Many colleges in North Carolina are scheduled to open in a few weeks as the start of another academic school year kicks off.
Gov. Roy Cooper recently announced that schools K-12 will be open for face-to-face learning under “Plan B.”
Plan B consists of six scheduling options for schools perWFMY News:
- Option A: Some students are on campus and others will take classes at home.
- Option B: Students will alternate days when students go to school by one day and by multiple days. At all grade spans, students could be divided into different cohorts attending alternating days on-site and off-site.
- Option C: This plan includes alternating weeks when students go to school by one week or by two or more weeks. At all grade spans, students could be divided into different cohorts attending different weeks on-site and off-site.
- Option D: Students would be doing half-day participation. Students would spend half the day on campus and half the day learning at home.
- Option E: Teachers at all levels would conduct class via video streams for the entire day. for Schools would have the option of deciding which students and staff are at home or on campus.
- Option F: Combination of options from above based on all local needs. Certain courses and content would be done off-site while others would be done on-site.
School districts can opt for "Plan C" which is the distance learning option. This option would carryover the same format of teaching from the 2020 spring semester.
Under North Carolina guidelines, schools districts may choose to create and use a Plan with more restrictions but may not implement a Plan that lessens restrictions mandated by the NCDHHS, NCSBE and NCDPI.
To read more information on North Carolina's school plans, click here.
Most universities are implementing hybrid schedules where students can have face-to-face instruction and distance learning classes. Students also have the option to do distance learning for the entire school year.
According to N.C. A&T, measures being taken include:
- Designated isolation units for students who test positive for COVID-19
- Distance learning option for the entire school year
- Providing masks and sanitation stations throughout the school
- Double dorm rooms are being converted into single dorms or people who are immuno-compromised can request single rooms
Wake Forest, Duke, N.C. State and N.C. Central stated on their websites identical measures along with their own policies set in place for their campuses.
North Carolina was scheduled to begin Phase 3 on July 1, it has since been postponed twice by Gov. Cooper.
“It's clear that our numbers will keep us from moving ahead to the next phase of easing restrictions," Cooper said in a June 25 announcement.
On July 14, Gov. Cooper said that he hopes Phase 3 will begin on the new scheduled start date of August 7.
On June 25, North Carolina ranked 14th in the U.S. in COVID-19 cases. They now rank 10th with 114,338 cases as of July 27 per the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
