To reflect on the year, Chapelboro.com is re-publishing some of the top stories that impacted and defined our community’s experience in 2020. These stories and topics affected Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the rest of our region.
UNC and its campus community had an unusual year like the rest of the community, with most operations changed by the coronavirus pandemic. Spanning across two academic years, COVID-19 has affected students, faculty, staff and administrators throughout 2020 as the university embarked on remote learning, attempted a challenging return to campus and unintentionally created a lasting impact on many local businesses.
The UNC community came into 2020 with high hopes for a less turbulent year than 2019 presented. With Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz officially selected for the permanent role in December and a major fundraising campaign reaching several benchmarks, the university entered the new year with clear direction.
That changed in March, however, when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States and the university shifted to its first fully-remote teaching model. After taking an extended spring break and withdrawing many students from study abroad courses, UNC moved most students out of residence halls and conducted the rest of its spring 2020 courses online. Spring athletics seasons were cancelled and the university’s administration put in-person commencement for the graduating Class of 2020 on hold.
By April, both Guskiewicz and leadership from the UNC System publicly expressed plans to return students to campus for the start of the new academic year. UNC made plans to begin and end the school year slightly earlier than normal to try and avoid any student involvement in COVID-19 surges seen during the winter. To try and protect public health, the university implemented a set of community standards students had to follow in order to live on campus. The measures included physical distancing within academic halls, libraries and dining halls, wearing face coverings and only gathering in smaller groups.
Ahead of the semester’s start, several campus community members urged the university to change course and continue remote learning. Demonstrations included a “die-in” protest by students and faculty members, where dozens of people lay on the ground outside of South Building and called on UNC leadership to follow the guidance of Orange County health officials. Housekeeping staff for the university also delivered a petition requesting more personal protective equipment, or PPE, and daily health screenings.
UNC students and faculty lie on the ground of Polk Place on August 5 as part of a “die-in” protest against returning students to campus for the Fall 2020 semester. Later that month, several clusters of positive COVID-19 cases led the university to shift back to a remote learning model.
When students arrived back on campus ahead of August 10, around 5,765 had signed up to live in residence halls and take classes, according to Carolina Housing.
In-person instruction, however, did not last long. Within the first week of classes being conducted, more than 170 positive cases were reported among students and UNC employees, with several clusters of positive cases developing in residence halls and fraternity houses. Guskiewicz announced on August 17 the university would shift back to a remote learning system and move many students off campus to decrease the density of students. No UNC community deaths caused by COVID-19 have been reported, but a total of 769 students who lived on campus tested positive, according to the university’s dashboard.
While some students were able to move back to permanent addresses, many sought to quickly find housing in Chapel Hill or qualified for exemptions to stay in single rooms on campus. Some community members stepped up to help UNC students in need during the transition period back to the online learning model, offering advice, food or money to send them home. Many local businesses within the community were impacted by the lack of students, which would have already been lower amounts than normal because of COVID-19.
As the fall progressed, UNC leadership worked to study how to improve an in-person learning model to better prevent the virus’ spread seen in the summer and August. Officials have pointed to the density in residence halls as being a major factor, pointing to compliance while attending classes but violations either within dorms or off campus. A plan for the spring 2021 semester has since been developed, with university leaders laying out even more community health guidelines for students to follow.
University of North Carolina chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz talks with Board of Trustees member David L. Boliek Jr. during a recess in their meeting at the Carolina Inn on Thursday, September 24, 2020 in Chapel Hill, N.C. (Photo via Robert Willett.)
In addition to a smaller amount of students returning, which UNC reports to be around 3,500, those living on campus will all receive a single-occupancy room in residence halls. Required testing to trace and identify positive COVID-19 cases is also a main change, with three testing sites set up around the Chapel Hill community in addition to those offered by Orange County. Mask requirements, social distancing and other public health protection methods will still be required.
UNC’s spring 2021 semester is slated to begin on January 19, but Guskiewicz said in in a message to the campus community on November 23 the university will consider rising COVID-19 trends across the country when signing off on returning students to campus.
“We will closely monitor the cases and hospitalizations nationally, in our state, and locally, as we approach the semester and will be ready to alter our plans and make necessary accommodations, if needed,” the chancellor wrote. “We will announce any changes to the spring semester operations by January 9, and until then, we will prepare for the semester by making the decisions we believe will best help our community have a safe and successful semester.”
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