It’s a common refrain among colleges in the age of COVID-19: they’re working closely with public health officials to help stem the coronavirus and preserve campus safety.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is no exception, where administrators said they have been in regular contact with the local health department in the run-up to relaunching in-person classes for the coming academic year.
That’s why it came as a surprise to some on the state’s flagship campus when university leadership declined to follow advice from the Orange County Health Department. In a letter late last month, it advised UNC-Chapel Hill to start the first five weeks of the year online, then evaluate the feasibility of face-to-face instruction.
