UT to Continue Online Classes for Remainder of the Spring Semester, Alternative Commencement Ceremonies Being Planned

For Immediate Release
March 16, 2020

KNOXVILLE – University of Tennessee Interim President Randy Boyd has announced that all in-person delivery of classes will be moved online for the remainder of the spring semester and alternative commencement ceremonies will be planned at all UT campuses in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“In an effort to avoid further disruption for our students, faculty and staff, we will move instruction entirely online for the remainder of the spring semester,” Boyd said. “In addition, commencement ceremonies will not be held in May. Each campus is looking at alternative commencement options at this time.”

Each campus will be sending out specific communications to their faculty, students and staff regarding the impact to its respective campuses.

The UT System recently announced a comprehensive resource guide that provides information and resources surrounding COVID-19: tennessee.edu/coronavirus/.

In December 2019, the global health care community identified a new respiratory virus that originated in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and has since been labeled 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization—previously it was referred to as 2019-nCoV). Spread of coronavirus is correlated with circumstances of close and sustained contact with others who are infected.

The University of Tennessee is a statewide system of higher education with campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin and Memphis; the UT Space Institute in Tullahoma; the UT Institute of Agriculture with a presence in every Tennessee county; and the statewide Institute for Public Service. The UT system manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory through its UT-Battelle partnership; enrolls about 50,000 students statewide; produces about 10,000 new graduates every year; and represents more than 387,000 alumni around the world.

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Contact:
Melissa Tindell, 865-974-0741, mtindell@tennessee.edu, P267 Andy Holt Tower, 1331 Circle Park, Knoxville, TN 37996

Jennifer Sicking, 865-974-5179, jsicking@tennessee.edu, P265 Andy Holt Tower, 1331 Circle Park, Knoxville, TN 37996