University announces steps in preparing for “new normal” with fall semester

(May 20, 2020) JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman University has announced that it is making preparations for the fall in anticipation for students to return to campus following months of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a video message to the campus community and families, President Charles A. Fowler shared what the University was doing to ready for their arrival.

“We are renovating and updating dorms,” said Fowler. “We are preparing to ensure that our campus is a safe and healthy place to live, work and study. We are developing new protocols for cleanliness and elevated expectations for disinfecting hard surfaces where students gather.”

Fowler also indicated that in developing a “new normal,” routines would change and involve social distancing, masks, temperature checks and hand-sanitizing.

“Even though we plan to resume in-classroom instruction this fall, it will likely be different,” said Fowler. “I expect there to be an increased integration of technology in all of our classes. It is essential that we maintain optimum flexibility in instruction by integrating the best of technology.”

Despite changes, Fowler emphasized that not everything would be subject to change. “Our new students and returning students will see that Carson-Newman’s mission has not changed; it is just being expressed in new and creative ways that allow us to respond to a very different world.”

Founded in 1851, Carson-Newman is a Christian liberal arts-based university affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention. The University is located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, among the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and has over 2,700 students. Carson-Newman offers 50 undergraduate majors, as well as associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.