Tune in to Focus Carolina during morning, noon and evening drive times and on the weekends to hear stories from faculty members at UNC and find out what ignites their passion for their work. Focus Carolina is an exclusive program on 97.9 The Hill WCHL, sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
On this week’s special edition of Focus Carolina, Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz shared an update on how the University is responding to COVID-19. Carolina Next: Innovations for Public Good, the University’s strategic plan, is the roadmap going forward. And the plan’s priorities remain the same.
“We have to take guidance from our state and local health officials,” said Guskiewicz. “We’re fortunate at Carolina to have some of the world’s most accomplished infectious disease experts at our school of public health and the school of medicine. Even our faculty in school of government and some of our other departments in the college of arts and sciences and economics and political science that are helping local government think about the ways in which we can restart the economy here in North Carolina and overcome some of the budgetary constraints and budget shortfalls that we may experience”
Carolina just completed its spring semester, summer school sessions will be taught through remote instruction and plans are underway for the fall semester.
“This is certainly not what we expected for our spring semester and for those graduating seniors. We’ve received almost 4,000 responses from the class of 2020 [after] asking how they want to mark this moment in their lives and we’re going to hold a commencement ceremony for them on campus here at the appropriate time. We’re looking at dates and September, October, a few dates in November. I remain optimistic we’ll be able to celebrate this amazing class of 2020.”
Guskiewicz said the University is taking guidance from experts about re-opening the campus in the fall. And other University experts are advising state government about restarting North Carolina’s economy.
Carolina was the top-ranked university in the United States for researchers fighting the virus, including work on an antiviral drug that could be a potential treatment for virus.
Featured image via UNC-Chapel Hill
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