UNC Responds to Chapel Hill Offcials’ Letter, Affirms Public Health Enforcement Measures

UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and Provost Bob Blouin penned a letter to Chapel Hill town officials on Wednesday to share the university’s response to the spread of COVID-19 among students.

Hours before the university announced it would shift back to an exclusively remote learning model on August 17, the Chapel Hill Town Council sent a letter to UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC System leadership. It voiced concerns of increasing coronavirus cases within the community, referencing reported clusters and students failing to follow public health guidelines, and said an outbreak could result in “irreversible and lasting repercussions.”

Since then, the university has reported more than 500 new cases among its campus community, as clusters appeared in residence halls and Greek life houses. UNC’s shift to remote learning addressed some of the town council’s concerns, as it requested many students return home and mass tested several dorms experiencing positive cases.

In Thursday’s response to the letter, Guskiewicz and Blouin laid out ways UNC is working to continue public health enforcement of its students still living in the Chapel Hill community.

“Both as administrators and as residents,” said the university leadership, “we are very aware of the concerns felt by our neighbors and other local residents over the potential spread of the virus among our citizenry. The health and well-being of those who live in our community remains a top priority for the University.”

The letter cites increased communication between UNC officials, its office of Student Affairs and the Chapel Hill Police Department as a strategy for enforcement of community health standards. The partnership allows the university to receive notice and documentation of off-campus offenses that result warning or citations made by law enforcement to students. The university then responds to students and, depending on the severity of the violation, takes action to restrict university resources.

“Students who fail to live up to the agreed upon expectations by blatantly disregarding state and local public health orders and our Community Standards on or off campus are subject to a range of outcomes as determined by local ordinance and the University,” wrote Guskiewicz and Blouin. “We have dealt with, and are dealing with, several dozen cases arising from conduct on and off campus.”

Chapel Hill Police officers issued citations to four UNC students on Monday for violating state and county gathering orders amid the ongoing pandemic. According to the university, administrative action from written warnings, to restriction campus facility access and disenrollment from UNC are punishments for individual offenders.

At the end of their letter, the chancellor and provost said they wish the Town of Chapel Hill can still view the university as an asset to the community.

“We have learned a lot over the past month and want to assure you that we are taking these matters seriously,” reads the message, “and will continue to listen to your suggestions about how we can strengthen our community.”

The full letter from UNC leadership to the Chapel Hill Town Council can be found on the university’s Carolina Together website.

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