Texas Tech University is committed to the health and safety of our students, staff, and faculty and continues to monitor the COVID situation closely.  Current information, including about testing and how to get vaccinated, is available at the university's COVID website.

The potential for COVID infection remains a concern and the university community must be vigilant as we begin a new academic year.  According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best protection against COVID infection is vaccination with an improved COVID vaccine and wearing masks, even for fully vaccinated individuals, when in crowded indoor spaces such as classrooms.

COVID-19 Testing & Reporting

COVID-19 Vaccine

Guidance to Instructors of Record in Face-to-Face and Hybrid Courses

Tools for Learning, Teaching, and Working Remotely

Guidance for preliminary/qualifying/comprehensive exams and thesis/dissertation defenses Fall 2021:

The delivery format (i.e., face to face, remote) of all preliminary/qualifying/comprehensive exams and defenses will be left to the discretion of programs/departments and committees; appropriate safety precautions should be observed for face-to-face interactions, and accommodations (e.g., remote access) must be made for all parties (students and faculty) to participate as they feel safe doing so. All committee members, including the graduate dean's representative, must participate in defenses in real time. Lastly, public presentations of thesis/dissertation research must continue to be offered by remote means (e.g., zoom, etc.) in addition to face-to-face presentations.

Emergency assistance

• Limited emergency funds for those financially impacted by COVID-19 are available through the Raider Relief Fund.
• Supplement food is available from TTU's food pantry by appointment, see https://www.depts.ttu.edu/dos/foodpantry.php
• Continuing Student Scholarships for International Students http://www.depts.ttu.edu/international/scholarships/continuing.php (scroll to bottom of page for information regarding possible funding from the Texas Public Educational Grant)
• Student Affairs Resources and Support 
• Comprehensive Mental Health Resources and Referrals
• Student Counseling Center Resources

Information for individuals vaccinated outside the US

Although only three vaccines are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use in the U.S. (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Janssen/Johnson & Johnson), there are currently seven vaccines authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO). The CDC recognizes all WHO-approved vaccines as valid means of immunization in the setting of the pandemic. For people who are partially vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine that is not offered in the U.S., it is recommended that such individuals repeat the immunization series with a vaccine approved by the FDA for emergency use authorization in the US.  Here are some additional notes:

• Limited data are available on the safety or efficacy of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine currently authorized in the United States after receipt of a non-FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. However, in some circumstances people who received a COVID-19 vaccine not currently authorized in the US may be offered revaccination with an FDA-authorized vaccine.
• COVID-19 vaccines not authorized by FDA but listed for emergency use by WHO (WHO-approved vaccines listed here [https://www.who.int/teams/regulation-prequalification/eul/covid-19])
• People who have received all recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that is listed for emergency use by WHO do not need any additional doses with an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine.
  • People who have received all recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that is listed for emergency use by WHO do not need any additional doses with an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine.
  • People who have not received all the recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine listed for emergency use by WHO may be offered a complete, FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine series.
• COVID-19 vaccines neither authorized by FDA nor listed for emergency use by WHO
  • People who received all or some of the recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that is neither authorized by FDA nor listed for emergency use by WHO may be offered a complete, FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine series.

TTU IT Division would like to provide the information listed below for instructors to record lectures and share them with students. This message is being sent to both faculty and staff since some departmental staff assist faculty.

• • Mediasite: Mediasite is a complete, rich media recording, webcasting, and publishing system that automates the capture, management, and delivery of interactive multimedia presentations. Additional information is available at https://www.depts.ttu.edu/itts/services/mediasite/index.php.
    
    • New Accounts: Instructors who need to request a Mediasite account to upload content should contact your department IT staff or email mediasite@ttu.edu. All students can access Mediasite using their eRaider accounts and will be able to view lectures for which they have been granted access. 
    • Mediasite Mosaic: Allows lectures to be recorded via the instructor's local PC's camera and microphone or upload previously recorded content. Additional information is available at https://learn.mediasite.com/course/recording-your-screen-with-mediasite-mosaic.
    • Portable Mediasite Recorders: The TTU IT Division has a limited number of mobile recording units available for loan. Requests for a Mediasite equipment loan can be submitted at https://www.depts.ttu.edu/itts/services/mediasite/equipment.php. 
  • Blackboard Collaborate Ultra: Similar to Mediasite, Blackboard Collaborate Ultra allows instructors to record and share a wide range of content with their students. Additional information is available at https://www.depts.ttu.edu/elearning/blackboard/collaborate/ultra. 
  • Microsoft Teams: Recorded Teams meetings are automatically shared with all participants once the meeting has ended. More information is available at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/record-a-meeting-in-teams-34dfbe7f-b07d-4a27-b4c6-de62f1348c24. 
    • Ad hoc meetings are stored on the presenter's OneDrive for Business in a folder titled “Recordings”. 
    • Scheduled meetings are stored in the Microsoft Team's SharePoint folder. 
  • Zoom: Recordings are saved on the presenter's computer. More information is available at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362473-Local-Recording. For those instructors with Mediasite accounts (see “New Accounts” above), we recommend uploading these recordings to the TTU Mediasite storage at https://mediacast.ttu.edu/mediasite/mymediasite. 
  • Recording Studios: The following departments offer recording studios for instructor use:
    • TLPDC:https://www.depts.ttu.edu/tlpdc/Graduate-Students/Mediasite_Recording_Studio/index.php
    • eLearning & Academic Partnerships:https://www.depts.ttu.edu/elearning/faculty/video/

The above information will be added to the resources at go.ttu.edu/remoteaccess via a link titled “Technical Resources for Recording Lectures.” If you have questions, please contact IT Help Central at (806) 742-4357 (HELP) or via email at ithelpcentral@ttu.edu.