To the University community,

We are balancing so many additional challenges and pressures as a result of this pandemic and I deeply appreciate all that you do and have done to keep yourself and others safe – and allow us to keep the campus open.

While I cannot wave a magic wand and make all of our COVID-19 concerns suddenly disappear, here is something I can do: I am declaring Friday, Oct. 30, as a day off for all of us – students, faculty and staff (except, of course, for those in jobs deemed necessary for the safety and operation of the campus).

Think of Friday like those rare occasions when inclement winter weather prompts me to cancel classes and close most offices because of safety concerns. In this case, I’m declaring a day off because we want you to depressurize a bit or perhaps catch up with school work or other tasks. As such, I’m asking the faculty to reset any Friday deadlines for assignments or requirements for students. For staff, please work to recalibrate any work due Friday, but also consult with your supervisor on whether your job or a specific task requires you to remain on duty that day to ensure baseline operations. Human Resources will notify the campus regarding the process of time reporting.

Any previously approved events or special activities set for Friday may proceed at the discretion of the organizer.

I realize that taking Friday off will be inconvenient and difficult for some classes and staff operations, just like when we take snow days. Thank you all for your patience and indulgence in my decision to give our community a day to recharge our batteries and get ready for the final days of the Fall semester.

Stay safe, don’t forget to wear your masks and enjoy Friday and the weekend.

Sincerely,
Sidney A. McPhee
President
Sidney.McPhee@mtsu.edu

To the University community,

As we approach the end of the month, allow me to offer my thanks for your continued vigilance and compliance with our coronavirus policies, which has enabled us to keep our campus open. While this has certainly been a challenging experience for all of us, your strong sense of community and concern for others has enabled us to maintain a sense of normalcy, when so many of our peer institutions have failed. You have made a difference!

While we are still effectively managing the situation on our campus, as we all know, with the virus still highly active in our surrounding communities, our institution feels the effects. Over the past two weeks, we have started to see a troubling uptick in the number of cases on our campus, which requires our immediate attention, if we are to continue to offer on-ground operations.

We do understand the need for social connections for our students, and therefore balancing COVID safety with the mental health of our students will be in the forefront of our decisions as we monitor infection rate and the impact on our campus operations. Unfortunately, I have personally observed, and heard reports too frequently, that a few in our community have become lax, or even defiant, of our mask policy. I cannot stress to you enough the importance of following all health and safety requirements in this regard. It is my hope that everyone will assist in these efforts and disciplinary actions would not be necessary. However, non-compliance with our policies is a serious matter and those in violation are subject to the appropriate student conduct and/or University disciplinary actions. 

It is imperative that every member of our community commit to the health and safety of each other. Wearing masks and social distancing are considered two of the most effective deterrents to the spread of the virus. If we are not successful in slowing the increase in students testing positive for COVID-19, we will have to take steps to further reduce the interaction of our students and employees. Such measures might include the temporary closure of common areas like lounges or study areas, or the cancellation of student extracurricular activities. Fortunately, your actions, to date, have demonstrated a commitment to our successful operations. With your continued support, I am confident we can avoid further changes in our activities.

In our local community, we are seeing a disturbing trend in infection rate, as two local high schools were forced yesterday to move to a virtual environment and a number of others have sent large numbers of students home due to exposure. As a result, County Mayor Bill Ketron announced that Rutherford County will reinstate its face-covering order, effective at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday and until further notice. You can read the county’s announcement here. I am optimistic that, as demonstrated with the previous mask requirements, the mayor’s action will result in a significant improvement in our county’s infection rate.

Your efforts have contributed greatly to our ability to remain open for the 2020 Fall semester and puts us on solid footing for the coming Spring 2021 semester. I am counting on you to follow the rules, keep your guard up and make smart and safe decisions.

 Sincerely,
Sidney A. McPhee
President
Sidney.McPhee@mtsu.edu