Coronavirus means online classes for NC colleges. How will it work? Here are some answers.
Universities across the state are extending spring break and moving classes from campus to online or remote instruction as the number of coronavirus cases in North Carolina continues to grow. Schools are also canceling study abroad programs in Europe and asking students to come back home.
But what does that mean for students and faculty and families?
Here’s what we know.
The UNC System announced that all 17 of its institutions will “transition from in-person instruction to a system of alternative course delivery, where possible and practical, no later than March 20.” That impacts hundreds of thousands of students and faculty at campuses in Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Boone, Wilmington, Greenville and several other parts of the state.
Spring break was extended to Sunday, March 22, which means classes are canceled for that additional week. Online or remote instruction will begin on Monday, March 23.
Each university is making its own decisions about specific events, courses and campus facilities but the system took action as a whole to limit the potential impact of the coronavirus on each campus.
“There will be flexibility at the local level to be sure, because each is different but for the big decisions, the big issues, we want to move as an integrated system,” UNC System interim President Bill Roper said after a news conference Thursday.
Do you have questions about how colleges and universities are affected by the coronavirus? The News & Observer will get the answers for you. Go to bit.ly/virusnc and let us know what you need to know..
Several private universities including Duke University, Elon University, Wake Forest University, Campbell University and Guilford College also switched to online courses this week.
Wake Technical Community College is also extending spring break and moving classes online.
There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus on university campuses, but three Duke graduate students traveling overseas tested positive for the coronavirus, the university announced Friday, March 13.
Will all classes be online or remote?
Some classes or labs will remain in-person where it is necessary, according to the UNC System. Individual university leadership will communicate with those programs.
How long will online classes last?
The UNC System said the change will last indefinitely, with the goal of returning to in-person instructions as soon as reasonably possible.
Duke announced that classes would be online or remote for the remainder of the spring semester.
Elon University said classes will be online for two weeks following spring break.
Campbell University said in-person classes are expected to resume Monday, April 6.
Can students return to campus if they traveled for spring break?
Yes, but UNC System universities, including UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University, East Carolina University and Appalachian State University are asking students to stay off campus and at home, if possible.
UNC-CH, N.C. State, Duke, Elon and Wake Forest have restricted travel to countries with a level two or three travel warning from the CDC, including China, Iran, Italy, South Korea, Japan and most of Europe. Any students, faculty or staff returning from those areas will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.
UNC-CH has also restricted domestic travel for students, faculty and staff to places where a state of emergency has been declared related to COVID-19 and coronavirus. That includes the cities of Austin and San Antonio in Texas, and the states of California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah and Washington. Anyone returning from those areas for personal travel may be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.
NC State is asking all students, faculty and staff who traveled over spring break to tell the university about their trip through the Spring Break Travel Registry.
ECU said students who need to return to campus to retrieve belongings, even briefly, must register with Student Affairs.
Duke said all undergraduate, graduate and professional students who are out of town for spring break should not return to campus if at all possible.
Elon University students are encouraged to remain at home while classes are online, but residence halls, dining halls and other campus services and offices will be open, according to the university.
Will dining halls and residence halls still be open?
Yes. UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State universities encouraged students to stay off campus, but residence and dining halls, libraries and campus health facilities will remain open for those who are still on campus or need to return.
Appalachian State students living in residence halls are encouraged to remain at home or off campus and need to contact university housing if that is not possible.
ECU students are not banned from campus housing or the Greenville area but access to many campus facilities and services, including dining and recreation, may be limited, according to the university.
Duke University officials announced Friday that students must vacate campus housing as soon as possible and to leave their belongings in their dorms if they are not currently on campus. T
Campbell University “strongly encouraged” residential students on the Buies Creek campus to leave campus by this weekend, March 14. But, residence halls, dining halls and other campus offices will remain open.
Students and parents should check their individual university websites for more information.
What does this mean for graduation and commencement ceremonies?
The UNC System said all outdoor events with 100 or more people will be canceled or postponed unless otherwise authorized by a chancellor or provost.
UNC-CH has canceled all campus events for more than 50 attendees and at NC State the limit is 100 people.
Right now, there are no changes to commencement ceremonies at N.C. State.
UNC-CH officials said at this point, they hope to host Spring Commencement events as scheduled, but a final decision will be made at a later date.
Duke has postponed, canceled or virtualized all university-sponsored in-person events on or off campus that expect more than 50 people until April 20. Commencement ceremonies should not be affected unless that guidance changes.
Will students be reimbursed for unused housing or dining if they stay off campus as instructed?
Each campus is handling this differently, so students and parents should reach out to the university directly.
Duke is planning to reimburse residential students for paid but unused dining and housing fees, according to university officials.
UNC-CH officials recommend that students do not cancel housing or dining plans yet and wait to hear from professors about specific academic instruction. If students decide to move out early and remain off campus for the remainder of the semester they should email housing@unc.edu. Once that is processed, the university will give them more information and instructions about collecting their belongings and the financial implications, according to a statement from university officials.
NC State is working on answers to those questions.
Will spring college athletics be affected by coronavirus?
The UNC System did not provide information about the status of spring sports at universities, but several universities are taking their own steps or following guidance from their respective athletics conferences.
Duke suspended all athletic competition for the foreseeable future, effective immediately, for the health and safety of all who are essential to these activities, President Vincent Price announced Thursday.
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) followed with an announcement that it has suspended all athletic related activities, including all games, practices, recruiting and participation in the NCAA championships due to the coronavirus.
All spring sports competitions for East Carolina University, which is in the American Athletic Conference, will be suspended effective immediately and until further notice.
Appalachian State, which is in the Sun Belt Conference, announced that all regular-season competitions and conference championships for all sports are suspended indefinitely.
Elon University also suspended all athletics competition until further notice, including in-season events scheduled for this week.
What does this mean for study abroad programs?
UNC Chapel Hill canceled all spring 2020 study abroad programs to European countries that have been designated as Level 3 by the CDC. That includes Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City.
UNC-CH canceled all spring semester 2020 academic programs, including study abroad, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, which the CDC designated as Level 3.
UNC-CH staff are communicating with students about returning to the U.S. and options for continuing their academics.
The university has also canceled all summer 2020 study abroad and international education programs given the travel restrictions.
NC State is asking all study abroad students and students on other university-sponsored trips in Europe to come home. University officials are working with those students to make sure they return home safely.
Duke has recalled all students studying on Duke and non-Duke study away programs both internationally and domestically.
Several other universities had already canceled study abroad programs in Italy and South Korea.
What are community colleges doing?
The North Carolina Community College System is planning for the outbreak with travel restrictions and teleworking options on campuses, but the decisions about academics and operations are made by individual campus leaders. The community colleges do not have residence halls, and about one-third of full-time students already take online classes.
As of Friday, 23 colleges have extended spring break and/or are moving to online classes. While many programs will utilize online instruction, some workforce programs will continue face-to-face classes and faculty plan to practice social distancing when those classes meet, according to spokeswoman Jane Stancill.
Wake Tech is shifting all on-campus courses to online and suspending on-campus activities from March 15 to April 5, which includes spring break. All Career and College Promise high school students will transition to online classes.
“We’ve been carefully monitoring this developing situation over the past several weeks and believe it’s time to take this next step in our response to help mitigate this epidemic,” Wake Tech President Scott Ralls said in a statement Thursday. “We realize the transition to all online classes will be challenging for both students and faculty, but students can rest assured that instructors will work with them to achieve their academic goals this semester.”
Fayetteville Technical Community College will also shift its classes to online instruction starting Monday, March 16.
This story will be updated as new information is available.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 2:59 PM.
