MTSU Response to Coronavirus Disease

• We have a three-phase plan on our return to work on the campus. Read our plan, Charting Our Course.
• MTSU will not seek tuition or fee increases for the 2020-21 academic year. Read a story about the Board of Trustees’ decision.
• Our goal is to resume on-campus and in-person classes and operations for the Fall 2020 semester. Our actions ultimately will be guided by the advice and recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state public health officials concerning the coronavirus.
  • Read this summary on our decisions in response to COVID-19 and the key health indicators we are monitoring.
• A diverse team of faculty, staff and community leaders, led by Provost Mark Byrnes, has recommended options and on how we proceed when we reopen in the fall. We will act quickly, but carefully, keeping the safety of our community at the forefront of our planning. Read the task force’s recommendations.

• All University offices are open and services available. However, some employees may be working remotely and some services are modified.
• On Aug. 3, we entered Phase 3 of our return-to-work strategy for campus employees. Read our plan, Charting Our Course.

The CDC’s best advice: Stay home and avoid close contact, especially if you are at higher risk of severe illness or if you may have issues getting assistance if you get sick.

If you are at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19 because of your age or because you have a serious long-term health problem, it is extra important for you to take actions to reduce your risk of getting sick with the disease.

• Stay home if possible.
• Wash your hands often.
• Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others (stay 6 feet away, which is about two arm lengths).
• Keep away from people who are sick.
• Stock up on supplies.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched services.
• Avoid all cruise travel and non-essential air travel.
• Call your healthcare professional if you have concerns about COVID-19 and your underlying condition or if you are sick.
• Steps You Can Take (Printer Friendly version)
• How to Protect Yourself

Click here for more information and tips from the CDC on keeping yourself safe.

MTSU Student Health Services can be found in the Health, Wellness, and Recreation Center. They are open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed during university holidays. When Health Services is closed, local hospital emergency rooms and some walk-in centers are available. 

Go to www.mtsu.edu/healthservices to schedule an appointment online. Or call them at 615-898-2988.  Due to the high volume of traffic and parking, please allow 30 minutes to ensure timely arrival for your appointment.

Need Us After MTSU Has Closed?

An after-hours telephone advice nurse is available by calling 615-898-2988 and following the prompts. Experienced advice nurses can help you figure out the best course of action: do you need immediate medical care, an appointment the next day, or will self-care help you? You may be asked for your student M number in order to use this service. 

Important Note: The after-hours service is for those who are sick. If you have a routine or minor health concern or question, you should continue to call us during the day or leave a message to be answered the next business day.

• We believe that, for the coming year, having students occupying private bedrooms will help us better manage the presence of the coronavirus on our campus—and managing the virus is essential to our ability to keep the campus open for classes in our classroom buildings and labs.
• We remain committed to our belief that new students leaving home for the first time are the students who tend most to need the additional structure and staffing of on-campus living, so those students will be our first priority for the limited number of single/private rooms available.
• We believe we can house all freshmen who had already received a housing assignment, and we will be moving forward with these freshmen as the first to receive new single/private room assignments, if they choose to select to live on campus in a single room for the fall.
• A reactivation request for incoming freshmen opened in the MT Housing Portal on Monday, June 15.  Students must submit a reactivation request and signed addendum if they wish to be placed in single/private accommodation for 2020-2021
• We have clearly heard that the additional charges related to private rooms are more than many students and families can afford. To eliminate this barrier, students who submit a reactivation request through the MT Housing Portal to be reassigned to a single room will be charged the regular shared room rate.  There will be no additional charge added for the single room.
• We are also clearly hearing the concern from upper-class students who initially DID select a private room in one of the residence halls (not including Womack Lane or Scarlett Commons apartments.) In response to your feedback, we will allow these upper-class students to be prioritized to maintain their current private room reservations.  More information about how these students will enter the portal and sign the reactivation agreement for fall will be provided in the coming days, but these students will be assured a space on campus if they notify us of that desire by the required date.
• We are aware of 15 students currently assigned to the residence halls who have filed intent to graduate forms for a December 2020 graduation.  Given the difficulty in finding a short term off campus lease, we will prioritize these 15 graduating seniors for assignment if they indicate that they wish to continue to live on campus for fall 2020 in a single room. More information about the process for these students will be provided in the coming days, but these students will be assured a space on campus if they notify us of that desire by the required date.

If the University's operating status changes based on COVID-19, the community will be notified through MTSU ALERT4U (also known as Rave Alerts) and other communications channels. This website will be frequently updated and will be the best source for information on the university’s precautions.

On-campus events have been suspended until further notice. Please check this site for updates.

Yes. All faculty, staff and students returning from outside the United States and its territories to self-quarantine for 14 days before coming to our campus.

 What is Self-Quarantine?

Take these steps to monitor your health and practice concerted social distancing:

1. Take your temperature with a thermometer two times a day and monitor for fever. Also watch for cough or trouble breathing.
2. Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to work or school for this 14-day period. Discuss your work situation with your employer before returning to work.
3. Do not take public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares during the time you are practicing social distancing.
4. Avoid crowded places (such as shopping centers and movie theaters) and limit your activities in public.
5. Keep your distance from others (about 6 feet).

What To Do If You Get Sick

If you get sick with fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher), cough, or have trouble breathing:

• Seek medical care. Call ahead before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room.
• Tell your doctor about your recent travel and your symptoms.
• Avoid contact with others. 

If you need to seek medical care for other reasons, such as dialysis, call ahead to your doctor and tell them about your recent travel to an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19.

• All Education Abroad programs scheduled for Summer 2020 have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• In addition, all non-essential official University-related travel, both outside of Tennessee and outside the country, is suspended indefinitely.
• We encourage all in our community to curtail personal international travel and be mindful of domestic travel.