GREENSBORO, N.C. — NC State announced all undergraduate classes will be shifted to online learning for the fall semester. University leaders pointed the finger directly at students who refused to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.
On Thursday, the university reported more than 500 students have been quarantined or isolated because they have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive. NCSU officials said the rising number of cases have been traced to large parties in off-campus apartments and Greek Village houses.
"Battling the spread of COVID-19 is a challenging endeavor even when everyone is practicing safety measures. Unfortunately, the actions of a few are jeopardizing the health and safety of the larger community," NC State chancellor Randy Woodson said.
In just the last two days, three coronavirus clusters have been identified at Greek Village houses that the university traced parties which broke NC State's community standards and North Carolina's governor mandates.
The decision to revert to all-online classes is viewed as a disappointing, but necessary step.
"I want to sincerely offer my thanks to the majority of our students who have taken personal responsibility for helping to protect the Pack and prevent the spread of COVID-19," Woodson said. "To best protect the health and safety of the entire campus community, we are making difficult decisions and implementing the following changes to campus operations."
The majority of NC State's classes were already online. The remaining in-person and hybrid classes will shift to fully online beginning Monday, Aug. 24.
Students will be allowed to stay in on-campus housing for the semester, but the arrangement is subject to change, university officials said.
"We’ll continue proactively monitoring the virus with the hope of keeping on-campus housing open throughout the semester. Of course, we’ll change direction if needed in order to protect our students and staff," Woodson said.
NC State is making provisions for those who do not want to live on-campus. Students are allowed to cancel their university housing contracts with no penalty and will be reimbursed the prorated amount for housing and dining based on the number of days they lived on campus.
"We understand that these changes may be frustrating for some and a relief for others," Woodson said. "Know that the top priority in every decision that we’ve made – and the ones we’ll make in the future – is to keep our community safe and well."