UNCC Proceeds With On-Campus Classes After UNC Goes Full Remote

CHARLOTTE, NC — The University of North Carolina at Charlotte will proceed with on-campus instruction this fall, the school announced. The announcement comes in the wake of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's decision Monday to go to all remote instruction and suspend in-person classes for undergraduate students due to coronavirus spread on campus.

"In just the past week (Aug. 10-16), we have seen COVID-19 positivity rate rise from 2.8% to 13.6% at Campus Health," UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said in a statement Monday. "As of this morning, we have tested 954 students and have 177 in isolation and 349 in quarantine, both on and off campus. So far, we have been fortunate that most students who have tested positive have demonstrated mild symptoms."

Prior to the Aug. 17 announcement, UNC residence halls were at less than 60 percent capacity and in-person classes less than 30 percent capacity.

SEE ALSO: All UNC Undergrad Classes To Go Full Remote Amid COVID Fear

The decision to go full remote in Chapel Hill, however, did not extend to other schools in the UNC System.

"Following guidance from the UNC System, UNC Charlotte and other System institutions will proceed as planned with on-campus instruction," UNCC said in an Aug. 17 statement. "We are in close contact with local public health officials and are continually assessing our current protocols to make any necessary changes to further protect the health and safety of campus."

Some of the protocols present on the UNCC campus include a ban of gatherings of 10 or more people indoors or 25 outdoors, designating quarantine space for students who become ill and instituting a "Niner Health Check" online health assessment in the form of a daily survey set to begin Aug. 31.

UNCC also said students with on-campus housing would be allowed to cancel fall residence hall contracts without penalty through Friday, Aug. 21.

The decision to stay on course with on-campus classes isn't welcomed by all students, according to a report. "We’re at the point where we need to pull the plug on this, think of the safety of the public and transition to online learning at this time,” UNCC student Dick Beekman told WSOC.

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