions and Event Coordination teams will not accept any future reservations for event space until further notice.
- All campus events through March 29 are cancelled—including all athletics.
“Beginning Monday, March 30, I will review requests for limited, non-educational gatherings on campus, subject to the same social-distancing guidelines, and may approve on a case-by-case basis,” said MTSU president Sidney McPhee in a student-wide email.
- All Education Abroad participation has been cancelled through May 31. Students currently abroad are being assisted with their “expedient return” to the U.S.
Students who opted to remain abroad do so at their own risk and “will be apart from our oversight,” according to McPhee’s statement.
In addition, all non-essential official University-related travel is suspended indefinitely.
“We encourage all in our community to curtail personal international travel and be mindful of domestic travel,” said McPhee.
- Students employed by MTSU, but not other businesses, will be protected from losing anticipated wages. More details to come.
- Sick university employees are to stay home from work.
University offices remain open, but employees are urged to take preventative measures immediately if they feel ill.
“I am directing supervisors to be flexible and open to requests from staff members with concerns about their health and wish to seek alternate work arrangements, such as working from home,” McPhee stated. “Also, if an employee is feeling sick, or is concerned about their safety, supervisors are authorized to allow them to use earned sick leave, then annual leave. If a staff member has exhausted both sick and annual leave, our Human Resources Services will be issuing guidance on how that employee might be accommodated.”
- All MTSU faculty, staff and students returning from international travel are required to self-quarantine for 14 days.
- On-campus apartments and dorms will remain open and operating.
Students who need to return to campus to gather books, clothing or other items may do so at any time, but you will need your student ID to enter the building. All main entry doors are locked and will remain so for the foreseeable future to limit access to only current residents.
Housing front desk operations will be consolidated as well. The following changes that will go into effect at 8:00am on Monday, March 16, 2020:
- Lyon Complex desk will be open for Monohan, Lyon and Rutledge residents – call 615.898.4160
- Smith desk will be open for Judd, Gracy, Smith, Sims, Beasley, Deere and Nicks residents – call 615.898.504
- Corlew desk will be open for Corlew and Cummings residents – call 615.898.4542
- Scarlett desk will be open for Scarlett, Womack and the Row Houses – call 615.904.8068
Please contact the24/7 staff at the desk for any lock-outs or any other concerns.
The following restrictions will be activated as of March 16, 2020:
- Campus residents will have access to their own floor/building only
- Only residents of the Row will have access to their house
- All visitation is suspended until further notice
- Students are asked to refrain from congregating in lounges or other social places within the halls. Residence hall activities and programs will be discontinued until at least the end of March.
All residents intending on staying overnight should have filled out this form. If you have not, please do so immediately. You may also resubmit this form if your living situation changes.
- Meal plans will continue to be active, although starting March 16, options will be limited to the Student Union POD and McCallie dining hall.
- The University Writing Center will be available for online tutoring sessions starting Sunday, March 22. Click here to access.
Tutors will be available to work with you virtually on writing for any class, in any discipline, and at any level, from first year writing to PhD projects.
You can meet with a UWC tutor for a 25 or 45-minute online session. If you do not have audio-visual capabilities online sessions can still be conducted using the chat-box feature.
- Spring SGA elections will be delayed until students return to campus, whenever that may be.
- Student Health Services and the Campus Pharmacy will remain open during this time. If you believe you may have been exposed to the virus, please call Student Health Services at 615 898 2988 for evaluation and further instructions. Students who live on campus and do not have a place to stay in isolation off-campus should contact Housing and Residential Life at 615.898.2971 prior to arrival on campus so that we may assist you in determining a safe location in which to self-isolate.
- Book rentals from Phillips Bookstore:
From Sidney McPhee: “All books rented from Phillips Bookstore may be returned to Phillips anytime between April 6 through the end of the semester. All students who rented books from MTSU’s Phillips Bookstore will receive an email, sent to their MTSU email account, with a FREE shipping label to return their books to the bookstore. The reminder emails with the label will generate mid-April.
“In addition, it is our understanding that our new Philips bookstore provider, Barnes and Noble College, is taking extra efforts to help ensure students are equipped to learn wherever they are as we move forward in this unprecedented circumstance. Barnes and Noble has joined VitalSource and leading publishers in providing free access to eTextbooks through the remainder of the Spring term. More information about this initiative can be found here.
“Specific questions may be directed to Natalie Karousatos, sm8348@bncollege.com, with name, email, and phone number, and she will work with you directly.”
- Returning library books:
“There is an external book return located in the wall of the library on the east side of the building facing the Bragg Lot available 24/7. Library material may be mailed using this shipping address: Middle Tennessee State University; James E. Walker Library; 1672 Greenland Dr.; Murfreesboro, TN 37132-0002.”
- Continued closures: The child care center at the Womack Lane Apartments; Campus Recreation (but not Student Health Services and the Campus Pharmacy); James Union Building; and the Student Union.
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Computer Science department has set up a “hotline” at 615-900-0744 to help answer questions regarding Zoom, Discord, or D2l remote learning systems. Starting March 23rd it will be available Monday-Thursday 8am-11am and 4:30pm-5:30pm; Friday 8am-Noon.
Educational Resources:
- Library Remote Services
- Continued Library resources
- Interlibrary loaning system
- Student Food Pantry
- Blue Print Solutions
- “Stay on Course” videos explaining all MTSU coronavirus responses and resources
- Need a laptop, or better internet access? Call ITD’s Robin Jones atJones@mtsu.edu or 615-898-2214
University updates related to COVID-19: https://www.mtsu.edu/coronavirus/.
For any other COVID-19 questions: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html/
If there are further changes in the University’s operating status based on COVID-19, students will be notified through MTSU ALERT4U (also known as Rave Alerts) and other communication channels.
To contact Editor-in-Chief Angele Latham, email editor@mtsusidelines.com.
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