Extension offices are operational but closed to public access

KNOXVILLE, TN (WLAF) – Due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19, and the extraordinary circumstances it is causing across the state and nation, Tennessee Extension offices are temporarily closed to public access to help protect the health and safety of the employees and the communities they serve.

UT Extension operates offices in all 95 Tennessee counties. Fifty of those county offices are jointly staffed in cooperation with Tennessee State University.

 

In a letter to employees on March 19, UT Extension Dean Robert Burns and Tennessee State University Associate Dean of Extension Latif Lighari announced that Extension county offices statewide will close to public access beginning March 20. Additional facilities including regional offices, 4-H Centers, Lone Oaks Farm, the Center for Profitable Agriculture, and the Soil Plant and Pest Center will also be closed to public access. “While public access to offices will be limited, all Extension offices will remain operational and continue to provide educational programming and support to our clients and county government,” the letter said.

 

The letter directs staff to follow social distancing guidelines, continue their work, and be available by phone or email during work hours. Clients seeking services should continue to contact their local offices by phone or email. Phone numbers and addresses can be found online at the UT Extension website: utextension.tennessee.edu/office-locations-departments-centers. Numbers can also be found through local county government listings and websites.

“Tennessee Extension has a long history of stepping up to assist Tennesseans when challenges impact the communities we serve,” Burns and Lighari wrote in the letter. The two express that Extension will continue to serve their clientele.

Several publications in response to the COVID-19 outbreak are available online at the UT Extension website: utextension.tennessee.edu. Each of these publications is available free to read or download. Click on the “publications” link in the menu bar and enter “coronavirus” or relevant search term in the search bar. You may also review the list of new publications on the right of the website.

 

Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 03/20/2020-3PM)