UNC Charlotte will fully return in fall semester with in-person classes, operations
UNC Charlotte will be returning to in-person learning this fall, the school announced Thursday.
In a statement posted on the university’s website, Chancellor Sharon Gaber said the campus plans a return to “full operations” for the 2021 fall semester, including face-to-face classes, full occupancy in residence halls and in-person campus services. UNC Charlotte leaders cite the drop in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in Mecklenburg County and the rest of North Carolina, as well as expected growth in vaccine availability.
Employees will also return to their offices, and regular capacity will be allowed in all buildings and facilities on campus during the semester, which starts in August. Spectators will be allowed at 49ers sports events, but capacity has not yet been determined. Currently, some activities and courses at UNC Charlotte are being held remotely with others using in-person learning.
Mecklenburg County’s COVID-19 caseload and hospitalizations have steadily declined and reached a critical point that the state and World Health Organization uses to guide reopening decisions — a positivity rate below 5%.
Though hospitalizations and cases have decreased since a January surge, Mecklenburg Public Health Director Gibbie Harris and other experts continue to warn Charlotteans that the pandemic isn’t over.
Gaber also encouraged the UNCC community to get vaccinated and continue practicing social distancing and other precautionary measures. Students with pre-existing health conditions are now eligible for a vaccine as part of Group 4.
“We will continue to monitor all local and state data as we move forward with our plans, and we will follow all guidance we receive from health officials and the UNC System to ensure our return is done safely,” the statement reads.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill told students in an email March 5 that the college is planning a return to in-person operations for the fall semester, including in-person instruction and near-full capacity in residence halls.
North Carolina State University’s website says the college is also planning for a “normal fall 2021 semester.” Duke University, which had testing protocols in place and continued some in-person classes this semester, saw an outbreak of COVID-19 cases among its student population this month.
