A look back at the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic shows the many ways that East Tennessee State University prioritized the health and safety of the campus community while continuing to serve its students and the Appalachian Highlands community. A COVID-19 Medical Response Team was formed to make recommendations to university administration regarding modifications to campus operations, and a Future Operations Workgroup developed a series of operational stages to provide levels of restrictions and other health and safety guidelines. The Bucs are Back website was created and continues to keep the campus community informed of new protocols, testing initiatives, safety enhancements, and other announcements regarding COVID-19. In the midst of all the changes and precautions, ETSU’s faculty, students, and staff persevered to ensure that the university’s mission was not interrupted. From creativity in online classroom settings to innovative ways to serve the community’s needs, ETSU remained steadfast in its commitment to students and the people of this region. It was a year full of challenges and rewards. The timeline below is record of our resilience, our purpose and our hope for a "Clear Blue Morning."
COVID-19 Timeline
- March 2, 2020
First Campus-Wide Coronavirus Announcement
The Weekly Update email newsletter mentions the coronavirus for the first time and the announcement provides a link to more information and current CDC recommendations.
- March 4, 2020
Gov. Bill Lee forms a Coronavirus Task Force
Gov. Bill Lee formed a Coronavirus Task Force to enhance Tennessee’s coordinated efforts to prevent, identify, and treat potential cases of COVID-19. Dr. Jonathan Moorman, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Quillen College of Medicine, along with 14 other Tennesseans, including Quillen alumna Dr. Lisa Piercey, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, helped to develop and execute strong precautionary measures, resource allocations, and emergency response plans.
- March 9, 2020
International Travel Suspended
The University suspends all outgoing university-related international travel.
- March 10, 2020
Preparation for Instructional Continuity
Interim Provost Dr. Wilsie Bishop sends a memo to faculty and staff asking them to prepare for instructional continuity should classes have to be moved online.
- March 10, 2020
COVID-19 Information and Spring Break Planning
Dr. Joe Sherlin, Vice President of Student Life and Enrollment, sends a memo encouraging students to adhere to travel guidelines from the CDC and state health departments as they finalize spring break plans. He warns that classes could move to an all online format after spring break if the outbreak progresses and encouraged students to take books and learning materials with them before leaving campus.
- March 11, 2020
Domestic Travel Suspended
ETSU suspends all outgoing university-related domestic travel. In a memo, students who are leaving for spring break are encouraged to take any books, items or learning materials that they might need and be mindful of travel alerts.
- March 12, 2020
All Face-to-Face Courses Move Online
ETSU announces that all current face-to-face courses will move to online effective Monday, March 23 for three weeks. Students are asked to stay home after spring break and resume classes online from their permanent residence.
- March 13, 2020
COVID-19 Response Website Launched
In a memo to staff, Dr. Noland recognizes the many unanswered questions and uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak. He provides a link to a new website where members of the ETSU community can find up-to-date information and learn about ETSU's response to the COVID-19 virus.
- March 16, 2020
Video Message from President Noland
President Noland offers words of encouragement as the campus prepares to shift to remote learning after spring break.
- March 17, 2020
ETSU Health Opens First Drive-Through COVID-19 Testing Site
ETSU Health opens the first drive-through COVID-19 testing site in the region. Plans are announced to have employees transition to remote work.
- March 19, 2020
Employees and On-Campus Residents Urged to Work and Learn from Home
In light of the rapidly changing national landscape, President Noland issues a series of new steps related to the operations of the university:
- Classes remain online through the close of the spring semester
- To the maximum extent possible, employees should work from home until further notice
- Students urged to remain home or return to their permanent residence as soon as possible
- Limits on research activities
- Sherrod Library closed
- March 25, 2020
Gov. Bill Lee and THEC Issue a Statewide Request for Personal Protective Equipment
When Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission issued a statewide request for personal protective equipment, Dr. Keith Johnson and Bill Hemphill from ETSU’s Department of Engineering, Engineering Technology and Surveying immediately went to work developing a face shield prototype. Their work expanded to include community partnerships with Eastman, STREAMWORKS, worked together to address the shortage of medical equipment by manufacturing face shields.
- March 27, 2020
ETSU Student Resources and Support
Dr. Joe Sherlin, Vice President of Student Life and Enrollment, sends a message to students highlighting support resources available.
- March 31, 2020
Online Outreach Program Created by Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
As the COVID-19 closures and quarantines disrupted lives across the Appalachian Highlands, a group of faculty and students in the Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology created an online outreach program that continued to help children and families who deal with communication disorders.
- April 1, 2020
TSBDC and the Department of Management and Marketing Provides Guidance to Small Businesses
The Tennessee Small Business Development Center at ETSU partnered with the College of Business and Technology’s Department of Management and Marketing to provide guidance, information, and resources to small businesses in our region amidst the COVID-19 crisis.
- April 2, 2020
Summer Courses Taught Online
University announces that all courses offered during summer terms would be taught online.
- April 2, 2020
At-Home Learning Advice
Three special education faculty members – Dr. Pam Mims, Dr. Cynthia Chambers and Dr. Dawn Rowe – held weekly Zoom meetings for teachers and parents who were trying to educate students at home who have severe disabilities.
- April 3, 2020
Postponement of In-Person Spring Commencement Exercises
President Noland announces the postponement of in-person Spring Commencement Exercises and related activities.
- April 7, 2020
Several No-Contact, Drive-Through Medical Supply and Card Collection Drives Are Hosted
Quillen College of Medicine students partners with the Washington County Emergency Management Agency to host several no-contact, drive-through medical supply and card collection drives. They donated the supplies to local first responders and health care workers.
- April 8, 2020
Gatton College of Pharmacy Produces Hand Sanitizer to Combat Shortages
Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy produced hand sanitizer to help ETSU Health clinics and first responders curb shortages and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Dr. Charles Collins, professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, produced the hand sanitizer in the college’s compounding lab.
- April 9, 2020
ETSU Launches the Bucs Help Bucs Campaign
ETSU launches the Bucs Help Bucs campaign to assist students facing extraordinary circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ETSU family contributed $130,000 toward relief areas such as student/staff emergency funds, Bucky’s Food Pantry, the ETSU Counseling Center and other areas.
- April 10, 2020
Archives of Appalachia launched the project “Telling Your Story: Documenting COVID-19 in East Tennessee”
The Archives of Appalachia launched the project “Telling Your Story: Documenting COVID-19 in East Tennessee,” that will chronicle how the people of the Appalachian Highlands journeyed through the COVID-19 pandemic.
- April 16, 2020
Dr. O’Neil Led Efforts to Help PE Faculty Teach Online
Dr. O’Neil with Clemmer College, helped lead a grassroots effort to provide strategies, resources and other virtual teaching techniques to the physical education community across the nation.
- April 22, 2020
Clemmer College Offered a “Homework Hotline”
As K-12 schools sent students home and instruction moved online, the Clemmer College stepped forward to offer a “Homework Hotline” that was staffed by education students and was offered to school districts across the Northeast Tennessee region.
- April 24, 2020
No Increase for Tuition and Mandatory Fees
ETSU Board of Trustees approves no increase for tuition and mandatory fees for the 2020-21 academic year.
- April 28, 2020
Faculty and Staff Contine to Work Remotely
ETSU announces that faculty and staff will continue to work from remote locations through at least May 31.
- May 6, 2020
“Culture, Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic” Summer Course Offering
Students in “Culture, Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a summer course taught by Dr. Melissa Schrift, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, channeled their energies and anxieties into a class oral history project on the lived experiences of Appalachian communities during the pandemic.
- May 8, 2020
CARES Act and Virtual Ceremonies
ETSU announces that emergency grants will be awarded to eligible students through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act resulting in $5.3 million awarded to over 8,500 students.
Quillen College of Medicine and Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy hold virtual commencement ceremonies for their 2020 graduates.
- May 9, 2020
Virtual Commencement Ceremony
Due to the pandemic, the ETSU community came together to celebrate May 2020 Commencement in a virtual format. The university conferred some 2,200 degrees, and special guest Dolly Parton made a surprise appearance with words of wisdom and congratulations for the graduates.
- May 15, 2020
"Local Art in the Age of the 2020 Global Pandemic" Exhibit
ETSU’s Reece Museum, Mary B. Martin School of the Arts and community supporters created “Local Art in the Age of the 2020 Global Pandemic,” a new juried collection of art to be housed in the Reece Museum’s Permanent Collection. The exhibit captures a sense of the collective experiences of the people of this region during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- May 18, 2020
Strategic Options Workgroup Formed
A Strategic Options Workgroup, led by co-chairs Jeremy Ross and Dr. Michael Hoff, is established to address budget matters and provide the Office of the President with projected budget scenarios for the 20-21 fiscal year and to make actionable recommendations to ensure budget and strategic plan alignment.
- June 1, 2020
Future Operations Workgroup Recommends Series of Operational Stages
Future Operations Workgroup releases its report recommending a series of operational stages, 1-4. Research activities resume on the ETSU campus.
- June 2, 2020
College of Public Health Creates a Clearinghouse of Information Related to the Pandemic
The College of Public Health announces a clearinghouse of information related to the pandemic ranging from tips on how to follow the latest COVID-19 statistics to information about how to stay safe and healthy.
- June 9, 2020
Johnson City Community Health Center and the Johnson City Downtown Day Center Implement Policies to Ensure Medical Care during Pandemic
The Johnson City Community Health Center and the Johnson City Downtown Day Center, which are managed by the College of Nursing, a part of ETSU Health, implement policies to help ensure that patients continued receiving important medical care throughout the pandemic, even when faced with job loss or lack of insurance.
- June 18, 2020
Changes to the Fall 2020 Academic Calendar
ETSU announces changes to the Fall 2020 academic calendar in order to safeguard the health of our students, faculty and staff.
- June 22, 2020
Bucs Calling Bucs
By mid-June more than 100 volunteers from across campus – including faculty, staff and senior leadership – had called more than 12,000 ETSU students to provide a friendly voice during a difficult time to check in and say “hello.” The initiative, spearheaded by the Division of Student Life and Enrollment, was called Bucs Calling Bucs. - July 1, 2020
Phased Reopening of Campus
A phased reopening of campus begins, with offices becoming accessible for in-person assistance during normal business hours.
- July 28, 2020
New Policy Requiring Face Covering
President Noland announces the approval of a new policy requiring all students, faculty and staff as well as visitors to campus to wear a face covering when in classrooms and other public areas as well as outdoor areas where a physical distance of six feet cannot be maintained.
- August 7, 2020
Residence Halls Shift to Single Bed Occupancy
In consultation with ETSU’s COVID Medical Response Team, ETSU announces the decision to shift residence halls to single bed occupancy.
- August 10, 2020
Modified Stage 2
ETSU announces that it would implement a Modified Stage 2 for the Fall 2020 term.
- August 13, 2020
COVID-19 Safety Pledge
To prevent the spread of the virus, the ETSU Community is invited to take the COVID-19 Safety Pledge. The training module features important public health recommendations.
- August 24, 2020
Fall Semester
The fall semester begins with safety measures in place.
Increased cleaning and sanitation protocols are led by the Facilities Management team. New processes include the use of E-Mister disinfectant spray in buildings across campus each day and altering classroom setup to meet physical distancing guidelines. Hand sanitizing stations were installed in the main entrances of all ETSU buildings. Facilities Management also made Plexiglass Service Shields available to offices on campus.
- August 28, 2020
COVID-19 Dashboard Available
The COVID-19 Dashboard is added to the Bucs Are Back website that includes the number of individuals who have received and reported a positive test result and are currently in isolation. In addition, data is available on students who are in quarantined housing as well as persons who have recovered. The dashboard makes distinction between cases involving students and those among faculty and staff.
- October 14, 2020
Fall 2020 Commencement
Based on the guidelines from the CDC and state and local health agencies as well as the recommendations from the ETSU's COVID-19 Medical Response Team, the executive leadership team announces the decision that Fall Commencement Exercises will be held in a virtual setting.
- October 16, 2020
Spring 2021 Revised Academic Calendar and Course Formats
Dr. Wilsie Bishop, Senior Vice President for Academics and Interim Provost, announces that safety pracitices and policies will remain in place for the spring 2021 semester with the majority of academic courses, approximately 80%, offered remotely.
University Council approves a revised academic calendar that primarily reflects an adjustment to Spring Break.
- October 22, 2020
Cup of Kindness Award for Community Service
The Business Journal of Tri-Cities TN/VA presents the 2020 Healthcare Heroes “Cup of Kindness Community Service Award” to ETSU Health for the work of ETSU’s five health sciences colleges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. - October 27, 2020
Leading Voices in Public Health
ETSU’s College of Public Health hosts “Coronavirus: Separating Fact from Fiction,” a presentation and question and answer session featuring three local experts on infectious diseases and public health. - October 29, 2020
ETSU Health Opens the Regions First COVID-19 Community Collection Site
ETSU Health opens the regions first COVID-19 Community Collection Site that delivers molecular PCR test results within 24 hours.
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November 20, 2020
PPE Collection
Throughout the month of November, ETSU student organizations collect PPE and hygiene products for local health care workers.
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December 2, 2020
COVID-19 Research Grant
ETSU announces that Dr. Jonathan Moorman was awarded a $330,000 Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development Merit Review Award by the Department of Veterans Affairs to study immune responses to COVID-19.
- December 12, 2020
Fall Virtual Commencement Ceremony
The university holds its second virtual commencement ceremony to confer degrees to its December 2020 graduates.
- December 14, 2020
COVID-19 Community Collection Site Moves to ETSU Parking Garage
ETSU Health’s COVID-19 Community Collection Site moves to a new, drive-through location in the ETSU Parking Garage to accommodate more patients.
- December 28, 2020
Pharmacy Faculty and Students Begin Assisting with Vaccines
Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy faculty and students begin assisting with the administration of COVID-19 vaccines in the Appalachian Highlands.
- January 19, 2021
Start of Spring Semester
- January 28, 2021
Nursing Students Begin Assisting with Vaccines
As part of their clinical rotations, College of Nursing students begin assisting with COVID-19 vaccines.
- January 30, 2021
Free Drop-In COVID-19 Testing at Various Campus Locations
ETSU announces it will offer free drop-in COVID-19 testing at various campus locations for students, faculty and staff two days a week through the end of April.
- February 17, 2021
ETSU Announces That it Has Begun Planning For Increased On-Ground Campus Presence
ETSU announces that it has begun planning for an increased on-ground campus presence for fall 2021, with the majority of academic instruction occurring in person and increased occupancy in the residence halls.
- February 19, 2021
ETSU Board of Trustees Meets In Person
The ETSU Board of Trustees meets in person for the first time since the pandemic began.
- February 23, 2021
Leading Voices in Public Health: Vaccines
ETSU’s College of Public Health hosts a second installment of its popular “Coronavirus: Separating Fact from Fiction” webinar, focusing solely on issues and questions related to the COVID-19 vaccines.
- March 8, 2021
Commencement Plans for Spring 2021
Dr. Wilsie Bishop, Senior Vice President for Academics and Interim Provost, shares the news that several Commencement ceremonies will be held in person May 7-9 for members of the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021.
- March 9, 2021
Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II Distribution
More than 11,800 students are receiving financial assistance from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II). Approximately $5.5 million in HEERF II funding is being dispersed to eligible ETSU students.