Wilmington-area education leaders prepare for challenges of reopening campuses

What will the campuses of UNCW and CFCC look like this fall? Will K-12 students have more remote learning days? How are educators preparing for the new challenges brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic?

While no definitive answers are yet available, officials are hard at work with hopes of students returning for the fall semester.

UNCW

Chancellor Dr. Jose Sartarelli said the goal is to have a recommendation for action in place by early June, using guidance from a team of faculty, staff and students, as well as a health-care advisory group.

According to a release on the UNC System website from April 29, Interim President Bill Roper said he expects to reopen campuses for the fall semester and is working closely with chancellors to chart a course forward. While some restrictions may be implemented for the entire system, schools will have the opportunity to tailor plans to their own situations.

“Our chancellors will have flexibility to determine what local steps they need to take to protect all students, faculty and staff, especially high-risk populations, both on campus and off,” Roper said in the release. “They will have the ability to put unique precautions in place.

According to Sartarelli, the university is looking very carefully at dorms, classrooms and labs to ensure social distancing. Extended hours for lunch and dinner will most likely be added in order to accommodate less individuals at a time in dining halls.

Smaller class sizes will also be a possibility. Modular units that were used during recovery from Hurricane Florence could become an option to allow more classroom space. Both regular testing and contact tracing also will be implemented.

“It is going to require from an operation standpoint more people,” Sartarelli said. “More people to help us organize and arrange this as well as making sure people follow the rules. The biggest challenge in putting together protocol is, how do you make sure in a nice, positive way to get them to follow it? ... We are going to be doing everything possible to have an environment on campus that is safe and healthy.”

CFCC

According to an email response from Dr. Jason Chaffin, vice president for academic affairs at Cape Fear Community College, the upcoming summer term will begin May 26, with online instruction for all classes. Limited on-campus instruction resumes on June 15 for programs and classes that have critical, hands-on learning experiences that are more difficult to facilitate online.

“We will implement appropriate measures for social distancing, provide personal protective equipment, and ensure that our instructional spaces are disinfected frequently,” Chaffin wrote.

CFCC will also rely on guidance from local and state agencies. According to Chaffin, the school is considering a number of approaches.

“These options could include offering more blended classes that meet occasionally in person but have the majority of instruction provided online,” Chaffin wrote. “Another option we are considering is offering more open-lab opportunities that will let students utilize our technical instructional spaces in smaller numbers in order to get valuable hands-on experiences while also maintaining social distancing.”

K-12

All North Carolina public school institutions are required to begin the school year on Aug. 17 and districts are in the early stages of preparing for students to return. The legislation also mandates that schools close no later than June 11.

The number of instructional days has increased to 190, including five remote days that cannot be scheduled prior to Aug. 24. Additional remote dates could be added for a declared emergency or disaster of five or more days. Many districts have been using calendar committees to help determine when those days should take place.

According to New Hanover County Schools Interim Superintendent Del Burns, the district has taken steps to order close to 30,000 washable, reusable masks to have on hand in case they are required for students and staff upon their return.

“We continue to be deliberate and thoughtful in gathering as much information as we can and to not try to speculate,” Burns said. “We’ve involved as many folks as we can to make the best decisions possible and continue to work with public health.”

Click here for complete coverage from the StarNews’ Rebuilding America special report.

Here are some possible changes for students at UNCW (and potentially other UNC system schools) for the fall semester

Classrooms set up for social distancing

A mixture of in-person and remote instruction

Extended dining hall hours to allow fewer individuals in at once

Use of COVID-19 testing and contact tracing

What to expect on campus