CAMPUS

8/27/2020 7:33pm

DTH Photo Illustration. With online classes forcing unfamiliar working habits and adding a new level of stress, UNC hopes a switch to a pass/fail option for all undergraduate classes will ease that stress.

University extends pass/fail option for the fall semester, suspends Dean's list

By Evely Forte

The University expanded its pass/fail option for all undergraduate courses as an alternative to earning a letter grade for the Fall 2020 semester. Students have until Nov. 17, the last day of classes this semester, to elect the option for a course. Courses will receive one of three grades: pass, low pass or fail. Grades of C-, D+ or D will be converted to a Low Pass and cannot be used for graduation requirements, according to the message. Because of the shift in grading policies, the University will suspend the Dean’s List and the class rank for the fall semester.

8/26/2020 1:49am

A DTH Photo Illustration. A row of dominoes falls over one by one.

UNC ignites ‘domino effect’ for universities across the country to move classes online

By Heidi Pérez-Moreno

It’s been about a week since UNC-Chapel Hill announced undergraduate classes would go online after reporting several COVID-19 clusters. Since then, colleges and universities across the country have either delayed the start of in-person classes or moved the fall semester entirely online after reporting similar cases. “UNC was the first domino — the very first domino to fall,” said Bryan Alexander, a higher-ed thinker and futurist who teaches graduate seminars at Georgetown University. “When we saw UNC fall off the map, it was very much, ‘When is this going to happen to us?'” Michael Dugan, a student senator for Dillon Hall at Notre Dame, said.  “A lot of students are just prepared to pack up and leave if need be,” said Thomas Shults, a broadcast and digital journalism senior at Syracuse who is living off campus this semester.

Editors Picks

8/21/2020 1:31am

DTH Photo Illustration of a series of emails from UNC administration concerning COVID-19 and fall's reopening plan.

Records from before reopening show experts warned UNC of COVID-19 outbreaks

By Elizabeth Moore

Documents obtained by The Daily Tar Heel unravel the discussions and predictions issued to UNC before the announcement of the fall 2020 roadmap reopening plans.  Health experts predicted outbreaks of COVID-19 on campus.  UNC administration was in communication with leaders at other universities, also working on its plans for reopening for the fall 2020 semester.  “There are several other AAU schools about to do the same. I think we will be in like with many other universities. I think we will have one of the best roadmaps to help guide us," Guskiewicz said in an email on May 27.