As an unusual fall semester begins its finish, UNC continues to reveal more plans for the spring 2021 semester.

The university released dates for five Carolina Student Wellness Days during the upcoming semester, which will be granted to aid students to provide respite during a semester with no traditional spring break period. UNC said faculty will be instructed to “avoid scheduling exams, quizzes and other major assignments” to students on February 15-16, March 11-12 and April 5.

The university also will have off Friday, April 2, as a university holiday.

UNC had previously announced a revised spring 2021 calendar in October, revealing plans to start the semester later than usual on January 19. University leadership also said change to the traditional spring break period was made to “limit any potential spread of the virus caused by travel during an extended break.”

UNC also recently revealed plans to have a limited student body back on campus. Officials expressed hope to bring back approximately 3,500 students to live in residence halls and Granville Towers during the spring semester, an increase from the 1,500 that have lived in the buildings since most of the student body left campus after several COVID-19 clusters appearing in August.

With final fall exams on November 24, the university also urged students to be cautious of preventing potential coronavirus exposure if leaving Chapel Hill. Ahead of a long winter break, university officials will extend hours for students to receive free COVID-19 tests in an effort to limit any spread caused by students traveling.

A message to the campus community on Thursday said students who are asymptomatic and are not considered a close contact to a positive individual can visit the Carolina Union for testing. Hours will be extended during the week of November 16, with free saliva-based testing for all on or off-campus students available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The university said symptomatic individuals and close contacts of positive cases should contact Campus Health separately to get tested.

“Taking a COVID-19 test is an important step in protecting your family and friends who you may be reunited with over the Thanksgiving holiday,” said Campus Health Director Ken Pittman in UNC’s message. “As you prepare to leave your residence halls, apartments and homes in town at the end of the semester, please make a plan to reduce your risk of being exposed to COVID-19 during the 14 days before you travel, monitor for symptoms and get tested before you leave.”

More information about UNC’s COVID-19 testing efforts for the campus community can be found on the Campus Health website.

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 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 […]
UNC Shares Details on Students' Required COVID-19 Test Ahead of Spring Semester
As the spring semester approaches in Chapel Hill, UNC is sharing information on what COVID-19 testing requirements students must meet before returning to campus. On its Carolina Together website, the university shared Prior to Arrival testing protocols for all undergraduate students enrolled for classes who will either live on campus, live in the surrounding towns, […]
UNC Confirms Student Death in Residence Hall 1 Week Before Classes Ended
While the UNC campus community is celebrating its last day of classes on Friday, details are emerging of a tragedy that took place one week before. A student death was reported in Thomas Ruffin Jr. Residence Hall on the morning of Friday, April 21, according to UNC Police’s crime log. WRAL first reported the student […]
Orange County Ends COVID-19 Testing Services After Nearly 3 Years
After nearly three years of offering PCR tests for COVID-19, the Orange County Health Department has officially halted its testing services.
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 […]
UNC to Automatically Register Employees for the COVID-19 Vaccine
With the news that all frontline essential workers are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning on Wednesday, March 3, UNC is communicating plans on how it will affect university employees. Group 3 includes “college and university instructors and support staff” as well as other front-line essential workers and researchers, as defined by the North Carolina Department of Health […]
UNC Leadership Says COVID-19 Testing Plans Could Make Spring Semester 'Successful'
UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz shared updates to the Board of Trustees on how students will be tested for COVID-19 when the spring semester begins.
Chatham County To Begin Holding Weekly, Free COVID-19 Testing Events
Weekly coronavirus testing events will soon be coming to the Chatham County community. The Chatham County Public Health Department is partnering with StarMed Healthcare and the state Department of Health and Human Services to host two recurring and free COVID-19 testing events each week. On Mondays, starting October 26, community members can receive either free […]
Chatham County to Hold Free COVID-19 Testing Event at Northwood High
The Chatham County community will have an additional way to be tested for the coronavirus on Thursday. The Chatham County Health Department alerted the community to a free testing event scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Northwood High School near Pittsboro. One of many similar testing events put on by local governments and […]
UNC Providing Emergency Aid, Internet Supplements to Students Amid Remote Semester
As many UNC students began the semester remotely, and even more transitioned to the method halfway through August, the university has been working to help. Students have received more than $12 million in special aid from UNC since the summer and the need continues into the fall. According to Director of the Office of Scholarships […]
›