As the UNC community prepare for the fall semester to begin next month, one of the many questions is how many students will return to live on campus amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNC’s residence halls will be open at full capacity, according to WRAL. That puts the buildings in the ‘highest risk’ category for the spread of the coronavirus, based on the Centers for Disease Control’s guidelines for colleges and universities.

The CDC recently issued the public health guidance to aid higher education institutions in determining their models of operation for the upcoming school year. Congregate living settings at the highest risk of creating COVID-19 transmission are ones open “at full capacity,” included shared spaces like kitchens, laundry rooms and other common areas.

The university, however, have reported its housing numbers are decreasing. According to Carolina Housing Executive Director Allan Blattner, more than 2,100 students have notified UNC they will not be living on campus this academic year since May 1. The university does not track specific reasons why students cancel their housing contracts, but Carolina Housing is allowing students to cancel without penalty through August 2.

UNC has also shared ways it is altering the standard on-campus housing contract to ensure residents are aware of its public health requirements. Students are required to wear face coverings whenever they are outside their rooms, with intentional violations resulting in the potential revoking of a housing contract. The university also said “enhanced cleaning” has been done for all living facilities and residence hall visitation has been suspended until further notice.

Another difference this year is students living on campus have been required to move into residence halls by appointment only. General move-in for all students is August 3 through August 9, with each student signing up for a time frame to move in so UNC staff can maximize physical distancing efforts.

Housing fees from students in residence halls are a key source to university funding. At UNC, the yearly cost of living in an on-campus dorm ranges from $6,672 to $8,146 per student. With the university offering an entirely-remote program to some students, there are expectations the total amount of housing fees accrued by UNC this academic year will be lower than normal. University provost Bob Blouin told the UNC Faculty Executive Committee in June a 10 percent reduction in students living on campus could translate to an estimated $50-$75 million dip in funding.

Classes for UNC’s 2020-2021 academic year are set to begin Monday, August 10, the first time courses will be held in-person since March.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Relieves RAs of Duties as Campus Housing Shake-Up Continues
With many students now living off-campus for the semester amid the COVID-19 pandemic, UNC is continuing methods to consolidate those still in residence halls while cutting down expenditures. The university announced in an email to on-campus residents on Tuesday 14 dorms will close down  this month as Carolina Housing attempts to keep remaining students in […]
102 COVID-19 Cases Among UNC's Granville Towers Residents, Cluster in Carmichael Residence Hall
Granville Towers is one of the UNC residence hall communities experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19. On Friday, students learned the extent of the cases. According to an email sent to Granville Towers residents, Carolina Housing said the two apartment towers have totaled 102 positive coronavirus cases as of Thursday. The Daily Tar Heel, which obtained […]
Report: 3 UNC Students Kicked Out of Dorms for Violating Health Standards
A recent profile of UNC’s return of students for the fall semester revealed the university has revoked housing privileges of some students who failed to follow public health guidelines. A report from the Washington Post published Tuesday revealed three students are no longer in on-campus housing after violating the standards agreed to by all students […]
By The Numbers: UNC's Lead Testing Efforts in Drinking Water
The academic year is behind the UNC community, as is one of the biggest storylines to come from campus since last summer: the presence of lead in drinking water fixtures. The university finished testing every fixture on campus in April and officials made a presentation to the Board of Trustees on Wednesday about the process, […]
UNC Police Searching for Suspect in Dorm Room Robbery
The UNC Police Department is investigating a robbery reported in one of the campus’ residence halls on Tuesday night. An Alert Carolina message sent to the university community said police received a report around 8 p.m. from a student in Morrison Residence Hall, which is off Paul Hardin Drive and Manning Drive. According to the […]
Court OKs Dismissing UNC Student Suit Seeking Virus Refunds
Written by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A trial judge was correct to dismiss a lawsuit filed by then-University of North Carolina students seeking tuition, housing and fee refunds when in-person instruction was canceled during the 2020 spring semester as the coronavirus pandemic began, the state Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. Several students at UNC system campuses and […]
UNC Details COVID-19 Guidance for Fall Semester; No Re-Entry Testing Required
With the start of a new academic year just weeks away, UNC leadership shared the latest round of COVID-19 guidance for the campus community on Friday. A release from UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, Provost Chris Clemens and Lead Physician Dr. Amir Barzin outlined suggestions and changes for students ahead of their return to campus in […]
Top Stories of 2021: The Return to In-Person Learning and its Mental Toll
To reflect on the year, Chapelboro.com is re-publishing some of the top stories that impacted and defined our community’s experience in 2021. These stories and topics affected Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the rest of our region. After more than a year of virtual learning, students of all ages returned to the classroom this year. Orange […]
Orange County's Kizzmekia Corbett One of TIME's Heroes of the Year
Scientist Kizzmekia Corbett has received several accolades this year thanks to her part in COVID-19 vaccine research. On Monday, she earned yet another: one from TIME magazine. Corbett, who is a Hurdle Mills native, is one of four researchers TIME named its 2021 Heroes of The Year based on their accomplishments to advance vaccine development. […]
Art’s Angle: Unmasked Maze
The hype, which has been beneficial to recruiting in the long run, killed Carolina’s chances at Virginia Tech Friday night. It unified the orange-clad, near capacity crowd at Lane Stadium, a place where Justin Fuente had been booed and treated so inhospitably that his athletic director held a press conference to announce that Fuente was […]
›