UNC Faculty Council discussed COVID-19 policy updates, Project Kitty Hawk and campus mental health concerns at their Friday meeting.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Amy Johnson also announced the launch of the Heels Care Network, an online resource providing 24/7 support.
"This was the thing that we had said was going to be our big initiative and our public's presentation of fostering and extending this campus-wide culture of compassion and care that we want here at Carolina," Johnson said.
What’s New?
- The University recently signed a contract with Uwill, a teletherapy service focused on student mental health and wellness, Johnson said.
- The Heels Care Network was launched on Feb. 9 to provide mental health and well-being resources to UNC students, staff and faculty. The network will also provide links to 24/7 support and crisis prevention resources.
- The website includes various hubs students can access, including student peer support and care referrals. The network was created based on community feedback from the November Mental Health Summit.
- Chairperson of the Faculty Mimi Chapman said the Office of Faculty Governance is extending the nomination period for honorary degrees to be awarded in May 2023. The deadline will close on Feb. 21.
- "Your nominations are critical to the process," she said. "Please consider nominating individuals in your discipline or in your sphere that you believe are deserving of such an honor."
- Ronald Strauss, distinguished professor in the Adams School of Dentistry and outgoing executive vice provost, gave updates on COVID-19 on campus and potential new variants.
- According to Strauss, 94 percent of students and 93 percent of faculty are fully vaccinated. There have also been declining rates of students testing positive on campus, he said.
- “This is a vibrant moment for the epidemic, and it's definitely not the moment to declare any kind of victory," Strauss said. "The message for you is really I would say, let’s keep masking," Strauss said. "Let’s keep doing the things that have worked — let’s keep vaccinating people and providing boosters as needed.”
- The BA.2 subvariant —a new version of the Omicron variant — appears to be more transmissible than the omicron variant, Strauss said.
- Strauss said monoclonal antibodies are relatively ineffective against the sub-variant, so his team will be working on treatment availability and monitoring referrals. But young populations are generally not being hospitalized, he said.
- The Faculty Council also spoke about Project Kitty Hawk, an online learning initiative for working adults. The Board of Governors discussed the project at their meeting last month.
- Todd A. Nicolet, Vice Provost for Digital and Lifelong Learning, said that Project Kitty Hawk has received significant support from the legislature and Board of Governors in order to create an affiliated entity to work with various UNC institutions.
- “The educational attainment goal is to have two million North Carolinians complete a post-secondary degree or credential by 2030,” Nicolet said.
- According to Nicolet, programs supported by Kitty Hawk will be “off-the-model,” meaning it will not be a part of the traditional campus-based tuition model with allocation.
How did the committee start?
- The Office of Faculty Governance was founded at the same time UNC was established, where faculty make decisions regarding academic matters and serve as advisers to the chancellor and other administrators.
Who is on the committee?
- The UNC Faculty Council consists of 91 voting members. Mimi Chapman serves as the current chairperson of the faculty.
