July 29, 2020

Dear Texas Tech University Faculty and Staff,

As we continue to plan for our safe and healthy return to campus, we've had the opportunity to review many creative ideas and approaches. In response to recommendations by deans, chairs and faculty, we're pleased to announce the availability of a new outdoor classroom and outdoor study spaces for the fall term.

The outdoor classroom will be located in a large tent on the Engineering Key. This space will have seating to accommodate up to 75 students and will be available for all colleges to use. In addition to the outdoor classroom, we will have several outdoor study spaces available around campus to offer an alternative to our traditional indoor study locations such as the student union and library. These study spaces will also be available to utilize as outdoor teaching locations. Scheduling these new outdoor spaces will be managed by the Grounds Use Committee and may be requested through their website.

We've also been working with our Information Technology Division to ensure enhanced Wi-Fi capacity in these locations to accommodate additional devices and bandwidth. While these new spaces provide an alternative to our traditional indoor spaces, all new policies and procedures are still in effect, including wearing masks and social distancing.

We will provide additional details on the outdoor study spaces in the weeks ahead.

Sincerely,

Lawrence Schovanec
President
Texas Tech University

Noel Sloan
Vice President for Administration and Finance & CFO
Texas Tech University