{"id":2024,"date":"2020-11-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-13T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/blogtest\/nov-13-message-from-dr-mcphee-to-students-as-end-of-semester-approaches\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T15:19:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T20:19:51","slug":"nov-13-message-from-dr-mcphee-to-students-as-end-of-semester-approaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/nov-13-message-from-dr-mcphee-to-students-as-end-of-semester-approaches\/","title":{"rendered":"NOV. 13: Message from Dr. McPhee to students as end of semester approaches"},"content":{"rendered":"
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To our students,<\/p>\n

I know you are excited as we approach the end of the term and the upcoming holiday season.\u00a0However, we still have more than a week of classes remaining, and we are watching the COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise in Rutherford County and the State of Tennessee.\u00a0As a county, we recently reached the significant milestone of more than 50 active COVID-19 infections per 100,000 residents.\u00a0This is a signal that the virus is progressing in a dangerous direction.<\/p>\n

I apologize for the length of this communication. But I ask each of you to take the time to read this in its entirety so that we can work together to protect the students, faculty, and staff of our campus.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

To help ensure we are able to safely finish this term, I am asking our senior administrators to carefully review any social activities scheduled to take place on campus for the remainder of the term and to make appropriate adjustments, including possibly postponing events, if necessary to protect public health. In addition, I\u2019m asking Aramark to restrict all campus dining to \u201cto-go\u201d options as an additional safety precaution.<\/p>\n

Our goal is to finish the semester with our on-campus, in-person classes still meeting and being able to hold our outdoor \u2013with health and safety protocols in place \u2013 commencement ceremonies at Floyd Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 21.\u00a0We are so proud of our graduates and we look forward to this recognition of their achievements.<\/p>\n

We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 infection numbers and will take all reasonable precautions to protect our students and guests. We will adhere to social distancing requirements at the ceremonies, including the wearing of masks and the seating of no more than six ticketed guests per student. I remain hopeful we will be able to continue with our plans for these outdoor ceremonies, without disruption from either weather or COVID-19; having to cancel would be a great disappointment for all of us.\u00a0We will keep you posted if either circumstance requires us to change our plans.<\/p>\n

If you have been invited to attend one of these ceremonies, please remember that any public gathering always carries some risk of COVID-19 exposure. I also urge you to please think carefully about whether medically vulnerable family members should instead watch True Blue TV\u2019s video and livestream coverage of the ceremony from the safety of their homes, rather than attend in person. And, for those who attend, I ask this: Although a flurry of hugs is a classic way to celebrate graduation, please make a plan for a more socially distanced acknowledgment of your friends \u2014 maybe a festive elbow bump could take the place of a hug?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Finally, as you confirm your holiday and end-of term travel plans, please spend time considering ways you can reduce the risks of bringing COVID-19 into your family\u2019s home.\u00a0It\u2019s so important that we all protect our vulnerable family members by being smart and planning ahead. Our campus medical staff endorses these precautions as outlined by the American College Health Association:<\/p>\n