Dear ETSU community,
Our campus community is heartbroken by the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene, and we know many in our region are suffering unimaginable losses. Our first priority is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, staff, friends, and neighbors. As the emergency situation facing our area continues to unfold, we encourage everyone on campus to offer maximum flexibility and work together to support one another during this difficult time.
Students who are unable to attend class or need to miss class to support loved ones will be given allowances to make up work at a later date, and faculty members are asked to adjust deadlines to allow students to focus on recovery efforts over the next few days. We recognize many students do not have access to Internet or electricity right now, so any course work deadlines for this weekend are suspended. Supervisors are asked to provide similar levels of flexibility to employees across campus. If you have questions or concerns about needing to miss work or class, please reach out to your instructors or supervisors so they will know the best way to support you.
We recognize many in our community are struggling and will do whatever we can to offer support during this time, living by our values that people come first. We are fortunate that damage to campus was minimal, and our facilities are operational and safe. As much as possible, we will attempt to keep campus operating as usual, knowing that many students, employees, and community members will be in need of the services and support ETSU provides. We are working closely with leaders across campus and within the ETSU Health system to identify ways we can mobilize our resources to support the broader community.
The ETSU Response page will serve as a single source of information for students, faculty, and staff to find assistance. Additionally, that page will offer ways to help support our neighbors for those of you who are able and looking for a way to help. More information will be provided throughout the weekend via email, online, and on ETSU’s main social media channels. If it becomes necessary to limit services, cancel classes, or adjust access to facilities, that information will be shared via email and on our social media channels. If emergency situations arise, information will be sent out through the campus alert system. If you have not yet downloaded the ETSU Safe app to receive emergency alerts, please do so by visiting etsu.edu/safety. You should also text ETSU to 237233 to receive emergency text alerts.
If you are concerned about an immediate threat to your or others’ safety, please call Campus Safety at (423) 439-4480 or dial 911.
Please stay safe and take care of one another.
Sincerely,
Brian Noland, President
Kimberly D. McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs
Resources:
Updates specific to the ongoing emergency situation resulting from Hurricane Helene will be posted at etsu.edu/response.
The ETSU community provides support services for students, faculty, and staff who may have been affected by this disaster. The ETSU Dean of Students office is reaching out to offer support and assistance to students who have home addresses listed in areas directly impacted.
The ETSU Counseling Center provides personal counseling for students, as well as outreach and referrals. Students may access the ETSU Counseling Center at (423) 439-3333. The Counseling Center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and is located on the 3rd floor of the DP Culp Center. Telehealth/Zoom services are also available. The Bucs Press 2 service is available 24/7/365 by dialing (423) 439-4841 and pressing 2 to speak to a counselor.
Student veterans who may have questions or need support are welcome to reach out to the Military and Veteran’s Services office.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a resource for faculty and staff who need counseling support and referral to other resources.
Student Leaders and Organization Efforts
Leadership and Civic Engagement, housed within the Ronald and Edith J. Carrier Center, is serving as a clearinghouse for student response efforts. For more information, you may contact serve@etsu.edu.
ETSU staff and student leaders are meeting to plan support and assistance efforts to benefit the local area.
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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