In response to the coronavirus outbreak and continued public health concerns, all Roane State campuses will extend spring break for students through March 22. Faculty and staff will use this time to prepare for transitioning to an all-online teaching environment when classes resume on March 23.

Courses will remain online through at least March 29, with the possibility of continuing online beyond that date. In the interest of safety, students will not be on any campus during this time. These steps place us on level two of Roane State’s Pandemic Preparedness Plan.

Additional measures include:

  • Cancelation or postponement of all on-campus events beginning March 16 through March 29
  • Cancelation of all planned international travel, including study abroad programs to Italy, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands
  • Cancelation of all out-of-state travel for college personnel during the month of March
  • Dual enrollment courses taught at area high schools will follow Roane State’s adjusted schedule and any potential schedule adjustment made by the respective high school system

Alternative arrangements will be made for any Roane State courses that are unable to move completely online, which could include a delay and extension of the semester. The same will be true for any student who is unable to take courses in a distance learning format. You can find information about Distance Education and Momentum (or D2L) on our website. Students and faculty may login to Momentum at the following link: https://elearn.roanestate.edu/d2l/login.

The health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, their families, and the broader communities we serve are the top priority as we make this decision. While there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on any of our campuses right now, we hope taking these steps will help prevent that from occurring.

We are doing everything in our power to make this transition as smooth as possible, but we know there will be unforeseen issues. We ask for your patience and understanding while we work to keep everyone safe during this unprecedented situation.

Students, we encourage you to reach out to your instructors and academic advisors if you have any concerns. For faculty and staff, please contact your academic dean or your direct supervisor with questions. Additional information will follow this message.

We are continuing to monitor information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Tennessee Department of Health regarding coronavirus. Any additional actions or precautions taken by the college in response to the outbreak will be done in coordination with the Tennessee Board of Regents, with guidance from our state and local health departments.

We will be keeping you informed via RaiderAlert text and email messages, general college email, social media, and our website. If you have not yet signed up for RaiderAlerts, you can do so here: https://www.roanestate.edu/raideralert.

Please visit www.roanestate.edu/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information from the college as well as resources from the CDC about protecting yourself from the virus.

From Dr. Chris Whaley

Additional notes: all campuses will be closed when classes resume in an online format on March 23. Only essential personnel will be permitted on campus after that point until at least March 29. Additional information is forthcoming from college vice presidents.