On Monday, UNC-Chapel Hill announced that it would be transitioning all undergraduate classes to fully online instruction effective Wednesday, August 19. This announcement comes after confirming Sunday that a fourth cluster of novel coronavirus cases had been detected on campus since resuming in-person instruction Aug. 10.
After consultation with state and local health officials, #UNC’s infectious disease experts and the @UNC_System, Carolina is making two changes to de-densify campus. First: On Wednesday, Aug. 19, all undergraduate instruction will shift to remote learning https://t.co/BaKlNB6jEr
— UNC-Chapel Hill (@UNC) August 17, 2020
University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans issued the following statement after the announcement on Monday:
The decision to adapt operations applies to UNC-Chapel Hill only because no other UNC System institution has reported information, at this time, that would lead to similar modifications.
All students must continue to wear facial coverings and practice social distancing as part of their personal responsibility, particularly in off-campus settings. Taking personal responsibility and enforcing community standards are essential for the success of this semester and for protecting public health.
Each campus is different, and I expect situations to evolve differently. In any circumstance, we will be grounded by reliable public health data and prevailing local health conditions. I will continue to stay in close contact with our chancellors and fully support their efforts to fulfill our core educational mission in safe learning environments.
Following the announcement N.C. A&T’s Chancellor Harold L. Martin released a statement to clarify how it would affect students at the university.
“N.C. A&T has undertaken extensive preparations for the fall term,” Martin said, “Residence halls, classrooms, offices, common spaces and spaces where students, faculty and staff may gather are being extensively cleaned and sanitized daily.”
N.C. A&T is expected to begin its school year Wednesday, Aug. 19 as scheduled with both in-person and online instruction.
In July, N.C. A&T reported that four student-athletes had tested positive for COVID-19, since then the campus has not reported any new cases.
However, since the return of new and returning students to campus, many concerns of students not following social distancing guidelines arose.
Chancellor Martin addresses these concerns in the statement “Mask wearing and social distancing are also required—that means not congregating closely in pairs or groups, even when masks/face coverings are being used.”
N.C. A&T does not currently have a COVID-19 dashboard on its website however, officials at the university say that it is currently being developed.
More information regarding COVID-19 preparations at N.C. A&T can be found here.
