Provost's Weekly Roadmap Implementation Update - Carolina Together : Carolina Together

Dear Carolina Community,

The first day of classes is just over a week away, but the beginning of the semester can be seen across campus and with it the steps we are taking together to keep one another safe. Housing move-in has begun for staff and begins for all residents on Monday, the Carolina Union has opened, the library will transition to limited open areas on Monday, and more faculty and staff are working from campus.

Our Community Standards and University Guidelines, or put simply Know your W’s, make this increased activity on campus possible. We don’t just expect faculty, staff, students and visitors to wear a mask, wait six feet apart, and wash your hands often; it is a condition of being on campus.

The Roadmap Implementation Team has been meeting daily since mid-June, working with a team of administrators and the leaders from across campus who have been articulating the important goals of the Roadmap such as testing and tracing, modes of instruction for our courses, and campus housing. Since the decision was made on May 21 to begin fall classes on August 10, the implementation team has guided the Roadmap updates detailed in these weekly messages.

The input and participation of the Carolina community has been critical to the Roadmap for Fall 2020, and I want to assure you that we are committed to equality and equity in the voices that are included in these discussions. Our commitment to safety and the well-being of all members of the campus will not end when classes begin. The implementation team will continue its work and I look forward to hearing from you as we begin the fall semester.

Classroom Spaces
Carolina’s students and instructors will be learning and teaching in more than 300 spaces this fall, including some non-traditional locations. These spaces have been reimagined to support compliance with University Guidelines and Community Standards. Facilities Services and the classroom operations team created this video to walk through the biggest changes you’ll see this fall. For detailed information, Facilities Services is maintaining Classroom Building Guidelines on its website and will be adding updates including images of wayfinding signs and classroom configuration. Please watch this video for a helpful guide on how to navigate buildings this fall.

Indoor Spaces
Under normal campus operations, each campus building is open on a schedule appropriate for the building and the students, staff, and faculty using the building. As part of the University’s response to COVID-19, classes have been scheduled in rooms where classes are not typically held. To ensure that all faculty, staff, and students have access to campus buildings, every building will open at 7:30AM and close at 8:30PM Monday through Friday. These hours will go into effect on August 3, 2020. This is a temporary measure for Fall 2020 and exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Building managers should use this form to request an exception.

Community and Visitors
We have appreciated the collaboration between the University and Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County and deeply respect the historic and symbiotic town and gown relationship that we share. I have also been providing regular updates to town representatives and council members. We are responding to several of the most frequent questions we’ve received by creating a dedicated section on Carolina Together for community members and visitors to campus.

Campus Map
Working with UNC Creative, we have used Google Maps to build the Carolina Together Campus Map with points of interest tied to the Roadmap:

Locations where masks are available for students
Locations where additional outdoor seating will be available for dining or studying
Locations of food trucks

We will also be adding locations of classroom space that will be available as study space for students in between classes. This map is available on Carolina Together and the CarolinaReady app.

Student Health Insurance
Most eligible students are required to have health insurance coverage. Carolina Away or other 100% remote students (6+ credits as undergrad, 1+ as grad/professional student + in a degree seeking program) do not have to meet the health insurance requirement but are eligible for enrolling in Student Blue. This is a change for Fall 2020 that is now being more clearly communicated. Visit this Campus Health website for more information.

Student Acknowledgement
As an important reminder, students, whether studying on campus or remotely, must agree abide by our Community Standards and University Guidelines by completing the acknowledgment on ConnectCarolina. Agreeing to the acknowledgement is required in order to participate in classes this fall.

Dining and Housing
To provide maximum flexibility, all Meal Plan participants may cancel their dining contract for any reason and without penalty through Aug. 2, 2020. Beginning Aug. 3, 2020 (the first day Meal Plans begin) student-initiated Meal Plan cancellations will be accompanied by the standard cancellation costs set forth in the Carolina Dining Services Meal Plan Policies. If you wish to cancel your dining Meal Plan, visit onecard.unc.edu, select “One Card Login” and log in with your ONYEN and password, and then click on “Drop Meal Plan.”

As a reminder, All residential students may cancel their housing contract for any reason and without penalty through August 2, 2020. Beginning August 3, 2020 (the first day of move-in), student-initiated contract cancellations will be accompanied by the standard cancellation costs. Visit housing.unc.edu for more information.

Testing, Tracing, Isolation and Quarantine
We have provided additional details on Isolation and Quarantine for students with definitions for the difference between isolation housing and quarantine housing. Consistent with CDC guidance, isolation is for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19, while quarantine is for those who have been in close contact with a positive COVID-19 case. Housing is providing isolation and quarantine space for residential students in Parker and Craige North residence halls. Campus Health will work with individual students to determine the most appropriate location for quarantine and isolation for off-campus cases. Robust plans are in place to assist with food, medicine, health care and academic accommodations.

The University is developing a UNC-Chapel Hill COVID-19 dashboard that will be available to the public. This dashboard will serve as a source of information for us to remain updated on COVID-19 data related to our campus, local and state communities. The dashboard will help inform our decision making related to campus operations and possible off-ramps in consultation with the UNC System and local health officials. It will include metrics related to the following categories: