FOR STUDENTS

As conditions have changed over the last several days, we want to provide additional information concerning this upcoming week. On Monday and Tuesday, March 16 & 17, we will operate the campus utilizing essential personnel, as determined by your supervisor. The university will not be closed, as we need to keep critical offices, departments and services operational. This includes our custodial, facilities and maintenance operations, as well as functions that serve students, employees and the public.

As we come back from Spring Break, during the week of March 23-27, we will continue campus operations with staffing that is appropriate for our needs, again as determined by supervisors and unit heads.

As states of emergency have been declared locally, statewide, and nationally, it's important that we follow all instructions associated with these declarations, as well as guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). We have links to the CDC and our local health agency on the TSU coronavirus webpage.

All COPHS Students:

  • Must follow protocols and guidelines established by the COPHS and your experiential/internship sites related to COVID-19.
  • Any student who believes they may potentially be infected (experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath) should self-quarantine to prevent further spread of the disease and are encouraged to seek medical care. The college will work with the student to make up any missed course work.

To report any COVID-19 symptoms or self-quarantine please immediately call Dr. Mosavin at (713) 313-7381.

COURSES

Please be prepared to continue your academic studies online via Blackboard following Spring Break.

It is our expectation that faculty are engaged and interactive and continue classes as scheduled, just virtually, and likewise you are expected to attend classes as usual and that you are also engaged.

Didactic Courses:

Please ensure that you:

  • Have access to a laptop/desktop at home
  • Home access to wifi/internet
  • New password to ensure it will not expire within the next month
  • Know how to use Blackboard Collaborate and Discussion Board features 
  • Know how to access tools you require such as TClaw, MyTSU, etc.
  • actively monitor your email multiple times per day to stay abreast of course, College and University updates.

Experiential Rotations:

Despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education has stated pharmacy students are still accountable for completing 300 IPPE hours and 1440 APPE hours.  As a result, students currently on rotations are expected to continue their assignments through completion unless told otherwise.  We are actively staying in contact with practice sites and will notify you of any changes to your current assignments.  

  • Any students in experiential/internship sites where quarantine guidelines are implemented must report this to the College immediately. If a student must leave the site due to quarantine policies, the College will work with individual students to place them in alternative sites if available.
  • COPHS students may see patients in practice settings but should not be the first person to assess any patient with fever or respiratory symptoms. Once the patient is confirmed NOT to have COVID-19, the student may see the patient. Any patient with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 will NOT be seen by COPHS students. This statement may be used as a reference for any preceptor faculty unaware of the college’s policy.
  • Out-of-state and international APPE rotations and internships are subject to travel restrictions imposed by TSU and may possibly be cancelled.

To report any guidelines or communications please send them to Dean Mosavin (rashid.mosavin@tsu.edu) and CC Dr. Moultry (aisha.moultry@tsu.edu) and Cynthia Johnson (cynthia.johnson@tsu.edu).

 

Spring Break Travel

Very important: If, during Spring Break, you are traveling to a country identified by the CDC with a Level 3 Travel Health Notice (currently Italy, China, South Korea, Iran and Venezuela), depending on your travel history, you will be asked to stay home and self-quarantine for a period of 14 days from the time you left an area with widespread or ongoing community spread. To help the university best assess potential exposure and risks to our campus community, we are asking any student, faculty or staff member who is traveling internationally during Spring Break to let us know in advance by filling out this form.

If you feel that you have potentially been exposed to the coronavirus, or if you are experiencing symptoms, please contact your physician immediately, or contact TSU Health Services at 713.313.7173. There is a list of actions to take if you do exhibit symptoms of COVID-19.

We appreciate your understanding and flexibility during these ever-changing times. Our goal is to operate the university in a safe and efficient manner, as well as keep the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff as the top priority.