I am proud to be a member of the Volunteer family and am constantly amazed at the compassion and support we provide for each other in our new online learning and teaching environment. From faculty members who have transformed the way they share knowledge to our students who have adapted to a new college experience, we have worked together to meet the challenges brought on by the emergence of the novel coronavirus.
We may be scattered across the county, but each Vol still matters and belongs to our community, which is why we began an All Vols Call campaign. Staff, students, and faculty are pitching in to make phone calls to each of our 29,000 students and make sure they have the support they need to finish the semester.
While the full impact of COVID-19 on our student community is still unknown, already it has significantly disrupted life on campus. The Student Emergency Fund helps us address the immediate needs of our students experiencing hardship because of the pandemic. Please consider making a donation in support our students.
Students, if you are in need of financial assistance, please visit the Dean of Students website for more information.
Health and wellness services for our students are still available through the Student Health Center. Students experiencing anxiety or stress related to the coronavirus can also reach out to the Counseling Center. Other resources, such as online academic assistance, support for student employees, and more are available on the UT coronavirus page for students.
It also important to support our faculty and staff during this time. The UT coronavirus page has several resources for support, health and wellness, and tips for teaching and working remotely. I encourage you to visit the website often for the remainder of the semester. Updates and important messages from university leaders are posted each day.
I may not be able to speak to each of you directly, but please do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions or are in need of assistance. I appreciate the work every one of you do as a member of our Volunteer community. Please take care of yourself and those around you. We will get through this together.
Theresa M. Lee
Dean, College of Arts & Sciences