CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The University of North Carolina at Charlotte will resume a select grouping of in-person instructions on-campus beginning October 1, the UNCC Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber announced Tuesday.
"The ongoing decline in Mecklenburg County’s infection rate, coupled with UNC Charlotte’s comprehensive safety protocols, allows the University to move forward with a measured approach to on-campus living, learning and working this fall semester," Gaber wrote in her announcement.
In-person options will be prioritized for programs in "which in-person access to facilities, equipment or other resources are needed to ensure that we can maintain the best environment for instruction," Gaber wrote.
Those programs include:
- Engineering
- Science lab classes
- Studio and performance art classes
- Clinical programs in the College of Health and Human Services
- Architecture
Additionally, courses serving primarily first-year students, including both freshmen and transfer students, will be prioritized so "students can successfully transition to University instruction, building community and access campus support," the chancellor wrote.
Courses in the two categories above will follow the format in effect when students registered — in-person, hybrid, synchronously online or asynchronously online.
All other courses may remain in an online or remote format.
All classes, including exams, are expected to be all-virtual after the Thanksgiving recess.
Faculty are required to inform students by 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25 about whether their classes will meet in-person, online, or both. Those notifications will be sent through email or Canvas announcement, according to the school.
All undergraduate classes will be suspended on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 28 and 29, to allow for campus move-in dates. The misses classes will not be rescheduled at a later time.
27,906 Mecklenburg County residents have tested positive for coronavirus and 346 related deaths have been reported since the pandemic began. According to Mecklenburg County data on the September 16 long-form report, an average of 5.6% of individuals tested were positive for COVID-19 over the last 14 days. Hospitalizations are also decreasing.
UNCC said they made their decision after consulting with the Mecklenburg County Health Department and the University of North Carolina system.
The school has announced safety measures that have been implemented:
- Niner Health Check: The University implemented a daily Niner Health Check earlier this month. This health check is required of all faculty, staff and students, regardless of if you are on campus. Beginning Oct. 5, anyone not completing the health check as required will have their NinerNet credentials suspended until the assessment is done. You can learn more about the Niner Health Check on the Emergency Management website.
- Flu Shot Requirement: The University is requiring all faculty, staff and students to attest that they have received a flu shot or qualify for an applicable exception by Monday, Nov. 16. You can find more information about this requirement, upcoming flu shot clinics and accepted exemptions on the Niner Nation Cares website.
- De-densified Residence Halls: UNCC have de-densified our residence halls to ensure every student has an individual room. There is no extra cost to students for this change.
- Dedicated On-site Testing & Contact Tracing: UNCC have implemented an on-site testing and contact tracing process specifically for campus. Working with Mecklenburg County Public Health Department, on-campus test results are expected in 36 hours, and dedicated University contact tracers will identify any close contacts of individuals with positive test results.
- Predictive Wastewater Testing: The University started sampling and monitoring the wastewater at several campus sites for the purpose of proactively detecting the presence of the virus and identifying the location of possible outbreaks, including in campus residence halls.
- Limiting Gatherings: To further support the health of our community, UNCC is continuing to maintain gatherings to a 10-person limit indoors and a 25-person limit outdoors. This is stricter than the current allowed gathering sizes in North Carolina’s phased reopening plan.