Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Get daily updates on cases, quarantine information and trends at APSU.
Get Tested for COVID-19
COVID-19 TEST RESULTS
Visitors - Please make appointments to visit campus
Student Guidance and Information
Employee Guidance and Information
What to do if you think you might have COVID-19
If an individual needs to enter a building, signs are posted on outside doors letting them know who to contact. Visitors, please make an appointment in order to practice social distancing and allow for proper cleaning between visitors.
(last updated Nov. 11, 2020)
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Archived Coronavirus Communications
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COVID-19 Vaccine at APSU
On Tuesday, March 2, Austin Peay State University’s nursing faculty and students will officially begin administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to members of the Montgomery County community. The University will dispense the vaccine following Tennessee’s phased vaccination plan, and APSU employees who meet the current phase’s criteria are encouraged to sign up for an appointment through this link.
The Tennessee Department of Health recently designated Austin Peay as a standalone vaccination site within Montgomery County, which means vaccine appointments need to be made with the University through the link above. After someone requests an appointment, they’ll receive additional information on when to arrive at Austin Peay. The University will operate a drive-through vaccination site in parking lot 11, next to the Ard Building.
Individuals registered to receive a vaccination must enter lot 11 by traveling east on Main Street. Traffic will not be allowed to enter from University Avenue.
APSU Vaccine Standby List
Earlier this morning, Austin Peay State University received approval to become an official Montgomery County vaccination site. Vaccine tents are up in parking lot 11, next to the Ard Building, and our nursing faculty and students are ready to begin administering doses once they arrive.
An announcement will go out once we receive doses from the state. Following that announcement, we will administer the vaccine to individuals who have made an appointment through this website, and we will dispense the vaccine following Tennessee’s phased vaccination plan. The University is now developing a standby list for faculty and staff in case we have doses that are in danger of going unused at the end of a day due to vacant appointments.
If you are not in a high-risk category, please consider waiting to receive your dose until the state begins vaccinating your age group’s phase. The standby list is intended for high-risk individuals, but being on the standby list does not guarantee you will receive a vaccine early.
To sign up for the standby list, please fill out this form. A random number generator will pick 10 individuals, identified only through A numbers, to be on standby the next day. If you’re selected for this list, you’ll receive further instructions about getting the vaccine from the University.
However, there is a strong chance most individuals on the list will not receive a vaccine because we anticipate having very few, if any, extra doses on a given day.
For information on APSU’s Boyd Health Services or our COVID-19 testing sites, please visit https://www.apsu.edu/health-and-counseling/boyd-health-services/index.php.
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While conducting surveillance testing today, University officials identified an individual at Austin Peay’s Child Learning Center (CLC) who tested positive for COVID-19. The University has immediately closed the CLC for two weeks, and Austin Peay’s cleaning maintenance contractor, CMTI, will conduct a deep cleaning of the facility.
The CLC staff has contacted parents to let them know of the possible exposure so they can make informed decisions on testing their children or themselves. The University provides COVID-19 testing to the APSU community. If you are symptomatic, have been directly exposed to a person known to be COVID-19 positive, or are in a surveillance testing program, please visit the drive-thru testing site behind the Ard Building between the 7 a.m. - noon, Monday- Friday.
For current information and updates regarding COVID-19 at APSU, including cases, please
visit the University’s COVID-19 website.
APSU COVID-19 Command Team
Vaccine Distribution Site (Parking Lot 11)
We will only administer vaccines to those who have received an appointment through the Montgomery County Health Department. Do not contact Boyd Health Services because the staff is not permitted to schedule vaccination appointments. You can register online for a vaccination appointment at https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/county-vaccine-information/.
Laptop and Cellular Hotspot Loan Program for Students
Govs Still Wear Masks
We've received reports that people are not wearing masks inside common areas of academic and administrative buildings, as well as in the library. If you are eating, you can have your mask off for a short period, but please eat quickly.
Individuals who do not wear masks will be asked to put their mask on properly (over nose and mouth). Failure to wear a mask may result in being asked to leave the building. Violators of this policy could also be referred to the Dean of Students or Human Resources for further action.
Make Health & Safety a Priority
This week we have seen an increase in the number of COVID-positive community members. We have also experienced a large increase in the number of exposed individuals who now have to quarantine.
APSU working to become Montgomery County COVID-19 vaccination site
Austin Peay is in the process of becoming one of Montgomery County’s COVID-19 vaccination locations. If the state approves our application, we will follow Tennessee’s approved distribution phases (see chart below), and we will only administer to those who have received an appointment by the Montgomery County Health Department. Do not contact Boyd Health Services because the staff is not permitted to schedule vaccination appointments.
“As of today, we don’t know when our location will begin vaccinating or the population that we will be asked to vaccinate first,” Bridget Marley, APSU public health coordinator, said. “Our staffing and location are ready to begin operations once we receive state approval.”
Marley recently joined Austin Peay, and she will serve as project manager for vaccination distribution on campus.
To sign up for your COVID-19 vaccination:
- Find your phase in the vaccination plan at https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/eligibility/.
- Find the phase your county is vaccinating at https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/vaccine-phases/.
- If your county is currently vaccinating your phase, register online for a vaccination appointment at https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/county-vaccine-information/.
You will enter your county and then click “Request Appointment.” This appointment will place you on a waiting list. It is important to note that vaccine supplies are limited at this time. As soon as vaccines become available appointments will be scheduled.
If you live in a different county, you will need to contact that health department to set up your vaccination through them.
Combating COVID-19: Form a pod
One of the best ways to combat COVID-19, which is spreading throughout the Clarksville community, is to form a pod – a small group of roommates, family members or close friends – and limit exposures beyond this pod as much as possible. Whether you live in a residence hall, an apartment or at home with family, you should have an open, honest conversation about how each member is responsible for keeping the pod safe.
For students living in residence halls, that conversation might focus on not having any outsiders – even your roommate’s parents – visit your room. Students in apartments or at home should also ask these questions and encourage every member of your pod to commit to healthier choices during this pandemic. Make sure everyone in your pod agrees to:
- Get tested for COVID-19 before returning to campus.
- Follow mask and distance requirements.
- Stay away from crowds.
- Limit eating at indoor restaurants.
- Complete the COVID-19 Self Reporting Form if have been exposed, you're showing symptoms or you have a confirmed positive test for COVID19.
- Follow all isolation and quarantine requirements.
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By following our guidelines in the fall, you helped keep our COVID-19 numbers well below average, allowing us to successfully complete the fall semester. With the spring semester quickly approaching, everyone must continue to take preventive measures to protect themselves and the University. This semester, we strongly recommend you get tested for COVID-19 (once) before returning to campus.
Get Tested for COVID-19
Commuter students
Testing is available at local county health departments, primary care clinics and urgent care centers. Even if you receive a negative test result, you need to continue wearing a mask indoors, maintaining six feet from other individuals and following Austin Peay’s COVID-19 guidelines.
Residential students
The University is recommending one-time surveillance testing of residential students at the Ard Building before move-in. Drive-through COVID-19 testing is available Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-noon. Even if you receive a negative test result, you need to continue wearing a mask indoors, maintaining six feet from other individuals and following Austin Peay’s COVID-19 guidelines. For more information about COVID-19 testing at Austin Peay, please visit apsu.edu/covidtesting.
Note: Only those who have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive or are experiencing symptoms would need to quarantine and submit a COVID-19 form in conjunction with return-to-campus testing.
Download Peay Mobile
If you haven’t already, please download Peay Mobile – our mobile app – so you can conduct your own daily wellness check for COVID-19 symptoms. You can download the app to most smartphones through their app store.
Govs Still Wear Masks
Remember when you return to campus this spring, you MUST wear a mask in indoor common spaces such as classrooms. Masks are also required outdoors when a physical distance of six feet or more cannot be maintained. We also ask you to practice physical distancing and frequently wash your hands (we have provided hand sanitizer stations throughout campus).
For additional information on our COVID-19 guidelines and academic changes or resources, visit www.apsu.edu/coronavirus. For information on health and counseling, visit https://www.apsu.edu/health-and-counseling/.
Austin Peay State University plans to return to traditional, predominantly face-to-face instruction and operation for the Fall 2021 semester. The plans will resemble the University’s pre-pandemic class format, while also having the ability to convert to alternative course delivery should the need arise.
“We’ve been through nearly a year of emergency operations that have tested our protocols and our perseverance,” Dannelle Whiteside, interim APSU president, said. “It is rare to have such a lengthy scenario, but it has prepared us for future crises.
“We plan to offer many more face-to-face classes, similar to what students would have experienced pre-COVID. Though the pandemic forced us to shift to more online offerings, we have also listened to students who have consistently told us that they need more face-to-face instruction and interaction,” Whiteside said.
The decision was made after the state announced plans for delivering vaccines throughout Tennessee with indications of wide availability by summer 2021.
The University’s COVID-19 command team continues to meet daily to assess campus, local and regional case counts and address any challenges of continuing operations under this pandemic.
Dear colleagues:
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) expired on Dec. 31, 2020. However, the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2021, allows employers the option to extend the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave until March 31, on a voluntary basis. APSU has chosen to continue the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave until March 31, 2021.
Effective Jan. 1, 2021, APSU will use the following guidelines:
- Employees are allowed two weeks of paid sick leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. This equates to:
o 75 hours for employees on a 37.5-hour work schedule.
o 80 hours for employees on a 40-hour work schedule.
o Part-time employees are eligible for leave for the number of hours that the employee is normally scheduled to work over that period.
- The leave hours are cumulative from April 1, 2020.
o For example, if you are eligible for 75 hours of paid sick leave and used 50 hours from April 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020, then you would only have 25 hours remaining through March 31, 2021.
- Any leave related to COVID-19 over the two-week limit will require employees to take sick and/or annual leave.
- Employees are also allowed up to an additional 10 weeks of paid expanded family and medical leavewhen an employee, who has been employed for at least 30 calendar days, is unable to work due to a bona fide need for leave to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19.
For more information on eligibility, qualifying reasons for leave, and/or to submit an emergency leave request, please visit our COVID-19 Paid Leave website.
Thank you and stay safe!
APSU HR
Last fall, Austin Peay’s COVID-19 Task Force developed new guidelines and procedures for hosting University events, both on and off campus. The guidelines, available here, were developed to ensure social distancing, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to protect the safety and well-being of the entire campus community, including guests.
Under these new guidelines, any University event – whether on campus or off campus – must be approved by the Office of University Facilities. The event’s host must fill out a webform on the APSU room reservation page, and the host must describe in detail his or her plans to protect staff, students and guests. The host also must include the event’s social distancing guidelines. Once the request reaches the APSU University Facilities Office, it will be reviewed for attendance numbers, room size and mitigation strategies.
Before having an in-person event, hosts should consider the use of online technology (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, FaceTime, Google Meeting) whenever possible.
For the latest information, visit the COVID-19 website and the APSU room reservation page.
By following our guidelines in the fall, you helped keep our COVID-19 numbers well below average, allowing us to successfully complete the fall semester. With the spring semester quickly approaching, everyone must continue to take preventive measures to protect themselves and the University. This semester, we strongly recommend you get tested for COVID-19 (once) before returning to campus.
Get Tested for COVID-19
Commuter students
Testing is available at local county health departments, primary care clinics and urgent care centers. Even if you receive a negative test result, you need to continue wearing a mask indoors, maintaining six feet from other individuals and following Austin Peay’s COVID-19 guidelines.
Residential students
The University is recommending one-time surveillance testing of residential students at the Ard Building before move-in. Drive-through COVID-19 testing is available Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-noon. Even if you receive a negative test result, you need to continue wearing a mask indoors, maintaining six feet from other individuals and following Austin Peay’s COVID-19 guidelines. For more information about COVID-19 testing at Austin Peay, please visit apsu.edu/covidtesting.
Note: Only those who have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive or are experiencing symptoms would need to quarantine and submit a COVID-19 form in conjunction with return-to-campus testing.
Download Peay Mobile
If you haven’t already, please download Peay Mobile – our mobile app – so you can conduct your own daily wellness check for COVID-19 symptoms. You can download the app to most smartphones through their app store.
Govs Still Wear Masks
Remember when you return to campus this spring, you MUST wear a mask in indoor common spaces such as classrooms. Masks are also required outdoors when a physical distance of six feet or more cannot be maintained. We also ask you to practice physical distancing and frequently wash your hands (we have provided hand sanitizer stations throughout campus).
For additional information on our COVID-19 guidelines and academic changes or resources, visit www.apsu.edu/coronavirus. For information on health and counseling, visit https://www.apsu.edu/health-and-counseling/.
In following with Governor Bill Lee’s orders issued Dec. 20, the University will continue remote operations tomorrow, Jan. 4.
Essential personnel will still be required to report. Please contact your supervisor if you have questions regarding essential status.
Governor Lee’s order expires Jan. 19 and does not currently affect sporting events.
Only essential employees should report to campus on Jan. 4 and all employees will receive further correspondence in the upcoming week about operational plans for the spring semester.
COVID Command Team
In following with Governor Bill Lee’s orders issued today, the University will be shifting to remote operations Dec. 21-22. The University will be closed Dec. 23 through Jan. 3 as originally scheduled.
Essential personnel will still be required to report. Please contact your supervisor if you have questions regarding essential status.
Governor Lee’s order expires Jan. 19 and does not currently affect sporting events. Tomorrow night’s basketball game against Murray State will be held as planned.
Only essential employees should report to campus on Jan. 4 and all employees will receive further correspondence about operational plans for the spring semester.
COVID Command Team
Austin Peay to enhance COVID testing, give up to 25,000 vaccinations in coming months
Austin Peay State University officials expect to administer up to 25,000 COVID-19
vaccinations in the coming months to university students, employees and their families. Additionally, Austin Peay plans to open a new clinical laboratory Jan. 4 on campus
that will help university healthcare workers deliver quicker, more accurate COVID-19
testing and results. The news comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified across the country and in
Tennessee, where the state is averaging more than 8,000 infections and 70 deaths per
day.
Vaccinating up to 25,000 people
Austin Peay will be one of the vaccination pods in Montgomery County, said Dr. Heather
Phillips, director of the university’s new clinical laboratory.
“We would not only vaccinate the Austin Peay affiliates – the students, staff and
faculty – but we would also be responsible for vaccinating their family members,”
Phillips said on Thursday.
Phillips’ lab has an “ultra-freeze” freezer, which is necessary to hold Pfizer’s vaccine. These freezers are “very hard to come by, they’re very pricey and most people don’t
have them,” Phillips said. Joey Smith, Montgomery County’s public health director,
“asked if the university would be willing to help not only store the vaccine for the
Clarksville community, but if we would also be willing to vaccinate part of the community.”
Phillips is hiring nursing staff and developing a schedule to support the effort,
“vaccinating on the upward end as many as 25,000 individuals in the coming months.”
Opening a lab for on-campus testing, results
Phillips has set up a SARS-CoV-2 testing lab at Boyd Health Services on campus to
perform PCR testing. SARS-CoV-2 (aka the novel coronavirus) is the virus that causes
COVID-19. PCR (nasal swab) testing is the gold standard of novel coronavirus detection.
“The PCR method is where we’re looking for a little, unique snippet of RNA,” Phillips
said. “If (a patient) has that little snippet that tells me they have the virus.
“This method is as close to 100% accurate as science will allow us to get, 99.999%
accurate,” she added.
Phillips and her team currently send test samples to Everlywell for results, which
reduces test accuracy and slows results (currently about five days). The new lab will
preserve accuracy and deliver results within 24 hours. She wanted to be clear: Even
though the results will be fast, they will not be from rapid antigen testing, which
can have an accuracy of only 48%.
“An in-house lab allows us to process test samples without having to ship them, handle
them with care and thereby reduce error, and ultimately share the results much more
rapidly, even same day,” said Dr. Jeff Rutter, director of Boyd Health Services. “All
these things matter a great deal in the midst of a pandemic.”
The in-house lab also allows Phillips’ team to get nasal pharyngeal samples, reaching
the cells that contain the ACE2 receptors where the novel coronavirus resides.
Mitigating the risk of the virus spreading
The quicker, more accurate testing at the new lab will have a direct and immediate
positive impact on the community.
“One person can expose roughly 22 people,” Phillips said. “We have the ability to
prevent that from happening, and we’re going to do everything we can to keep those
numbers down.
“The more we can mitigate the risk of the virus spreading, the better off not only
Austin Peay’s campus will be, but the community outside of Austin Peay will be,” she
added.
The lab needs Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments certification to open, and
Phillips expects that to happen by the planned Jan. 4 open date.
“We’re going to hit the ground running,” Phillips said. “I already have between 500
and 600 people scheduled for that week.”
Until then, Austin Peay will provide the current COVID-19 testing 7 a.m.-noon every
weekday except on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Austin Peay has administered more than 5,600 COVID-19 tests so far this fall.
Recognizing a team effort
Rutter wanted the community to know about the deep team involvement needed in making
these efforts a reality at Austin Peay.
“While I may have played a part in persuading (former APSU president) Dr. (Alisa)
White to consider the necessity of providing COVID-19 testing on campus, I am certainly
not the one responsible for envisioning and installing our in-house testing lab, which
we have today,” Rutter said.
“That project is the result of the excellent thought leadership and vision of my College
of STEM colleagues, including Karen Meisch, Perry Scanlan, Chad Brooks, Heather Phillips
and others who knew more about the benefits of processing test samples than I did,”
he continued. “They deserve all the credit.”
And Phillips lauded the frontline healthcare workers at Austin Peay – and throughout
the community. Phillips’ testing team includes a graduate assistant and four nurses.
The frontline workers at Austin Peay “are exposed to COVID-19 every single day,” she
said. “We have all made sacrifices with our families, with our friends, with our children.
I have not even kissed or loved or hugged my child in months because I’m concerned
about giving them this virus that I work with every day.
“Thank your healthcare workers. Thank your frontline workers,” she added. “They are
sacrificing an abundance of family time and personal time.”
As we approach the holidays, please remember to remain socially distant, wear masks and do your part to limit the spread of COVID-19. Starting today, those who have COVID-19 or are exposed to COVID-19 may be in danger of spending the holidays isolated or quarantined from family or friends.
Until further notice, please minimize any face-to-face discussions or meetings and use virtual methods unless absolutely necessary to meet in person. Also, we are asking all staff, faculty and their supervisors to ensure they are working rotations or other arrangements to minimize density when possible. Employees should check with their supervisors for options to reduce density on-campus.
Additionally, with today’s announcement that the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is shifting to remote instruction until the end of the semester, we are asking that supervisors be flexible with employees affected by this change. Employees can also use leave if needed, including Families First Coronavirus Response Act leave. For more information, please visit the Human Resources website.
By doing our best to limit exposure on campus, we can help assure that all faculty, staff and students can enjoy the holiday season with their loved ones. On behalf of all of us, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season.
Sincerely,
The COVID Command Team
APSU COVID-19 Department and Employee Reminders
- All employees should monitor their symptoms daily. If you are not feeling well, stay home and contact your supervisor immediately.
- While on campus, practice social distancing (6ft or more), always wear a mask, and wash/sanitize hands often.
- Respect employees in open/shared spaces such as cubicles. Don’t hover around cubicle for conversations.
- Departments should have reduced staffing schedule using a combination of telework/alternating days. It is critical that these schedules are adhered to.
- All employees should utilize technology for meetings to reduce physical interaction.
- All APSU leaders are encouraged to be as flexible as possible when navigating COVID-19 scenarios with employees.
APSU COVID-19 Exposure Guidelines
Austin Peay recently updated its employee guidelines regarding potential exposures to COVID-19. Any employee who has been exposed, quarantined or shows symptoms of COVID-19 should, depending on the employee’s specific circumstances, telework (where applicable) or use leave as established under Families First Coronavirus Response Act, annual or sick leave, or unpaid leave.
An employee displaying any COVID-19 symptoms or who reasonably feels an exposure has occurred must take the following steps:
- Leave campus immediately and seek medical care
- Receive COVID-19 testing as soon as reasonably possible
- Quarantine for at least 14 days and follow CDC guidelines
- Fill out a COVID-19 Self Report form
- Return to work according to CDC guidelines and in consultation with medical providers and HR
Failure to comply with these guidelines puts the APSU community at risk and could result in disciplinary action against the employee. For more information, visit https://www.apsu.edu/coronavirus/.
Families First Coronavirus Response Act Overview
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act) requires certain employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) administers and enforces the new law’s paid leave requirements. These provisions will apply from the effective date of April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Austin Peay State University will provide eligible employees with:
- Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay where the employee is unable to work because the employee is quarantined (pursuant to Federal, State, or local government order or advice of a health care provider), and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis; or
- Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay because the employee is unable to work because of a bona fide need to care for an individual subject to quarantine (pursuant to Federal, State, or local government order or advice of a health care provider), or to care for a child (under 18 years of age) whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19, and/or the employee is experiencing a substantially similar condition as specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretaries of the Treasury and Labor; and
- Up to an additional 10 weeks of paid expanded family and medical leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay where an employee, who has been employed for at least 30 calendar days, is unable to work due to a bona fide need for leave to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19. Required documentation: Notice of closure or unavailability from child’s school, place of care, or child care provider, including a notice that may have been posted on a government, school, or day care website, published in a newspaper, or emailed from an employee or official of the school, place of care, or child care provider.
For more information about eligibility, qualifying reasons for leave, calculation of pay, and FAQs, please visit https://www.apsu.edu/human-resources/coronavirus/ffcra.php.
Thank you,
APSU HR
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- Self-quarantine immediately, in an off-campus residence if possible
- Call Boyd Health Services at 931-221-7107 to arrange for medical care and/or COVID-19 testing or to seek medical care and/or COVID-19 testing off campus
- Fill out a COVID-19 Self Reporting Form found on the http://www.apsu.edu/coronavirus website.
- Self-quarantine, until the results are reported
- Once results are obtained, the student will fill out a COVID-19 Self Reporting Form located at www.apsu.edu/coronavirus
- Students who test positive for COVID-19 must remain in quarantine, in an off-campus residence if possible, until the student is released to return to class, as determined by Boyd Health Services in consultation with CDC guidelines.
- Students must follow all COVID-19 directives published by APSU including, but not
limited to, plans of the APSU COVID-19 Task Force, notices on APSU’s webpage, building
and facilities signage, and other publications.
- Leave campus immediately and seek medical care
- Receive COVID-19 testing as soon as reasonably possible
- Quarantine for at least 14 days and follow CDC guidelines
- Fill out a COVID-19 Self Report form
- Return to work according to CDC guidelines and in consultation with medical providers and HR
Failure to comply with these guidelines puts the APSU community at risk and could
result in disciplinary action against the employee. For more information, visit https://www.apsu.edu/coronavirus/.
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For the last several months, Austin Peay State University has operated at a “Moderate
Risk” level in an effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Our efforts
proved successful early in this pandemic, but as this long, stressful semester has
progressed, we’ve seen some individuals slip in their vigilance. This is a difficult
time for everyone, juggling health, family and work concerns, but as COVID-19 cases
continue to grow in Montgomery County at an alarming rate, all APSU employees need
to refamiliarize themselves with the requirements of working in a “moderate risk”
environment.
General Guidelines for All Areas
Offices on campus should be open in a reduced capacity. Rotating office personnel
between remote work and on-ground is recommended. Patrons should be encouraged to
set up appointments with specific people/offices rather than walk-in. In-person meetings
are discouraged unless absolutely necessary. No one should come to campus if they
have any symptoms of the pandemic influenza.
This information, along with precautionary measures and how different departments
should function, is available on our website at https://www.apsu.edu/coronavirus/Moderate-Risk.pdf. Austin Peay’s Office of Emergency Management has also developed a PowerPoint, attached
to this email, with important information on working during this pandemic.
This is a difficult time for everyone. We appreciate your extraordinary efforts during
this pandemic and ask that you remain vigilant for the weeks to come.
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The CDC recently updated its guidelines on what is considered an exposure. The new guidelines define exposure assomeone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period* starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.
While the definition has changed, Austin Peay State University’s current arrangements for face-to-face classes as well as other campus facilities are structured to meet the CDC guidelines for social distancing based on this latest definition.
As we are seeing an increase in cases locally, regionally and on-campus, we continue to see evidence that campus arrangements to minimize the spread of COVID-19 are effective. However, we also see evidence through contact tracing that most exposures and active cases are due to activity when away from campus.
With this new CDC definition of exposure, increase in cases and better data on how the virus is entering the campus community, this serves as a reminder to remain diligent in conducting safe practices while both on and away from campus. Here are some tips to help you stay diligent.
- Wear your mask whenever around others
- Remain 6 feet apart
- Avoid large groups, parties and events
- Use Peay Mobile to conduct your daily pre-screening
- Scan QR codes using Peay Mobile whenever you enter a class on campus
- If you are experiencing symptoms or think you have been exposed, please fill out the Covid-19 Reporting form
Remember, protecting yourself is not just about you, it’s about protecting others, especially the elderly and high-risk populations. We are only a few weeks away from getting through the semester. Help us finish strong.
COVID-19 Command Team
Today, University officials learned a child enrolled at Austin Peay’s Child Learning Center (CLC) tested positive for COVID-19. The University immediately closed the CLC for two weeks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an exposure to the COVID-19 virus as being within six feet of an infectious person for at least 10 minutes. Parents at the CLC were informed of this earlier today so they can make informed decisions on testing their children or themselves because of their possible exposure to this confirmed case.
The University’s cleaning maintenance contractor, CMTI, is now conducting a deep cleaning of the facility.
For current information and updates regarding COVID-19 at APSU, including cases, please visit the University’s COVID-19 website.
APSU COVID-19 Command Team
We need your help — COVID-19 cases are on the rise on-campus and in the community.
Here’s what you can do to help:
Campus Health & Safety:
We get it — we are all tired of COVID. We all want our lives to return to normal. We also realize life isn’t going to pause. Whether it’s a trip to the grocery, go to work, class, etc., we will have to fulfill everyday life needs. Your life cannot just be put on hold, nor do we expect it to. In fact, we want you to continue moving forward but need your help to minimize the spread of COVID.
This week we have seen an increase in the number of positive COVID cases on-campus and in the community. We have also experienced a large increase in the number of exposed individuals who now must quarantine. Please continue to distance, wear masks, and avoid behaviors that put your health and safety at risk, especially when off-campus.
Here are some tips on how you can help stop the rise in COVID exposures both on and off-campus:
- Wear a mask whenever you are around others or inside buildings — even off-campus where masks are not always required.
- Avoid large gatherings and social events.
- Wash, wash, wash your hands. If you can’t wash your hands regularly, get a personal bottle of hand sanitizer to carry with you.
- For certain groups, COVID could be deadly. Keep in mind that (your actions could lead to someone getting sick) not using preventative measures could lead to others getting sick. Protect others by protecting yourself.
- Always keep in mind that your actions off-campus can affect everyone on-campus. Help us get through the semester by being diligent — take the above actions to protect yourself and others even when you are not on campus.
Testing — should I take a rapid test or PCR test:
It may sound a bit cliché but at Austin Peay, we really do care about your health and wellbeing — it is at the forefront of everything we do. For this reason, it is important that all COVID-19 testing of faculty, staff, and students be conducted using PCR methods, and here’s why:
- Antigen testing, often referred to as rapid testing, can be highly inaccurate.
- Some research demonstrates that antigen tests are only as accurate as chance (48%). In fact, most health officials and the CDC only recommend a rapid test for individuals who are symptomatic. If you are asymptomatic you should only take a PCR test for an accurate result.
- Accordingly, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends anyone who obtains a negative antigen (rapid) test be retested using PCR methods to confirm their results.
- PCR testing methods are currently the standard at APSU.
Boyd Health Services collects samples for PCR testing between the hours of 9 a.m.-11 a.m., Monday-Friday, for any APSU member who is symptomatic, who has been exposed to someone who is Covid-19 positive, or who is a member of a formal surveillance testing program. Montgomery County Health Department also collects samples using this same methodology between the hours of 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Use the technology available to you:
- Conduct a daily pre-screening using Peay Mobile.
- Check into classes or other spaces using Peay Mobile by scanning the QR code for the space you are in. This is important, as it helps us track the possible spread more rapidly.
If you are experiencing symptoms, or think you’ve been exposed, please do the following:
- Fill out the COVID-19 self-reporting form.
- Get a test at Boyd Health Services.
Take a break, relieve stress:
- Take advantage of the outdoors to relieve stress or escape things for a while — walk, jog or bike your neighborhood, local parks and trails — Fall is a great time to be outdoors in Tennessee.
- Hit up UREC — the University Recreation staff have many activities and options you can still take advantage of to stay healthy while social distancing and taking your mind off COVID.
Medical laboratory science senior-level classes will be moving to remote instruction effective Oct. 11, 2020 through Oct. 25, 2020 due possible exposures to COVID-19.
Students taking senior-level medical laboratory science classes should consult with their instructors via email or D2L to complete work during these two weeks of remote instruction.
Faculty, staff and students affected by this have been contacted through our contact tracing efforts. If you are not a medical laboratory science student but think you may have been in contact with individuals who may have been exposed and you have not been contacted, please complete a Maxient form and adhere to CDC guidelines for exposure.
As always, please monitor yourself for symptoms and if you believe you have been exposed, fill out the COVID-19 Self Reporting Form. If you have symptoms, please get tested at Boyd Health Services, located in the ARD Building, Monday through Friday between 9-11 a.m., and use Peay Mobile’s Pre-screening app daily to help determine your status.
COVID-19 Command Team
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Effective immediately, we are suspending all formal and informal face-to-face meetings and social activities for fraternities and sororities for two weeks (Oct. 7-21) due to exposures to COVID-19. This includes both on and off-campus activities. Individuals who have been in contact with these groups have been notified by Student Affairs staff.
If you believe you may have been in contact with individuals who may have been exposed but have not been contacted, please contact the Student Affairs office. Please monitor for symptoms and if you believe you have been exposed, fill out the COVID-19 Self Reporting Form. If you have symptoms, please get tested at Boyd Health Services, located in the ARD Building, Monday through Friday between 9-11 a.m., and use Peay Mobile’s Daily Pre-screening to help determine your status.
COVID-19 Command Team
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Welcome Back
We are so happy to see students and faculty back on campus. It is also great seeing
people in their different masks. Thank you for helping keep others safe by wearing
your masks and staying six feet apart.
Mask Distribution
On Monday and Tuesday, APSU cloth masks will be distributed in numerous areas across
campus. You can find masks on tables at the entrances to academic buildings, at the
ASK ME tents, in the Morgan University Center and at Public Safety.
Tents Set Up
Tents have been placed in certain areas in the academic core to provide additional
study and workspaces. These tents are a great place to attend online classes, relax
between classes or eat your lunch. Tables and chairs will be set up to ensure social
distancing. Each tent has a maximum capacity of 24 individuals.
Personal Responsibility
The university has prepared our campus to be as safe as possible as we return to on-ground
classes. We need your help to ensure we remain as safe as possible. Please follow
all the guidelines and requirements. Together, we can help stop the spread of COVID-19
on the APSU campus.
Stay healthy, safe and informed with PeayMobile
This week, the University’s mobile app – PeayMobile – is unveiling new features to
help keep you safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You already use the app to connect to your classmates and get important campus updates
delivered to your phone. Now, you can click on the “Pre-Screen & Self-Reporting Forms”
to complete a daily pre-screening check or to self-report if you’ve tested positive
for COVID-19 or have symptoms.
By using this new tool, you will help keep your friends, classmates, professors and
mentors safe by allowing the University to track (and keep you away from) the virus.
Don’t have the app yet? Then you’re missing out on connecting with your friends and
classmates and everything else Austin Peay. You can have it all in the palm of your
hand.
Download the app now. Sign in. Connect. Visit apsu.campusapp.com, the Apple App Store
or Google Play to download the free APSU app today.
QR Codes
To help us effectively contact trace any positive cases on campus, the University
wants all students, faculty and staff to "check in" when they enter certain buildings,
offices and classrooms, sit at community tables or visit other communal spaces.
QR codes were recently placed in gathering spaces around the University. Whenever
you enter a space with one of these QR codes, please scan it and "check in" with the
PeayMobile app. That way we can let you know if you've been in contact with anyone
who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Visit apsu.campusapp.com, the Apple App Store or Google Play to download the free
APSU app today.
Numbers provided are those active cases being tracked by the university administration.
Our data is reliant upon students, faculty and staff filling out the COVID-19 form
on the APSU COVID-19 Website, http://www.apsu.edu/coronavirus.
COVID-19 Testing on Campus
In partnership with the Tennessee Department of Health, COVID-19 testing will be conducted on campus for faculty, staff and students who meet specific conditions. Please seek testing immediately if any of these conditions apply to you:
- You are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
- You have been in close contact (within six feet for 10 minutes or more) with someone who has a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.
- You have been informed that you are a member of a group or team that is undergoing surveillance testing.
For those with these conditions, Boyd Health Services is conducting free COVID-19
testing at the rear entrance of the Ard Building from 9-11 a.m. Monday-Friday. Testing
is being conducted on a drop-in basis, with no appointment necessary.
For more information, visit the Boyd Health Service COVID-19 Testing Website here: https://apsu.edu/health-and-counseling/boyd-health-services/covidtesting.
Mask Requirements
Masks or face coverings are required in all indoor spaces on campus. The only approved exceptions to wearing a mask indoors are:
- Faculty/staff alone in offices. If you are not alone in your private office, masks are required.
- Students in their residence hall rooms, whether they have a roommate or not. If guests are present, masks are required.
- Faculty members may wear a face shield while lecturing but must remain at least 10 feet from any person in the class. If the faculty member is not lecturing, the faculty member must wear a mask.
Cloth or surgical style masks are required over both the nose and mouth. Plastic face masks that are open at the top around the nose area are not appropriate and must not be worn. Masks must be worn outside if you are within six feet of another person.
If you believe you need to request a medical accommodation regarding a mask, please contact the Office of Disability Services if you are a student or the Office of Equity, Access & Inclusion if you are an employee. There is no guarantee a reasonable accommodation can be made for a mask request.
Quarantine ‘Go Bag’ for Resident Students
The Housing Office has designated certain rooms in each residence hall as “quarantine rooms.” If a resident student tests positive for COVID-19, Housing may move that student to a quarantine room. Please consider packing a “go bag” now in case you’re moved to a quarantine room. We recommend that you pack the following items:
- Charging cables for electronic devices.
- Snacks and water.
- Extra clothes.
- Toiletries.
Also, do not forget your textbooks if you are moved to a quarantine room.
All Data is Self-Reported
We rely on individuals to report potential exposures, self-quarantine status and test
results so we can inform the University community of COVID-19 on campus. No personal
identifying information is shared with the public. Please complete the COVID-19 form
for data collection purposes. The form is at https://www.apsu.edu/coronavirus/exposure.php.
We request all members of the community work with their instructors/supervisors if
they believe they have been exposed or are displaying symptoms of COVID-19.
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Commencement Ceremonies
Austin Peay State University held three commencement ceremonies on Aug. 6 and is conducting three more on Aug. 7. APSU celebrates graduates from the spring and summer semesters. Many administrators, faculty and staff contributed to the planning and setup of our ceremonies. Graduates sat six feet apart, guests had assigned seats and masks were mandatory for everyone. Thanks to all who planned, set up and participated.
Instagram Takeover
With permission from Public Relations & Marketing, Academic Affairs took over the APSU Instagram account. The purpose was to answer questions regarding the fall semester. Numerous faculty and staff responded to the questions in short videos. All the videos were also posted to Austin Peay’s Facebook Story. Do you have questions? They may have been answered and posted on Austin Peay’s Instagram and Facebook.
APSU Coronavirus Website
Austin Peay State University has a coronavirus website. Information on that website includes COVID-19 guidelines, University risk categories, student guidance, employee guidance, fall academic calendar and links to many university resources. Links are also provided to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization. You will also find information on what to do if you have potentially been exposed, experience symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19. The website is at https://apsu.edu/coronavirus/.
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COVID-19 Data
Austin Peay State University relies on community members to report data regarding
positive COVID tests, exposures, self-quarantining, and when they have recovered from
COVID or been released from quarantine. Even though we report positive cases that
have been reported to university administrators, that does not mean the person contracted
the virus on campus. It only means that a member of our community has tested positive.
We have improved our procedures for getting follow-up information and will be able
to start supplying data that has been reported to university administrators. We continue
to request community members report positive COVID tests or exposures through the
COVID-19 form.
https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?AustinPeayStateUniv&layout_id=19
Socially Distanced Classrooms
The COVID-19 Recovery & Implementation Working Group has been setting up classrooms
for social distancing. Classroom set up consists of student desks separated in all
directions by six feet, and the instructor area having a ten-foot separation from
desks. The group have been working with Deans, Chairs, and Building Coordinators
to accomplish this task. Most classrooms have been completed with the remaining few
being completed this week. Please do not move any furniture in classrooms.
Classroom COVID Supplies
Each classroom will be supplied with hand sanitizer, disinfecting spray, and dry wipes
for sanitization between custodial cleanings. These supplies will be used by professors
and students for personal hygiene and cleaning of work surfaces before use. These
supplies will be in classrooms by August 12, 2020.
Storymap/Dashboard Coming Soon
In conjunction with APSU GIS, the Recovery & Implementation Working Group and the
COVID-19 Command Group are establishing a story map/dashboard that will provide up-to-date
information on university operations, facility availability, and COVID-19 data, among
other things. Tweaks are being made to the story map/dashboard and an announcement
will be made when it is available to the public.
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Dear Colleagues,
Navigating COVID-19 Workplace Scenarios
If you missed the recent workshop hosted by Lynn Fisher, Director of Emergency Management, on navigating what-if COVID-19 workplace scenarios, please see the attached presentation and notification workflow. As a reminder:
- Employees must be free of any COVID-19 related symptoms to be on campus.
- If you are feeling ill or have been exposed to an individual who tests positive for COVID-19 please contact your supervisor immediately and complete the COVID-19 Reporting Form.
- Please note: CDC defines exposure as employees who have been within six (6) feet or less for ten (10) minutes or more of an individual who tests positive for COVID-19 or has been in direct contact with infectious secretions of a positive COVID-19 case. Employees must follow the mandatory CDC recommended quarantine period and seek COVID-19 testing.
Hiring Pause
- APSU announced a hiring pause on May 29, 2020.
- Additional information including FAQs is available at the following link: https://www.apsu.edu/human-resources/coronavirus/hiring-pause.php.
Sick Leave Bank
- Enrollment is open through July 31.
- Review the information at https://www.apsu.edu/human-resources/benefits/sick-leave-bank.php.
- If you wish to enroll, follow these steps:
- Complete the form available at https://www.apsu.edu/human-resources/forms/sick_bank/sick_bank_enroll.pdf.
- Send the completed form to benefits@apsu.edu no later than July 31.
- Am I in the Sick Bank? Click on this link to inquire regarding your current enrollment.
If you have any questions and/or concerns please feel free to contact any member of the APSU HR team at humanresources@apsu.edu.
Thank you,
APSU HR
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COVID-19 Task Force
The APSU COVID-19 Task Force worked for more than three months to plan and implement
the intial move to remote learning and working. The task force then created the framework
to help move the university back to on-ground and prepare for the fall semester.
The COVID-19 Task Force finished their work on June 15, 2020. Thank you to all task
force members who helped the university through this rough time.
COVID-19 Recovery and Implementation Working Group
This working group is tasked with implementing the plans of the COVID-19 Task Force.
The scope of the group includes: setting up classrooms to comply with social distancing
guidelines, setting up non-academic spaces for academic use, creating pathways through
buildings and providing appropriate signage, and many other tasks to prepare for the
return of classes in the fall.
All Data is Self-Reported
We rely on individuals to report potential exposures, self-quarantine, and test results
so we can inform the university community of COVID-19 on campus. No personal identifying information is shared with the public. We request all members of the community work with their professors/supervisors if
they believe they have been exposed or are displaying symptoms of COVID-19. We also request the completion of a COVID-19 form for data collection purposes. https://www.apsu.edu/coronavirus/exposure.php
Risk Level Classifications
Austin Peay State University has identified four risk level classifications to be
used as guidelines during a pandemic. The four categories are: High Risk, Moderate
Risk, Low Risk, and Normal Operations. Information on the risk level classifications
can be found on the APSU Coronavirus website or by clicking on the Risk Level button
in the upper right corner of this email.
11 Positive Cases Reported since June 20, 2020
43 Individuals Reported they have Self-Quarantined since June 15, 2020
Many of you recently learned through media reports that some of our student-athletes tested positive for COVID-19 and that we suspended voluntary workouts. The campus community should have been alerted of this situation before any information was released to the media, and I’m very sorry for this oversight.
While the Department of Athletics followed the procedures that both the department and University put in place, we realized we need clear protocols that help ensure any COVID-19 related issue on campus is first communicated to our community. Our Athletics and PR teams are establishing a better process to identify communications that should be sent to all campus stakeholders.
Approximately 40 campus leaders and I spent several hours today working through table-top exercises to help us learn how to implement the plans developed in the last few weeks and to identify areas to strengthen. It was clear in our work that we have communication gaps, and we’re developing a plan to provide information about COVID-19 cases on the University website. Assistant Vice President Michael Kasitz also will provide weekly updates to the campus going forward.
I also asked the Senior Leadership Team today to further reduce density on campus and to close the Foy for the next two weeks. We’re not moving the University back to a higher risk phase, but I believe reducing density could have some benefit. I was on annual leave Friday and Monday and flew back into the Nashville last night. While I was double-masked, gloved and armed with antibacterial wipes in the airport and on the plane, I was struck by how cavalier some of the travelers seemed to be about safety precautions. This especially distressed me considering how the Nashville area has experienced a big uptick in cases recently.
I hope more people will realize the importance of social distancing and wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We will continue to promote these measures, and our recent reduction in campus density will allow us to assess the current situation without significantly affecting University operations. I will immediately inform you of any future changes to how we operate.
Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate this unprecedented time. Your continued support and creativity will help us discover any gaps and help us overcome new challenges in the coming months.
In the event you missed the media release, I’ve included it below.
Alisa White
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Release
CLARKSVILLE – Austin Peay State University’s athletics department has suspended voluntary workouts and closed its facilities, effective Saturday, June 27, due to a small cluster of positive tests for COVID-19 among its student-athletes.
“While these positive tests are regrettable, I am encouraged that the procedures we put in place prior to the return of our student-athletes worked as we expected,” said Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison. “Once we were notified of an individual displaying COVID-19 symptoms within our family we began implementing our plans, which ultimately led to the closure of our facilities for workouts. The health and safety of our Governors family is paramount.”
Once notified of the first positive test, the athletics department and university placed individuals in isolation, utilizing single-occupancy rooms in university housing. Additionally, individuals determined through contact tracing to be at risk were placed in self-quarantine. Those individuals placed in isolation and self-quarantine were checked daily by athletics department and university staff and supplied boxed meals so they would not leave their room.
Additionally, the athletics department notified the university and state health department as required by state regulations. Currently, 11 student-athletes have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
During the closure, Austin Peay athletics will clean and disinfect its facilities. In addition, it will conduct online sessions reinforcing the importance for its staff and student-athletes to follow department and university guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19. Student-athletes will not be permitted into the facilities until July 16 and then only after receiving two negative COVID-19 results in a 10-day period.
“It is imperative that all members of our extended Governors family take steps to limit the spread of COVID-19,” said Harrison. “It is only through the steps we take every day that we can ensure the start of athletics this fall.”
As a reminder, the U.S. Center for Disease Control recommends individuals take the following steps to limit the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19:
- Wash your hands often or use sanitizer.
- Avoid close contact between yourself and other people outside your home.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover.
- Cover coughs and sneezes.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
- Monitor your health. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
Due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the area, the Foy Fitness & Recreation Center is closing immediately. We will reevaluate a reopening date in 2 weeks. University Recreation offices will remain open with minimal staffing Monday-Friday 8 am – 4:30 pm.
On Aug. 6-7, Austin Peay State University will host five commencement ceremonies to honor the University’s spring and summer graduates. Earlier this year, the COVID-19 pandemic caused Austin Peay – along with most schools around the country – to postpone its May graduation ceremonies because of health and safety concerns, but the University remained committed to recognizing students’ accomplishments.
On Thursday, Aug. 6, Austin Peay will host three ceremonies for spring graduates, and on Aug. 7, the University will host another morning ceremony for spring graduates and an afternoon ceremony for all summer graduates.
All ceremonies will take place in the APSU Dunn Center and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) social distancing guidelines. All students, guests and Austin Peay employees will be required to follow established guidelines.
The Ceremonies
- 10 a.m., Aug. 6, APSU will honor the May graduates from the College of Behavioral and Health Science’s Criminal Justice, Leadership and Organizational Administration, Public Management, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology programs and Austin Peay’s general studies program.
- 2 p.m., Aug. 6, APSU will honor the May graduates from the College of Business and the College of Behavioral and Health Science’s Health and Human Performance, Nursing and Social Work programs.
- 6 p.m., Aug. 6, APSU will honor the May graduates from the Eriksson College of Education and students earning the Liberal Arts associate degree.
- 10 a.m., Aug. 7, APSU will honor the May graduates from the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
- 2 p.m., Aug. 7, APSU will honor all August graduates.
An additional ceremony will be added at 6 p.m. on Aug. 7, if more space is needed to accommodate August graduates who complete an application to graduate and indicate they will attend Commencement.
In order to provide as safe an environment as possible, all graduates and guests (three years and older) must wear a face covering or mask while inside the Dunn Center. The number of guest seats available in the Dunn Center will be limited to ensure social distancing, and each graduate will be provided with a limited number of tickets to distribute to guests. Every guest entering the Dunn Center will be required to present a ticket. The ceremonies will also be shortened to limit time indoors, but be assured attending graduates will be recognized by name as they walk across the stage.
Information about tickets and other details will be emailed to graduates in the next two weeks. Austin Peay faculty will receive additional information through the Office of Academic Affairs.
Doors to the Dunn Center will open one hour prior to the start of each ceremony for guests and graduating students to enter the facility.
Graduates who cannot attend the ceremony scheduled for their college will be allowed to participate in any other ceremony or in the University’s fall commencement. Participation in commencement is not a requirement for earning a degree.
May graduates who completed all required coursework will be mailed their diplomas on July 1. Diplomas for August graduates will be ready on Sept. 15, and distribution of those diplomas will be announced at a later date.
Austin Peay offers a free live webcast of each commencement ceremony. A link to the webcast will be made available on the commencement web page, http://apsu.edu/commencement/commencementinformation/webcast.php, within 24 hours of each ceremony.
Plans for the ceremonies in August are subject to modification based upon changes in the COVID-19 environment. Any updates about the ceremonies in August will be emailed to participating graduates and posted on the University’s social media accounts and the Commencement webpage, https://www.apsu.edu/commencement/index.php.
Austin Peay State University’s COVID-19 Task Force recently developed new guidelines and procedures for hosting University events, both on and off campus. The guidelines, attached to this email and available here, were developed to ensure social distancing, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to protect the safety and well-being of the entire campus community, including guests.
Under these new guidelines, any University event – whether on campus or off campus – must be approved by the Office of University Facilities. The event’s host must fill out a webform on the APSU room reservation page, and the host must describe in detail his or her plans to protect staff, students and guests. The host also must include the event’s social distancing guidelines. Once the request reaches the APSU University Facilities Office, it will be reviewed for attendance numbers, room size and mitigation strategies.
Before having an in-person event, hosts should consider the use of online technology (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, FaceTime, Google Meeting) whenever possible.
Because the COVID-19 pandemic is evolving, campus guidelines and attendance policies will continue to change. For the latest information, visit the COVID-19 website and the APSU room reservation page.
On June 15, Austin Peay State University will begin a phased return-to-campus process for the University. Employees will be notified by their supervisor about when they can return to their offices, but members of the public are encouraged to wait until June 22 to visit campus. Appointments are recommended. The Office of Human Resources will conduct required return-to-campus training sessions via Zoom for employees and chairs/managers/supervisors on Thursday, June 11, and Friday, June 12. Please see a June 4 email from Human Resources or visit www.apsu.edu/coronavirus for registration information.
While some offices will reopen on campus next week, their full staff should not be there each day. Before anyone returns to campus, they need to be aware of several new guidelines and procedures we are enacting to keep our campus community safe. These documents are attached to this email.
Return-to-Campus Transition Guide
The threat posed by this pandemic might make it necessary for the University to move completely online again. With that in mind, the APSU COVID-19 Task Force developed a guideline for how Austin Peay will operate under different risk levels – high, moderate, low and normal. Descriptions of those levels are attached to this email. On June 15, the University will operate at the moderate level.
The purpose of these guidelines is to make it as safe, easy and practical as possible for all APSU employees to continue their work. The plan considers many factors, such as employees with children who struggle to find adequate child care and employees who commute long distances to Austin Peay.
All employees need to review the attached documents before returning to campus. This is a long process, and in order to keep students, colleagues, friends and mentors safe, everyone needs to adhere to these guidelines.
Thank you for your sacrifices over the last few months and for your continued dedication to Austin Peay State University.
APSU COVID-19 Task Force
Dear APSU Employees:
On Friday, May 29, 2020, President White sent the email below informing the university community about a phased return-to-campus beginning Monday, June 15. The Office of Human Resources will conduct required return-to-campus training sessions via Zoom for both employees and chairs/managers/supervisors next week on Thursday, June 11 and Friday, June 12, 2020.
Please click one of the links below to register for required training based on your role as either employee or chair/supervisor/manager. If you are a chair/supervisor/manager you will only need to attend one of the sessions designated below under your role.
Employees
Employee Session One: Thursday, June 11, 2020
10:00am – 11:00am
Employee Session Two: Friday, June 12, 2020
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Chairs/Managers/Supervisors ONLY
Leader Session One: Thursday, June 11, 2020
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Leader Session Two: Friday, June 12, 2020
11:00am – Noon
Thank you,
APSU HR
Yesterday Austin Peay State University’s COVID-19 Task Force presented the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) with a draft of a phased return-to-work plan, and the focus of that plan is the health and safety of all our employees and students. I am grateful for the tremendous effort and expertise offered by task force members during this unprecedented time. The SLT is reviewing the plan now and will release the final, approved plan in the next few days, with the understanding that things may shift as more is known about COVID-19.
In the meantime, I wanted to let you know that the University will begin a phased return-to-work process beginning June 15. Not all departments will return at once, but I’m writing now to help you plan.
To begin preparations for this return, Human Resources staff will email information next week about supervisor training as well as employee training and will provide specifics particular to various phases. Additionally, after training has occurred, you will receive a more detailed document that will include information covered in the training sessions.
Thank you for your patience as we work through the details of this process. Thanks, especially, to the COVID-19-Task Force members for their incredible work.
Sincerely,
Alisa White
Dear Colleagues,
I appreciate your continued hard work and flexibility as we navigate the uncharted territory of an international pandemic. I will continue to update you on challenges the University is facing on a variety of fronts.
Yesterday I received word that the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration has directed higher education institutions to develop plans to meet a target reduction of 12 percent in state appropriations. In light of this, I am implementing a hiring pause for vacant positions effective immediately. Although not a decision I make lightly, it is necessary to ensure that we preserve financial resources until we analyze the effects of the reduction and have a better picture of fall enrollment. In addition, the University’s restrictions on university travel, currently in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, will continue as a cost-saving measure. I also ask that you limit spending to critical needs.
My intent is to minimize the financial impact of the reduction in state appropriations on the University in order to continue to serve our mission at the highest level possible and to preserve our talented workforce. Providing students with an excellent education is our priority, and it takes talented faculty and staff to do so. These decisions will be reviewed and considered again once the Financial Planning Task Force presents a list of options to increase revenues and reduce expenses to the Senior Leadership Team mid-June. The Task Force, chaired by Vice President for Finance and Administration Mitch Robinson, will provide the Senior Leadership Team a list of possible options and suggested priorities to guide budget decisions. The Senior Leadership Team will consider options in light of the reduction in state appropriations and projected fall enrollment numbers.
I understand and appreciate that many of you are going above and beyond what could be expected, and I am grateful for your efforts. I believe Austin Peay is better positioned than many institutions to emerge from this current challenge precisely because of your extraordinary work. Thank you. And on a personal note, I miss seeing you.
Sincerely,
Alisa White
President
The APSU COVID-19 Task Force worked with the Office of Equity, Access and Inclusion (OEAI) to develop an online accommodation inquiry process for Austin Peay employees who are qualified individuals with a disability. Many APSU employees who didn’t previously need accommodations may feel, with the current pandemic, that they need additional support. OEAI will evaluate each request through an interactive process that will include the employee and the employee’s supervisor to determine the level of accommodation the University will be able to provide. Please visit the APSU Individuals with Disabilities website for additional information about the process.
OEAI will host two informational sessions next week to explain reasonable accommodations (under the ADA and COVID-19 Impact) as well as provide support to those managers, supervisors and employees who may be impacted and need accommodations due to COVID-19. Please register using the links below:
Upcoming workshops:
Reasonable Accommodations Q&A for Managers/Supervisors
Tuesday, June 2
2-3 p.m.
https://apsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUpdumrrDIqH9xwXZiTVvhdSa8D9mnfrvvd
Reasonable Accommodations Q&A for Employees
Wednesday, June 3
10-11 a.m.
https://apsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJItf-mprDwsGdGIWYzZDRu7ySJQaYaxsDxC
Earlier this month, President Alisa White announced that Austin Peay will resume in-person classes on campus this fall, and the University’s COVID-19 Task Force is in the final stages of developing a plan to resume operations at Austin Peay with safety as the priority.
Over the last several weeks, the task force’s many subgroups have analyzed numerous issues – including housing and dining, facilities, events, human resources, financial aid, academic concerns, medical safety and communication – that affect how we will operate this fall. Each subgroup contributed to the Task Force’s plan, which we will soon present to President White and the senior leadership team to finalize.
We will present the final plan to the campus community once it’s ready. That plan will include such items as procedures for wearing facemasks and hosting gatherings.
We’ve also solicited input from students, faculty and staff through several surveys, and we will incorporate that information into this final document.
Our top priority is the safety and health of our students, faculty and staff. We will keep you informed as we move forward with this process, which includes a phased return to campus next month for some APSU employees.
With the complexity of this situation we know that some decisions we make will also uncover new challenges — there will be imperfections. We are making every effort we can to make the transition back to campus as seamless as possible.
We appreciate your dedication, teamwork and patience.
APSU COVID-19 Task Force
Austin Peay State University’s COVID-19 Task Force wants to remind employees that APSU’s current stay-at-home work operations will continue through at least June 1. If you must visit campus, please be sure to follow current CDC guidelines for social distancing, and all visitors need to wear a facemask for the protection of the Austin Peay community.
The COVID-19 Task Force, along with its subgroups, is currently developing a plan for a phased return to work at APSU. The main focus of that plan will be the safety of all our employees, and once we have that plan in place, we will release it to the entire campus community.
The COVID-19 Task Force also is working with the Office of Equity, Access and Inclusion to develop a process for online accommodation requests for Austin Peay employees who are qualified individuals with a disability. Many APSU employees who didn’t previously need accommodations may feel, with the current pandemic, that they need additional support. This online form, which will be made available in the next few days, will be managed through DocuSign. The Office of Equity, Access and Inclusion will evaluate each request through an interactive process that will include the employee and the employee’s supervisor to determine the level of accommodation the University will be able to provide.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this challenging time.
APSU COVID-19 Task Force
Dear Austin Peay Students:
Congress recently approved the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided funds to colleges and universities for emergency student grants. The CARES Act made two types of funding available to the university.
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) specifies the funds are to be awarded to students for the sole and exclusive purpose of providing emergency financial aid grants to eligible students for their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care expenses. Documentation of these expenses will not be required.
The Department of Education guidelines for distribution of HEERF state only undergraduate and graduate students who are eligible to receive Federal Title IV aid can be awarded these emergency funds. This means students must have a valid 2019-20 FAFSA on file with APSU or be eligible to file a FAFSA. Federal guidance further clarifies HEERF may not be distributed to international, DACA or undocumented students or toany student who was exclusively taking online courses prior to March 13, 2020.
Austin Peay will provide funds to all eligible students. The University will prioritize distribution of HEERF to our Pell Grant-eligible students while also providing funding to non-Pell Grant-eligible students who qualify.
The second type of funding is called a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). The Department of Education has relaxed some of the usual restrictions on FSEOG funds in order to provide emergency funds to a broader base of students. The FSEOG has the same guidelines as HEERF, except students who were exclusively taking online courses prior to March 13, 2020, may receive these emergency funds.
Austin Peay will begin distributing FSEOG funds on May 8. Distribution of the HEERF funds will occur during the week of May 11. An email will be sent to your Austin Peay email account with specific information. In addition, details will be available on our COVID-19 site at www.apsu.edu/coronavirus.
We are reserving additional funds for students who may meet Federal Title IV eligibility requirements, but who have not already filed a valid FAFSA. We are awaiting further guidance from the Department of Education about options for students to meet requirements if the student does not currently have a valid FAFSA on file.
We are working to get these funds to you as quickly as possible.
Rex Gandy
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Austin Peay State University
To the Austin Peay community,
As we enter the last week of the Spring semester, I know many of you have questions about the fall and the upcoming academic year. After much thought and discussion with health and safety experts, I have decided to resume in-person classes on campus this fall. Your safety remains my main priority, and for us to successfully resume on-campus classes this fall, I need your help.
Over the last few days, we have emailed faculty, staff and student surveys requesting feedback on ways we can help you in your role at Austin Peay. I encourage you to participate in these surveys, as they provide us with critical information that helps us make decisions supporting you.
Since this pandemic began, representatives from Austin Peay’s faculty, staff and administration have met daily to discuss and strategize options for optimal campus community safety and quality of education. Please know we will continue to make decisions that follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local health officials, and campus health and public safety experts.
Our COVID-19 Task Force and the Strategic Planning Integration Task Force will continue to develop recommendations to carry us through this and similar scenarios for up to two years. We soon will announce updates regarding specific issues the task forces and other subgroups are studying, such as on-campus housing and in-classroom social distancing. Whatever decisions we make, the focus always will be on the safety of our students, faculty and staff, and our commitment to academic quality.
We are planning to have administration, staff and faculty begin returning to campus sometime in June. Over the next few weeks we will finalize and communicate how this will work while maximizing safety.
I live on campus, and I walk these empty grounds every day. I miss you. I miss seeing our students studying in the AP Bowl. I miss seeing our professors grading papers outside the Morgan University Center. I miss seeing our staff hustling to set up end-of-semester events. I want to see you back on campus this fall, even if we keep six feet between us.
No matter how difficult things have been, each of you already has overcome significant challenges to get to where you are. You’ve done great things. I know you will continue to do great things. You define what it means to be a Governor.
Thank you for your dedication, persistence and tireless pursuit to lead. I look forward to seeing you this fall.
Sincerely,