CHARLOTTE, NC – In order to maximize health and safety for teammates and students, Carolinas College of Health Sciences will continue in Phase 2 to begin the spring 2021 semester. In addition, eye protection will now be required in all lab and classroom spaces moving forward.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the college has taken a phased approach in order to reopen its campus while maximizing health and safety. The college’s top priority continues to be the health and safety of its students, faculty, staff and visitors. With that in mind, the college’s plan also minimizes academic disruption by aligning with the already-established academic calendar. The plan also prioritizes clinical and lab access, in keeping with the college’s tradition of providing real-life hands-on education for its students.
“I’m so proud of the way our students, faculty and staff have adjusted during these challenging times,” said T. Hampton Hopkins, EdD, president of Carolinas College. “We’ve maintained our high-quality education and made sure that our students who are graduating during this pandemic are prepared to jump right in to help on the frontlines.”
The reopening plan comes after the college’s Emergency Response Team moved quickly in March 2020 to transition all classes online and closed the building to students, visitors and the majority of teammates. Taking into consideration recommendations from state and federal leaders as well as recommendations from Atrium Health’s Emergency Operations Center, the college began its phased approach in May 2020:
Phase I: May 26 - June 14, 2020
Phase II: Current Phase
Phase III: TBD
Throughout all phases, students and teammates should self-monitor for two weeks before returning to campus for the first time. All students and teammates are asked to stay home if they are experiencing COVID-19-related symptoms and report all absences related to the disease. All student and teammate meetings will continue to be virtual throughout the reopening process. Steps will also be taken to ensure health and safety within the college’s physical campus, such as extra signage, new traffic patterns and extensive cleaning.
Additionally, the college’s Emergency Response Team and appropriate college committees will continue to monitor conditions and have the ability to adjust the reopening process as necessary.
For more information:
Justin Moss, Marketing Manager