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UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

COVID-19 Update

March 27, 2020

This information is not the most recent update. For the most recent information, visit uttyler.edu/coronavirus.

Dear UT Tyler Community,

As you may know, today Smith County officials announced a stay-at-home order starting at midnight. We are grateful to Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran and Mayor Martin Heines for their leadership in taking proactive steps to limit the impacts of COVID-19. We are all hopeful these temporary measures will enable us to curtail the spread of the virus and give our healthcare professionals time to focus their attention on patients currently under their care.

In compliance with the stay-at-home order, UT Tyler will begin operating with a skeleton crew, essential personnel only. This is effective Monday, March 30 through Friday, April 10. We will continue to hold online classes, and I have instructed our team to be as creative and flexible as possible to ensure student success in the present environment.

Services available for student success

  • The Muntz Library second floor computer lab will remain open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for students who cannot otherwise find resources to participate in their online classes. All face-to-face services of the library will be suspended. We also strongly encourage students to utilize other options, if possible, to best comply with the stay-at-home order.
  • The One Stop Service Center (enrollment management, registrar, admissions) will be helping students via phone messages, email and webchat. Visit https://www.uttyler.edu/enroll/ for contact information.
  • The Office of Residence Life will continue to work with students who wish to proceed with their scheduled move out. Please contact housing@uttyler.edu if you need to reschedule.
  • Food services will continue to remain open for the remaining residential students who are unable to return home.
  • Students with ongoing hardships, who are in need of help, should contact Dean of Students Andrew Pettee at APettee@uttyler.edu

Directions for faculty and staff

All non-essential staff will be required to telecommute. Please contact your supervisor if you are unsure of your status. The Office of Human Resources is available to answer your questions about the employment impact of COVID-19. You can call them or visit their webpage by clicking the Employee Information tab on the Coronavirus page:
https://www.uttyler.edu/coronavirus/

As a reminder, all employees are required to report if they have symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, all employees are required to report potential exposure to COVID-19. This is important because COVID-19 can be spread before symptoms develop. Please call Human Resources if either applies to you.

I continue to feel extremely blessed by how effectively the entire UT Tyler community is handling this situation. The compassion and care you show for one another, as well as the broader East Texas community, is commendable. We get daily phone calls from community officials seeking help with various projects because they know of your excellence and altruism. Thank you for creating and maintaining this type of culture at The University of Texas at Tyler.

We will get through this, together. Be safe and well.

Michael Tidwell, PhD
President
The University of Texas at Tyler