NC State, UNC-CH will start fall semester early and end by Thanksgiving due to COVID-19
Students and faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University will be back on campus for the fall semester earlier than planned because of the coronavirus pandemic.
UNC’s fall semester will begin Aug. 10 and final exams will end by Nov. 24, which is two days before Thanksgiving. Labor Day and University Day will still be holidays, but Fall Break is canceled. The goal is to finish the semester before a potential second wave of COVID-19, which is expected in late fall or early winter.
N.C. State will begin its 2020-21 academic year on Aug. 10, nine days earlier than originally scheduled. There will be no fall break, and finals will take place before Thanksgiving.
UNC-CH Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz made the announcement at the Board of Trustees meeting Thursday and sent a detailed letter the campus community saying this fall semester ”will be like no other in our history.” Guskiewicz said the decision is based on the fact that students thrive in an environment where they can have face-to-face interaction with faculty and classmates and participate in co-curricular activities on campus.
“We believe with the guidance of our incredible team ... that we can make this work and it will be a safe environment for our faculty, staff and students,” Guskiewicz told reporters.
‘Significant changes’ to UNC campus life this fall
While students will return to in-person instruction, things will be different.
Class sizes will be smaller, some classes will take place in larger spaces, large lecture classes might be split up, there will be more time between classes and entrances and exits will be converted for one-way traffic. There won’t be as many courses held during typical weekdays, so students and faculty should expect more weeknight classes. Some classes may also be offered remotely to give students and faculty more flexibility.
Students participating in organized co-curricular activities, including athletics, ROTC and the marching band, will be allowed back to campus in a “phased approach” and should expect more details to come.
Dorms will operate at normal capacity, with roommates, and move-in will begin Aug. 3 by appointment. Guskiewicz said experts have advised that having two people living in a dorm room doesn’t significantly increase the risk of infection, but common areas, stairwells and communal restrooms will need to be cleaned more regularly.
One residence hall will be used for temporary housing for students who test positive for COVID-19, and a second residence hall will be designated for students who have been exposed to the coronavirus but do not have a confirmed diagnosis, according to the university. Some rooms will also be converted to single rooms for students who are immunocompromised.
UNC-CH is asking people to follow physical distancing guidelines, wear face coverings, wash hands thoroughly and often, and frequently clean campus spaces and surfaces.
Most campus dining halls will be open to students, faculty and staff, and seating will be reduced to promote physical distancing. The tables and chairs will be also sanitized after each use.
UNC-CH is also expanding takeout options, installing mobile food ordering and considering food trucks and meal delivery services.
Guskiewicz said there will also likely be restrictions on large student gatherings like fraternity parties and tailgates. UNC-CH will announce plans for New Student Convocation and Winter Commencement at a later date.
A ‘phased return’ for faculty and staff
Faculty and staff will have a “phased return” to campus to limit the amount of people in a particular space on campus, particularly as research programs and laboratories ramp up their operations starting June 1.
Employees should expect things like staggered work schedules, alternating schedules, reconfigured workstations and remote work, according to the university. The university will manage who returns to campus and when.
Guskiewicz told reporters that UNC faculty will be asked to prepare courses for in person and remote instruction or a combination of the two. The university is also working with the UNC System to offer flexibility for faculty and students who are high risk.
Labs related to COVID-19 research have remained open but other labs and facilities will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity. However, it’s preferred that work that can be done remotely continues off campus for now.
UNC-CH is launching a new program called “Carolina Away” for students who can’t return to campus in August to continue online learning this fall. Up to 1,000 undergraduate students can participate in the program and take key courses in UNC’s general education curriculum digitally. They will also have “small group experiences and engage in learning communities that focus on the impact of COVID-19,” according to the university.
The initiative is aimed at international students who can’t get visas or flights, first-year students, transfer students who can live on campus at a later date, and students in other parts of the country who are struggling financially or with family.
N.C. State starting and ending semester early
At N.C. State, students will not return to campus for the remainder of the calendar year after the Thanksgiving holiday, and winter commencement plans will be announced in the future, according to the university.
In a letter to the campus community, N.C. State Chancellor Randy Woodson noted the particular risk that traveling poses to the campus. He said the decision to cancel fall break was to limit the risk of exposure and reduce the potential for community spread on campus as faculty and staff often travel outside the state or overseas during breaks.
“The driving factor behind this schedule is the health, safety and well-being of students, faculty and staff,” Woodson said. “Many public health experts believe our nation and our state could face a second wave of COVID-19 sometime in late fall or early winter. This guidance led us to start and finish the semester early in an effort to try and stay ahead of a potential second wave.”
N.C. State administrators and health professionals are still working out the logistics of how the campus will operate, including class schedules and instruction, housing and dining facilities and sanitation protocols. The university plans to release additional details about the fall semester in the “days and weeks ahead.”
Woodson previously told The News & Observer that when returning to campus this fall students could have to practice social distancing, class sizes might be reduced and faculty may be forced to alter their classroom instruction.
What are other NC colleges doing?
The UNC System is developing guidance for universities as leaders are expecting students, faculty and staff to return to classrooms, labs and libraries this fall. Each of the 17 campuses in the system will decide specific changes or protocols based on that guidance, which is expected to be released by the end of May.
Some campuses have already announced changes they’re making to reduce the number of students on campus at specific times based on data and projections of the virus in their particular locations.
UNC Greensboro and N.C. A&T State University, both in Greensboro, announced that classes will start on time, but will end at the Thanksgiving holiday. Fall Break at both universities were canceled and final exams will be taken online.
UNC Charlotte will begin the fall semester on Sept. 7, two weeks later than originally scheduled. UNCC also canceled all fall study abroad programs.
Duke University announced it will be open in the fall but has not determined specific details of attendance and schedule. Duke President Vincent Price said in a statement that they expect to make decisions about the structure of the upcoming academic year by the end of June.
“We are committed to getting this right, and responsible decision making must be based on a clearer understanding of public health and safety issues than is now available,” Price said. “Making choices now in the absence of this vital information would jeopardize safety of our students, faculty, staff and the wider community, even if it seems to provide the certainty so many of us desire.”
Without sharing specifics, Price said space will be reconfigured, classes will be delivered differently and campus activities will change. The academic calendar and residential living options could also change, Price said, but certainly, this year at Duke “will not look anything like the past.”
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 11:20 AM with the headline "NC State, UNC-CH will start fall semester early and end by Thanksgiving due to COVID-19."
