NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus, is on the rise in Tennessee, with spike in cases and hospitalization, especially among infants and children. Experts caution parents to be more proactive in helping to keep their children stay symptom free.
Dr. Wendelyn Inman
Dr. Wendelyn Inman, an epidemiologist and public health expert, says while adults may only show signs of the common cold, RSV among children – especially those under a year old – shows more severe symptoms because their lungs are more susceptible to the inflammatory effects of the virus.
“In some cases, children showing these symptoms need supplemental oxygen and hospitalization because of severe respiratory infections,” says Inman, professor and director of the public health program in the College of Health Sciences. She warns parents “to be on the watch.”
“If you have an infant, wash your hands frequently and keep sick friends and family members away to prevent the spread of RSV,” she says, adding, “Watch your child. If they show any symptoms, take them to the pediatrician as soon as possible.”
Inman also cautions parents to avoid close contacts, cover coughs or sneezes, and clean surfaces (doorknobs, car seats, mobile devices) frequently.
Dr. Dorsha N. James
This summer, as in Tennessee, there was an increase in RSV cases in many areas of the country with the expectation it would accelerate in the fall. The trend has played out as expected, and even more adults in Tennessee are coming down with RSV, according to local news reports.
At TSU, officials say over the past 5-6 weeks, there has been “a drastic” uptick in the number of sick visits to the Student Health Services Clinic for upper respiratory symptoms, such as cough, congestion, running nose, and others.
“Luckily for these otherwise healthy individuals, the virus will only usually cause mild, cold-like symptoms,” says Dr. Dorsha N. James, interim medical director of student health. “In light of our decreasing COVID cases, I would make the assumption that we are seeing some cases as a result of RSV.”
On COVID-19 and the flu, two of the three viruses with RSV that are going around, the officials warn individuals to get immunized as the surest way to avoid serious illness or hospitalization. Flu activity reportedly increases in October and peaks between December and February.
“Get your flu shots and get vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible if you already haven’t,” Inman cautions. “We are seeing that people who are immunized against COVID and the flu are still not in the majority of the cases that are severe and dying.”
For more information on how to protect against RSV, COVID or the flu, visit the Tennessee Department of Health at www.tn.gov/health.html.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The U.S. is facing a potential triple threat of flu, COVID-19, and RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and a Tennessee State University infectious disease expert is calling on individuals to get immunized, as the surest way to avoid serious illness or long-term hospitalization.
Dr. Wendelyn Inman
Dr. Wendelyn Inman, professor and director of the public health program in the College of Health Sciences, warns that the flu, COVID-19 and RSV are highly contagious respiratory infections caused by different viruses, with flu activity increasing in October and peaking between December and February.
“Get your flu shots and get vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible if you already haven’t,” she cautions. “We are seeing that people who are immunized against COVID and the flu are still not in the majority of the cases that are severe and dying.”
Inman says before the pandemic, the United States averaged between 60,000 and 85,000 people dying every year from the flu. But with isolation techniques employed during the pandemic – masking, washing hands, social distancing – those numbers plummeted and almost disappeared.
“We had so few flu-related deaths. Now that we are back together, we have to remember those rates can go back up because we have people who do not get immunized for the flu, and that we are in closer contact,” says Inman, previously the chief of epidemiology for the State of Tennessee.
Dr. Dorsha N. James
Citing data from the Centers for Disease Control, Inman says the flu is not a grave concern in Tennessee, with the state in the ‘minimal’ category when it comes to flu levels being reported nationwide.
“Tennessee is not at the bottom, but we could do better,” she says.
At TSU, officials say precaution are in place to help minimized the potential for flu and COVID-19 spread.
Dr. Dorsha N. James, interim medical director of Student Health Services, says there is a significant decrease in COVID-19 cases on campus – from about 7 percent a month ago to 0.1 percent now. She however, reports a slight uptick in people with upper respiratory infection, or flu symptoms. She encourages students to get their flu shots or get vaccinated for COVID-19.
“We are doing well on the COVID front but we are not doing well washing our hands,” James says. “We have been trying to tell students to wash their hands multiple times a day or use the hand sanitizing stations across campus. And if they have the cold, to make sure they do not cough in the air, and stay a good distance from people when they are talking to them.”
TSU offers COVID-19 vaccines on campus in collaboration with Meharry Medical College.
Kenneth A. Rolle II, president of Student Government Association, says TSU’s proactive effort is commendable. “The university has already laid out a strategic plan for if and when the viruses (COVID, flu) make their way to campus,” says Rolle. “Although we have not seen any threats from them on campus, we are most definitely ready to expect the unexpected.”
Dr. Curtis Johnson, associate vice president and chief of staff, says most of the prevention measures from the pandemic are still in place.
“First and foremost, we want the university to remain safe and encourage and/or adopt practices protecting the health of faculty, staff, students, visitors or others,” Johnson says.
According to the CDC, from October 1, 2021, to April 23, 2022, the United States has seen an estimated 3,200- 9,400 flu deaths reported in the preliminary flu season.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The excitement of the upcoming fall semester at Tennessee State University will be coupled with concerns on managing the campus population due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the country and in Tennessee.
University officials are optimistic based on the success of navigating through the pandemic over the last two years and are closely monitoring Davidson County and the City of Nashville.
“We have put various protocols in place to assist individuals with safety to minimize the spread on campus,” said Dr. Curtis Johnson, associate vice president and chief of staff. “We will continue working with faculty and staff to have the necessary PPEs (personal protection equipment) available for students attending classes and for all offices.”
TSU does not have a mask or vaccination mandate in place as outlined by state law, but university officials encourage campus family to wear masks, practice social distancing and to get vaccinated. (Photo: Aaron Grayson)
Recently, Davidson County had an uptick in confirmed COVID cases with an average of 2,842 cases within a seven day span, according to the state’s Department of Health.
TSU does not have a mask or vaccination mandate in place as outlined by state law, but University officials strongly encourage the campus family to wear masks, practice social distancing and to get vaccinated and boosted.
Last year, the university even offered incentives, encouraging students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated by offering gift cards.
Dr. Wendelyn Inman, an infectious disease expert, professor and interim public health program director in the College of Health Sciences, is in support of the university safety protocols and recommend students to return immunized to keep COVID-19 case numbers low.
“For people who need to, want to, and should wear a mask, they should wear them freely without question,” she said. “And people who aren’t immunized should get immunized.”
Dr. Wendelyn Inman
Frank Stevenson, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, said the university will continue abiding by CDC protocol for the upcoming semester and will provide the COVID-19 vaccine to students at their requests.
“We are asking all students to be both vaccinated and boosted,” he said, noting that students are required to report COVID-19 positive results to student affairs. “We know a whole lot more than we did two years ago,” Stevenson said. “And we feel good about being able to operate the campus in a safe environment.”
Students who test positive for COVID-19 are placed in an area identified as IQ, or isolation and quarantine zone where they receive “round the clock” service, including a health professional, meal service delivered three times a day, laundry service, and medication if needed.
Stevenson also encourages students to feel comfortable enough to continue taking online classes as an option as well. The university is currently offering discounts to students that take 100 percent of their classes online.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s classes for the spring semester will be delayed for one week and will begin on Monday, January 24, 2022, due to the COVID-19 omicron variant. TSU opened as planned on January 3 for administrators and staff.
The University will continue to monitor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and will follow state and local guidance regarding any developments pertaining to COVID-19 and related variants.
Federal, state, and local health and safety guidance will also continue to drive the University’s actions regarding course delivery and in-person operations affecting the TSU community.
Faculty, staff, and students should visit the TSU website for updates.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, TENN. (TSU News Service) – A Tennessee State University public health expert calls the COVID-19 omicron variant “one of great concern,” and is applauding the U.S. government’s quick response in imposing travel restrictions on people coming in from southern African, where the variant was first detected. The Biden administration is going even further by requiring all Americans entering the U.S. to be tested.
Dr. Wendelyn Inman
Dr. Wendelyn Inman, an infectious disease expert and professor and director of the public health program in the College of Health Sciences, says she does not see the need for a shutdown or lockdown, but calls the measures “another layer of protection for the general public until we have a full understanding of the virus.”
“It could be two or three weeks before we fully know how the new COVID-19 variant is transmitted between people and if it can cause more severe illness than other mutations of the virus,” says Inman, previously the chief of epidemiology for the State of Tennessee. “What we do know is that the symptoms are milder for healthy people and those that are immunized.”
As of Friday, the U.S. had reported the omicron variant in five states. Minnesota, Colorado, New York and Hawaii confirmed new cases of the variant on Thursday. The first case was reported Wednesday in California. The infected person, a resident of San Francisco, had just returned from a trip to South Africa.
With the virus already detected in over 25 countries, the U.S. government and other countries are restricting travel in the hope of keeping the virus from spreading. And, Inman and other scientists are urging the public to continue to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation to get immunized, continue to wear masks, social distance, and wash hands.
So far, the COVID-19 vaccines have proved to be highly effective in preventing hospitalization and death, with people who are unvaccinated 10 times more likely to be hospitalized if infected. And vaccine-makers are optimistic the current vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. will provide protection against omicron, too.
“If you are immunized, it is not going to send you to the hospital or to the morgue,” says Inman, who worries that there are still vaccine skeptics in Tennessee, especially Middle Tennessee. “I am more concerned for people in areas where larger numbers of unimmunized people are working, living, and playing. Most people don’t grasp the concept until a family member or somebody they know dies. No one has to die before we take it seriously.”
According to the CDC, more than 60 percent of Tennessee residents are fully vaccinated.
At TSU, the university reports a high vaccination percentage among employees and students. More than 70 percent of full-time faculty and staff, as well as hundreds of students are vaccinated. As of Nov. 8, TSU officials say 74.5 percent, or roughly 920 faculty and staff, have had both vaccination shots. More than 2,300 students have presented proof of vaccination.
“Tennessee State University has worked diligently to keep infections to a minimum,” says Dr. Curtis Johnson, TSU’s associate vice president and chief of staff. “We continue to enforce the guidelines we have in place to protect the health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff, along with our visitors. We are grateful for the cooperation we have received from the TSU family. It is encouraging to see the results of our efforts, and it benefits our communities greatly.”
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is continuing to prioritize safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 70 percent of its full-time faculty and staff vaccinated, as well as hundreds of students.
As of Nov. 8, TSU officials said 74.5 percent, or roughly 920, faculty and staff have had both vaccination shots. More than 2,300 students have presented proof of vaccination.
“Tennessee State University has worked diligently to keep infections to a minimum,” said Dr. Curtis Johnson, TSU’s associate vice president and chief of staff. “We continue to enforce the guidelines we have in place to protect the health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff, along with our visitors. We are grateful for the cooperation we have received from the TSU family. It is encouraging to see the results of our efforts, and it benefits our communities greatly.”
Added Frank Stevenson, associate vice president of Student Affairs and dean of students, “we created a really good vaccination wall on campus which has led to our low numbers of COVID cases in comparison to our sister institutions. We offered vaccinations to our students on campus in partnership with Meharry Medical College and the Metro Public Health Department.”
TSU’s emphasis on safety included a comprehensive plan with a 14-day “safer in place” policy upon arrival for all students in residence halls. The policy required students to stay in their places of residence unless they needed to perform essential activities, such as getting food, or going to medical appointments.
Under the plan, all classes were online for the first two weeks, and there were both in-person and online instruction throughout the semester, which will end by Thanksgiving. Additionally, classrooms were assessed to determine the number of students that can occupy the rooms, based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other safety measures include wearing of face coverings and social distancing at all times; regular cleaning and sanitizing of buildings; temperature checks upon entering campus and randomly throughout campus; installation of shields throughout the campus; and establishment of a non-emergency COVID-19 phone line and email for reporting concerns.
The university is also offering $100 gift cards to employees and students who show proof of being fully vaccinated.
Dr. Kimberly Triplett, TSU’s Faculty Senate chair, said the university’s attention to safety reflects the commitment to excellence it strives to uphold each day.
“This is great news for the TSU community,” said Triplett of TSU’s high vaccination percentage, and its continued safety measures. “To our faculty and staff, this means we are committed to safety and the overall public health of our TSU community first, while at the same time creating a safe environment not only for our students, but everyone campus-wide. Our vaccination percentage rate among faculty allows for us to continue to provide education at the highest level, conducting research, and service to the university while protecting each other.”
Student Government Association President Derrick Sanders said TSU’s safety measures made it possible for alumni and other visitors to be comfortable during last month’s Homecoming, which had in-person festivities after they were canceled last year because of the pandemic.
Sanders said he, and his peers, are going to continue to make the campus as safe as possible.
“We want everybody to wear a mask, protect one another,” said Sanders, a senior English major from Cincinnati, Ohio. “We just want to make sure that everybody stays safe.”
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A recent report shows that Tennessee is ranked 7th in the nation with the number of COVID-19 cases, which is a drop from number 1 and a 21 percent decrease compared to a week ago. According to the weekly State Profile Report for Tennessee released Sept. 14, the state also fell to 18th in COVID deaths, dropping from 11th the previous week.
Dr. Wendelyn Inman
While this decline shows improvement, a Tennessee State University public health expert says, “We need to do better.”
“Twenty-one percent is excellent. That means our cases have fallen, but we still have a high transmittable number,” says Dr. Wendelyn Inman, an infectious disease expert and professor and director of the public health program in the College of Health Sciences. “It still puts us in the top 10. That 21 percent is not enough to garner, ‘I don’t have anything to worry about.’ It says that we’ve done better, and we hope it continues.”
Inman, previously the chief of epidemiology for the State of Tennessee, says she hopes the numbers keep declining.
“Instead of being 7th, we need to come out of the top 10,” she says. “That’s my hope. We are the volunteer state. We should be number 1 in the fewest cases.”
On what the state can do to continue the downward spiral, Inman cited efforts at Tennessee State University. She says although TSU falls in a zip code with 37 percent vaccination rate, the university is more active in encouraging solution, which is prevention.
“TSU is encouraging our people to be healthier during this pandemic; that’s something we can be proud of. We are being positive with our population, encouraging them to get immunized. For the state, we are not doing enough. Twenty-one percent is great, but wouldn’t 70 percent be better?”
In June, TSU, in collaboration with the Nashville Metro Public Health Department, started offering vaccines to residents 12 years old and up. The university’s student health center also stays open for COVID testing.
Frank Stevenson, associate vice president of Student Affairs and dean of students, says TSU has remained very active in executing a plan to mitigate issues around COVID. He says that more than 50 percent of students living on campus have been vaccinated, and more than 3,000 of all students have been tested. The university tests an average of more than 100 students a day.
“We are doing very well in our effort to keep the campus safe,” says Stevenson. “I think we kind of created a wall or barrier that is making it tough for the virus to spread on campus as aggressively as we’ve seen it spread in other places.”
Vaccines are administered Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Kean Hall on the main campus. Daily testing is also set up in Kean Hall.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – With evidence mounting about the dangers of the COVID-19 Delta variant, a TSU public health expert is urging the public to take the warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention seriously and get vaccinated.
Dr. Wendelyn Inman
“This is no time for hesitancy,” said Dr. Wendelyn Inman, an infectious disease expert and professor and director of the public health program in the College of Health Sciences. ”The vaccines work. This Delta variant is nothing to brush off; it is very serious.”
Reminding the public about the need to take necessary precaution, including wearing masks, and how the CDC arrives at its conclusions, Inman said the agency looks at “all of the data – the bigger picture.”
“They look at anecdotal information, they look at statistics, they look at the obvious and they look at the things that really are in the background that we really don’t see,” said Inman, who was previously the chief of epidemiology for the State of Tennessee.
“So, it will take them days to explain things to us. But what they have digested in offering solutions for us as the prime directive is to save lives. A lot of times we don’t understand that and a lot of times we don’t agree with it. But if they have chosen to make a recommendation to wear mask again, even in-doors, even if you have been immunized that means our situation is taking another level of seriousness.”
In its recent recommendation urging people in COVID-19 hotspots like Tennessee to resume mask-wearing in indoor public spaces, the agency laid out what is known about the delta variant, which now accounts for most of the COVID-19 cases in the United States.
Dr. Felicia Tinuoye
“The Delta variant is showing every day its willingness to outsmart us and be an opportunist,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. “In rare occasions, some vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant after vaccination may be contagious and spread the virus to others. This new science is worrisome and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendations.”
In Tennessee, the state’s Department of Health rates 85 of the state’s 95 counties with “high” or “substantial” transmission ratings. The remaining 10 have “moderate” ratings. Davidson County, which includes Nashville, is rated “substantial.”
Inman described the COVID-19 microbe as “an enemy that takes advantage of us touching, breathing, and seeing each other.”
“So, why we may not understand how microbes are transmitted, you need to know that the variant is more transmissible than its last existence. It has mutated. This happens in the microbial world every day. That’s why we have the Delta variant,” Inman said.
Dr. Tatiana Zabaleta
In June, TSU, in collaboration with the Nashville Metro Public Health Department, started offering vaccines to residents 12 years old and up at the university’s Avon Williams Campus. The next vaccine event will be on Aug. 30 in Kean Hall on the main campus, from 9 a.m. – noon. To register, visit www.signupgenius.com/go/tsu
Dr. Felicia Tinuoye and Dr. Tatiana Zabaleta, international public health professionals, are part of the MPH, or Master’s in Public Health program at TSU. They said in addition to their medical disciplines, they have learned so much in the TSU program to help them better understand the seriousness of the need to get protection against COVID-19 and the Delta variant.
“The program gives students exposure on how to be proactive,” said Tinuoye, of Nigeria, who completed her MPH degree in April. “TSU is doing what it is supposed to be doing. We need to ensure that the public gets the right message to help people make up their minds about available preventive measures.”
Zabaleta, from Colombia, who graduates in December, agrees.
“This program has given me the opportunity to learn more about global health and how to help solve the problem of health disparity in my own country,” she said. “TSU’s MPH program empowers students to really get involved in helping people, especially during this pandemic.”
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University, in collaboration with the Metro Public Health Department, is offering residents 12 years old and up an opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
The shots will be offered at TSU’s Avon Williams Campus near downtown from 9 a.m. to 12 noon CDT on June 15, with a second dose to be given on July 6. To register, visit www.signupgenious.com/go/TSU.
Dr. Wendolyn Inman is an infectious disease expert and professor and director of public health programs in the College of Health Sciences at TSU. She encourages people to take advantage of the opportunity to get a vaccination, particularly African Americans.
“African Americans have the lowest vaccination rate, therefore they have the greatest chance of getting COVID-19,” says Inman.
She adds that COVID-19 infections are highest in the age group 18 to 34, and that those individuals risk infecting others over age 65.
“So, if you are African American, not immunized, and between the ages of 18-34 years, you are more likely to transmit the disease to an African American over the age of 65 years,” says Inman. “Would you want to be the transmission for a loved one who dies? Get immunized!”
Junior Mark Davis, a mass communications major and Mister TSU, says he doesn’t want to put anyone’s life at risk which is why he has gotten vaccinated. He is urging his peers who haven’t gotten the COVID-19 vaccine to do so.
“I have a two-year-old nephew and a grandmother,” says Davis, who is from Cincinnati, Ohio. “If I go around my grandmother, who is a breast cancer survivor, she may not survive COVID. You never know what other peoples’ health issues are.”
TSU will be fully operational in the fall, with continued safety measures. Officials say the decision to resume in-person classes is in line with the reduction in COVID-19 restrictions by the City of Nashville, recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state health experts.
“We are excited about returning to a robust in-person collegiate experience,” said Frank Stevenson, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students. “But we know that students should be vaccinated for that to be fully appreciated. That’s why we’re creating easy access for all of our students to get vaccinated.”
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – As a new semester begins, returning students at Tennessee State University say they are glad to be back, despite challenges they faced last semester trying to live on campus amid the pandemic.
Jeia Moore
Residence halls opened Jan. 21 for new and returning students. Classes are offered in hybrid, online and in face-to-face formats, including distance learning. Students have the choice of staying home and taking classes online at a discounted tuition rate, but many have instead selected to live on campus, stay in their door rooms, and complete their courses online without the discount.
One of them is junior information systems major Jeia Moore of Memphis, Tennessee, who sees campus life as the essence of going to college and won’t trade it for anything. Besides, Moore says, TSU is providing an “atmosphere that makes us very safe.”
“It’s a little bit different, because you know, we have to wear a mask, social distance and everything,” says Moore. “We are limited in some ways in how we move around, so it’s a little bit different, but I understand that they’re doing it to keep us safe, and I rather be here than at home.”
Danielle Glenn
Moore is not alone. In interviews to gauge returning students’ experience about living on campus during the pandemic, and why many chose campus life over home, many say it’s “a missed opportunity” not to experience what a college campus offers. For the spring semester, about 1,600 students, including returning and new students are living on campus, that’s about 50 percent of full occupancy.
“I just feel like you only get four years of college and you better make the best use of that experience, even during the pandemic,” says Danielle Glenn, a junior criminal justice major from Atlanta. “I feel like campus is safe. The university is taking all precautions that need to be taken to make sure everyone is safe. Temperature checks, quarantines, having a place for students to go if they test positive. All of my classes are online. So even when I go on campus to get food or go to the post office, everyone is wearing a mask and there are stickers to keep everyone distant.”
A TSU expert on social behavior says that students’ preference to stay on campus even during a pandemic “could be due to many factors.”
“Their identity as a student is tied to being on campus. Their reference groups – other students and faculty – are on campus and close contact with them is important for their success,” says Dr. Oscar Miller, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology. “Being a college student is being a member of a select group of people who have achieved an important rite of passage. To a large measure what that means to a student is engaging the campus experience as an independent adult. For some, assuming the role of a student may require getting away from their home environment.”
Damien Antwine
TSU officials say students’ optimism about campus life that makes them want to come back even during the pandemic is rooted in the campus preparation they saw and experienced last semester. For instance, the university is continuing a comprehensive plan put in place last semester, which includes a 14-day “safer in place” policy for all residence halls. The policy requires students to stay in their places of residence unless they need to perform essential activities, such as getting food, or going to medical appointments. Last semester, of all Tennessee colleges, TSU reported one of the lowest COVID-19 cases, with mostly mild to no symptoms and no hospitalization.
Dr. Curtis Johnson, associate vice president and chief of staff, leads the university’s COVID taskforce. He says students want to come back because the university has “gone to great lengths” to be as accommodating as possible.
“Creating a campus environment that is welcoming to the students and that provides opportunities for them to interact in the safest way possible are what we strive for every day,” says Johnson.
Frank Stevenson, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, says “the university is very intentional” about creating a home environment for the students that makes them want to come back.
“For many students, TSU becomes their home. When they go home, they are visitors,” says Stevenson. “They know that we’re going to be there to support them. This is their village, so knowing that they have that TSU village of RAs, hall directors and others surrounding them, they know they are home.”
Damien Antwine, one of the returning students interviewed, agrees. He says coming from a neighborhood with drugs and other distractions, he “definitely” didn’t want to stay home.
“It definitely helped a lot that campus was open, where I could be with people who are there to help me succeed,” says Antwine, a junior agricultural science major from Memphis, who also has a job in Nashville. “Teachers were accommodating. It was a great experience.”
Terrance Izzard, TSU associate vice president for admissions and recruitment, says that the university’s goal is to let returning and new students know that their safety and wellbeing remain a major priority.
“Our ultimate goal is that we get through this together and that students understand their social responsibility, as well as the university’s commitment to safety,” says Izzard.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
