CAMPUS CLEAR OUT: THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC PROMISES TO PROMPT UNPRECEDENTED CHANGE AT NORTH CAROLINA'S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

AuthorMiller, Harrison

The Coronavirus crisis created unprecedented disruption for the state's colleges and universities, requiring a rapid conversion from in-person instruction to alternative-learning methods. North Carolina reported its first case of the respiratory disease on March 3 and within eight days, the UNC System Board of Governors mandated the 17 campuses start teaching online. By March 23, fewer than 10% of students remained in student housing, and the system's roughly 250,000 students were attending lectures behind computer screens.

Many UNC courses are already taught online, which gave some experienced students and professors a leg up in the transition. But to help newbies, the system produced a 35-page guide assembled by dozens of faculty and administrators that included tutorials for planning lectures, teaching methods and vendor recommendations. It linked to how other U.S. universities are adapting, plus tips for time and stress management and how to work from home effectively.

Some have showed great creativity. Steven King, an associate journalism professor at UNC Chapel Hill, mailed virtual reality headsets to students to attend lectures in a virtual classroom he created. Appalachian State University's College of Fine and Applied Arts started an Instagram account, in lieu of its annual in-person Climate Stories Showcase, to show off student paintings, sculptures and theatrical performances.

The crisis has prompted dramatic changes in academics and admissions. UNC campuses switched to a "pass/fail" grading scale for both graduate and undergraduate courses, with no effect on students' grade point averages. Those earning a C- or above can receive a "satisfactory" mark and earn course credit.

The system also made it easier for students to get accepted, citing a shorter standardized testing schedule because of the crisis. Students with a minimum 2.5 weighted high school GPA or a combined SAT score of 1010 are now eligible to attend a UNC school. Previously, both minimum GPA and test scores were required.

The switch to online courses isn't changing tuition prices, though in-person classes have been more expensive. A traditional semester with nine to 11 credit hours at N.C. State University is priced at $3,412 for in-state students, versus $2,131 for nine credits online--a 60% difference, according to an April report by the Raleigh-based James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. "Many students who haven't taken online classes before might not even...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT