To the University community,

The delta variant of the coronavirus, and the subsequent increase in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the middle Tennessee region, makes urgent the continuing need for our University community to adhere to health and safety precautions. These precautions were developed after review of guidance from MTSU Student Health Services as well as local, state, and national public health experts. Our ability to stay on course with plans to continue in-person classes and on-campus activities for the Fall 2021 semester depend upon us working together to keep each other safe.

You can find information about our revised protocols at mtsu.edu/coronavirus.

If we work together, we can keep our MTSU community safer, and continue to enjoy all the activities that make our campus such a great place to be. We appreciate the efforts of our students, faculty, and staff to protect one another and to keep us on track for a great fall semester.

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

To our University Community:

In less than two weeks, students will be returning to begin our Fall semester.  We look forward to welcoming our Blue Raider family back to campus, and providing everyone with a traditional on-campus experience.  However, it is important to remind everyone that in order to assure the safety of our community, preventative health practices must be observed.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a noticeable increase in the numbers of individuals testing positive with COVD-19; more specifically the Delta variant.   In response, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued new guidance to help slow the spread of the virus.  In keeping with these recommendations, effective Wednesday, August 11, we will again require all members of our campus community to wear masks at all times inside university facilities. Exclusions to this include private offices, dorm rooms and individual study rooms.

While recognizing that vaccination is a personal choice, it has been proven that this is the most effective way to combat this virus. We continue to strongly encourage everyone to be vaccinated and will continue to provide vaccinations through our student health Services. Masking and vaccination will help us keep the traditional class schedule currently in place for this fall. 

This is not how we had intended to begin the year and it is my hope that this requirement will be short-lived.  We will continue to monitor the situation on our campus and make decisions as appropriate.  Currently, required masking is the only modification to our plan to return to campus.  Any future decisions, however, will be influenced by how well our community and campus respond to this latest outbreak.

Stay safe.
Sidney A. McPhee
Sidney.McPhee@mtsu.edu