NC State will require students, staff and visitors to wear face masks on campus
N.C. State University students, faculty, staff and visitors will be required to wear face masks on campus throughout the fall semester.
The university announced Monday that the new rule will start on July 1 and will apply to “all NC State buildings and in all university programs held in nonuniversity buildings.” The university said it will give all students, faculty and staff face coverings if they need them.
Individuals will have to wear face coverings the entire time they’re in classrooms and laboratories and in outdoor spaces on campus where “appropriate physical distancing cannot be guaranteed,” according to N.C. State.
The only place people won’t have to wear them is in private offices and in dorm rooms or when they are not in close contact with another person, such as walking alone outside.
The university said everyone on campus must also always carry a face mask with them, in case they get into a situation where they can’t stay six feet apart from others. That means hallways, stairwells, elevators, restrooms, kitchens and break rooms.
UNC-Chapel Hill has also required face masks to be worn in all classrooms, academic buildings and in indoor common spaces, including hallways. Individuals at UNC must also wear masks in dining halls except when eating or drinking.
N.C. State is starting it’s fall semester early, and move-in for on-campus housing will be held by appointment only between July 31-Aug. 9. The university is also offering additional single rooms for students who are immunocompromised or who have preexisting medical conditions.
In addition to face masks, classrooms will have fewer students to ensure physical distancing and larger classes will be online or use “hybrid” teaching methods. Some classrooms may also have physical barriers in front of lecterns for protection.
The university said it will announce more details about its plans for reopening campus “in the coming days.”
This story was originally published June 15, 2020 at 5:49 PM with the headline "NC State will require students, staff and visitors to wear face masks on campus."
