COVID-19 Update: Remote Courses, Events, and Travel

March 11, 2020

Faculty, Staff, and Students,

UT Interim President Randy Boyd has just announced that the University of Tennessee System, in consultation with the chancellors of all UT campuses, made the decision to move classes to remote delivery in response to the COVID-19 threat.

Here is how this announcement will impact the University of Tennessee Health Science Center:

Students
Beginning March 23 and until further notice, all face-to-face lecture classes will be offered remotely. Your program will provide you with details about courses.

Simulation and Experiential Training
Individual instructions for simulation and experiential training will be announced later.

Clinical Rotations
Clinical rotations for students will proceed as usual under guidance from the sponsoring partner institutions.

Residents and Fellows
Residents and fellows will proceed as usual under guidance from the sponsoring partner institutions.

Research: Laboratories, Employees, Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Fellows
Research laboratories will remain open and operational at this time. Lab employees, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows should proceed as usual.

Faculty and Staff
While classes will be offered remotely to students beginning March 23, the UTHSC campus will remain open. Faculty and staff should report as usual.

University Events
All university-sponsored events will be cancelled beginning March 23.

Domestic Travel
All university-sponsored travel will require pre-approval, effective immediately, from Dr. Ken Brown, Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer.

This email outlines some important new decisions. Campus leadership continues to work through this fluid situation, and we will update you as new developments arise. We understand some of these decisions may cause you difficulty, and we will continue to review and evolve the response as new information is available.

For more information and resources on COVID-19, please visit uthsc.edu/coronavirus .

Steve J. Schwab, MD, FACP, FASN
Chancellor