The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has identified a cluster of COVID-19 cases among a specific department located in Jacobs Hall. A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as a minimum of five cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases. 

We are notifying the campus of this cluster per guidance under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, which establishes requirements regarding health and safety information that universities must share with their campuses. 

All individuals affected by the cluster have been notified. The individuals in this cluster have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring. We have also notified the Robeson County Health Department and are working with them to identify additional potential exposures. Contact tracing has been initiated with direct communication to anyone determined to have been a close contact with a positive individual. A close contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes. 

Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should immediately contact their health care provider or Student Health Services at 910.521.6219. 

The university will not broadly communicate details about individual positive cases, consistent with the State Human Resources Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as well as other privacy considerations. 

As part of the Fall 2020 plan, the university has been putting systems in place to identify, trace and isolate potential positive cases both on and off campus for our students, faculty and staff. Additional information is available at uncp.edu/covid.

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has identified a cluster of COVID-19 cases among a specific group of UNCP Dining (Sodexo) staff. A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as a minimum of five cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases. 

We are notifying the campus of this cluster per guidance under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, which establishes requirements regarding health and safety information that universities must share with their campuses. 

The individuals in this cluster have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring. We have also notified the Robeson County Health Department and are working with them to identify additional potential exposures. Contact tracing has been initiated with direct communication to anyone determined to have been a close contact with a positive individual. A close contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes. 

Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should immediately contact their health care provider or Student Health Services at 910.521.6219. 

The university will not broadly communicate details about individual positive cases, consistent with the State Human Resources Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as well as other privacy considerations. 

As part of the Fall 2020 plan, the university has been putting systems in place to identify, trace and isolate potential positive cases both on- and off-campus for our students, faculty and staff. Additional information is available at uncp.edu/covid.  

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has identified a cluster of COVID-19 cases related to the UNCP Wrestling team. A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as a minimum of five cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases. 

We are notifying the campus of this cluster per guidance under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, which establishes requirements regarding health and safety information that universities must share with their campuses. 

The individuals in this cluster have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring. We have also notified the Robeson County Health Department and are working with them to identify additional potential exposures. Contact tracing has been initiated with direct communication to anyone determined to have been a close contact with a positive individual. A close contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes. 

Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should immediately contact their health care provider or Student Health Services at 910.521.6219. 

The university will not broadly communicate details about individual positive cases, consistent with the State Human Resources Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as well as other privacy considerations. 

As part of the Fall 2020 plan, the university has been putting systems in place to identify, trace and isolate potential positive cases both on and off campus for our students, faculty and staff. Additional information is available at uncp.edu/covid.  

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has identified multiple COVID-19 cases within UNCP Athletics, specifically clusters related to the UNCP Football and Volleyball teams. A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as a minimum of five cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases. 

In response, the university has paused all practice and competition activities associated with football and volleyball for a 14-day period. UNCP Athletics has also proactively paused practice and competition activity for other teams or cohorts where cases have been identified. All teams allowed to continue activity are operating with a zero-tolerance policy with testing and screening protocols in place.  

We are notifying the campus of this cluster per guidance under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, which establishes requirements regarding health and safety information that universities must share with their campuses. 

The individuals in this cluster have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring. We have also notified the Robeson County Health Department and are working with them to identify any additional potential exposures. Contact tracing has been initiated with direct communication to anyone determined to have been a close contact with a positive individual. A close contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes. 

Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should immediately contact their health care provider or Student Health Services at 910.521.6219. 

The university will not broadly communicate details about individual positive cases, consistent with the State Human Resources Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as well as other privacy considerations. 

As part of the Fall 2020 plan, the university has been putting systems in place to identify, trace and isolate potential positive cases both on and off campus for our students, faculty and staff. Additional information is available at uncp.edu/covid

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has identified a cluster of COVID-19 cases related to the UNCP Track & Field team. A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as a minimum of five cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases.

We are notifying the campus of this cluster per guidance under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, which establishes requirements regarding health and safety information that universities must share with their campuses.

The individuals in this cluster have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring. We have also notified the Robeson County Health Department and are working with them to identify additional potential exposures. Contact tracing has been initiated with direct communication to anyone determined to have been a close contact with a positive individual. A close contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should immediately contact their health care provider or Student Health Services at 910.521.6219.

The university will not broadly communicate details about individual positive cases, consistent with the State Human Resources Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as well as other privacy considerations.

As part of the Fall 2020 plan, the university has been putting systems in place to identify, trace and isolate potential positive cases both on and off campus for our students, faculty and staff. Additional information is available at uncp.edu/covid.

Wednesday, October 7, 2020: Message to Faculty and Staff and Students

BraveNation,

Yesterday evening I sent an email informing you of a situation in Athletics involving approximately 35 student-athletes. Today, I am pleased to report all 35 student-athletes have been tested and there have been no positive COVID-19 test results returned. Though testing negative, those students determined to be a confirmed exposure will remain in quarantine following CDC guidelines. Thus, you will notice an increase in our quarantine capacity percentage used in this afternoon’s dashboard update.

Also in today’s dashboard update, you will notice two indicators of our success. We have had no new positive cases among students, faculty, staff or subcontractors since Monday’s report, and our number of active campus cases has decreased. Your hard work is paying off, and I urge you to keep it up for the remaining five weeks of class.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the absolute importance of following all protocols in place. As always, you can review COVID-related policies and procedures at uncp.edu/covid.

Monitoring Your Personal Health 

Monitoring your personal health is a critical way we can protect each other. If you feel unwell and are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, do not report to work or class. Faculty and staff, inform your supervisor immediately and contact your health care provider for additional instructions. Students, call Student Health Services at 910.521.6219 for evaluation and notify your professors of any class absence due to illness, whether COVID-related or not.  

COVID-19 Testing and Reporting 

When necessary (for symptoms or exposure), having a COVID-19 test and ensuring you inform the university are essential parts of our mitigation efforts. It is vital to our success for all faculty, staff and students to notify the university immediately after receiving a positive test result by emailing covid@uncp.edu or calling the COVID nurse at 910.775.4102. Your confidential health and HR information is directed only to a very small COVID team for campus response, follow-up and to offer support you may need.  

Practice 3 W’s and Campus Restrictions 

Continue to practice the three W’s—wait 6 feet apart; wash or sanitize hands often; and wear a face covering. Remember, our campus limitations on all meetings, gatherings and events are still in effect as are restrictions on university residence hall visitation. And, large gatherings remain prohibited both on- and off-campus. 

We all need to take our virus precautions seriously and understand that even the smallest interactions can have wide-ranging effects. We have worked too hard to be committed to our community health and safety standards for our success to be derailed so close to the end of this semester. Our collective success will be determined by each individual’s actions and adherence to all policies and processes in place. 

Sincerely,  

Robin Gary Cummings, MD 

Chancellor

BraveNation:

Last week, in compliance with NCAA guidelines, UNCP Athletics completed baseline COVID-19 testing of our student-athletes with a positivity rate of 0.7%. Subsequently, one of our Athletics staff notified us of a positive test result from their primary care provider. Because of the nature of the sport, and in an abundance of caution, we are taking aggressive measures to mitigate any potential spread of the virus. 

It is possible that a number of student-athletes on one team could have been exposed, leading campus health officials to proactively issue a quarantine order for approximately 35 student-athletes. All individuals have been tested for COVID-19, and results are pending. In addition, effective immediately, I have instructed Athletic Director Dick Christy to suspend all athletic activity associated with the specific team until further notice, for a minimum of two weeks. I understand this is a difficult decision to make for our student-athletes, but we remain first and foremost committed to their health and the safety of our campus for all faculty, staff and students.  

Due to the proactive quarantine order, you will notice an increase in our quarantine and isolation capacity in use in the coming dashboard update. We will continue closely monitoring all athletic and campus activity for the remainder of the semester and will take the necessary steps for the safety of our campus environment.  

Sincerely,  

Robin Gary Cummings, MD 

Chancellor

Wednesday, September 30, 2020: Message to Faculty and Staff and Students

TO FACULTY & STAFF

Faculty and Staff: 

Below you will find an email I have just sent to students with important updates. They, along with each of you, have worked so hard to remain on campus and help us slow the spread of COVID-19. Because of your efforts, we are cautiously optimistic about our ability to safely complete this semester on campus.  

Despite having a constant eye on COVID-19, the last few weeks at UNCP have brought some milestone accomplishments. I want to congratulate Dr. Liz Normandy and all those who contributed to our recent SACSCOC accreditation review. You all did a wonderful job representing our university, addressing all questions and working to plan for any follow-up. We understand the university is scheduled to be reaccredited in December 2021 with our current accreditation continuing until then.  

The University College recently completed its Transition Survey of our new students with a strong response rate of more than half. This survey is an important tool to identify how our newest students on campus are progressing in their first semester and what additional resources are needed for their success. In the survey, more than 87% of students indicated they already agreed or strongly agreed that UNCP was the right choice for them. This means your efforts in and out of the classroom to make our newest Braves feel at home, even in these unprecedented times, has had a tremendous impact. 

Just over a week ago, the Town of Pembroke announced they received a $5.2 million U.S. DOT grant for critical infrastructure improvements to downtown. This project, beginning in December, will safely connect the university to downtown and is estimated to be completed in two and a half years.  

The last six months have been like no other we’ve experienced. Our campus has learned, grown, and become stronger as a result of our shared experience. As we begin preparing for winter commencement and Spring 2021, it will be more important than ever to focus on our students with these lessons in mind. I thank you each for your hard work and dedication to our university, for what you have done and what you will do for our students.  

Sincerely,  

Robin Gary Cummings, MD 

Chancellor

---

TO STUDENTS

Braves: 

Like all campuses across the nation, this semester we’ve continuously evaluated our COVID-19 protocols to ensure those we have in place are working, and where necessary, we have adjusted. Today, we reported 11 active student cases, down from 32 two weeks ago. Our efforts will continue as we each work hard to keep our students, faculty and staff safe and thoughtfully consider our path forward. 

***  

WINTER COMMENCEMENT

I am excited to announce we have made the decision to hold an in-person commencement ceremony in November for our winter graduates similar to the one held in August. The drive-thru and virtual ceremony will give our newest alumni the opportunity to celebrate this significant milestone in person while honoring our state’s continued efforts to limit mass gatherings for health and safety reasons. More information will be available as plans are finalized in the weeks ahead. 

SPRING 2021 CALENDAR

With what we learned this semester and the positive campus trends we have seen in recent weeks, we will again provide face-to-face classes in Spring 2021. Much like fall, some courses may be offered online or in hybrid format. In addition, the Spring 2021 Calendar Committee has recommended some important changes to the schedule including a delay in the opening of campus by one week with the first day of classes on January 19 and forgoing Spring Break. The full revised Spring 2021 calendar can now be found at uncp.edu/springcalendar. 

TESTING

Following NCAA guidelines for collegiate athletic programs, UNCP student-athletes permitted to practice or compete have undergone baseline testing prior to participation. To date, 419 student-athletes have completed baseline testing, with three positive test results for a positivity rate among this population of 0.7%. Although I’m happy to report that we are continuing to see a positive trend in our active cases across campus, we must all continue our efforts for the completion of our semester. I am grateful to everyone, but especially to our students who have responded in such a focused way to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on our campus community.  

SLOWCOVIDNC APP

Supporting our campus testing and tracing efforts, I’m also pleased to announce a new app, SlowCOVIDNC, from the NC Department of Health and Human Services. SlowCOVIDNC works by proactively and anonymously notifying users of potential exposure to COVID-19 but does not collect or share personally identifying or location information. To learn more about SlowCOVIDNC and how it works, access the FAQs here. SlowCOVIDNC is available for free download on the Apple App and Google Play stores. 

FLU VACCINATION

While we continue to monitor COVID-19, we are also preparing for flu season. Getting a flu vaccination will not prevent COVID-19, but it can reduce the burden of flu illnesses and the impact on our health care systems. Getting your flu shot is more important this year than ever before. As a reminder, on October 5 and 14, Student Health Services, in collaboration with Walgreens, will be providing flu vaccines to faculty, staff and students in the Mary Livermore Library, Conference Room 212, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary, and the vaccine is free with insurance. 

CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT & RESOURCES FOR SUCCESS

Please know that this entire university is here to support you both in and out of the classroom. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the many programming activities available to engage in campus life safely, reach out to Counseling and Psychological Services if you need someone to talk to, or connect with your professors or advisor if you have any questions or concerns about your academic progression. The Division of Student Affairs and University College staff have a variety of resources and support available for you, all just a call or email away. As I have said many times, UNCP is a family and this family is committed to your success.  

***

We began planning last spring to make an on-campus semester possible this fall, and our progress to date is promising. I know this semester may not have been what each of you originally envisioned, but I am so proud of all you have accomplished.   

It will take the commitment of each of us to safely complete our goal this semester. We have worked so hard already, and we have come so far. I ask you to keep up the great work continuing to wear your masks, remaining six feet from one another, washing your hands and avoiding large gatherings. Now is the time to double our efforts to finish the semester strong and on-campus together. 

Go Braves! 

Sincerely, 

Robin Gary Cummings, MD

Chancellor 

Tuesday, September 8, 2020: Message to Faculty and Staff and Students

BraveNation:

I hope you had a restful and happy Labor Day. I wanted to take a moment to provide a few updates and reminders after the long weekend.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, we have 42 active COVID-19 cases, a decrease from 57 on Friday, and we’re using only 16% of our quarantine and isolation capacity on campus. These numbers are a positive trend for our campus, and I thank each of you for continuing to practice our safety standards over the weekend so we can maintain this great progress. When followed, the protocols we have in place are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and give us our best chance to complete this semester as planned. 

For the last several weeks, we have as a university cancelled all in-person sanctioned activities and events and encouraged them to be hosted virtually. Likewise, we’ve encouraged others to do the same with their events. We will continue to monitor and restrict all gatherings that are not critical to our academic purpose and mission. In this, we ask for your full cooperation to put the health and safety of your peers and continuing your education as the top priority. As we communicated last week, while the Governor has increased limits on mass gatherings, measures in place at UNCP will not adjust for the time being. 

We are also quickly approaching flu season, and I strongly encourage each of you to get your flu vaccination this year. While many of the measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 may also prevent the flu, getting a vaccination is more important than ever before to keep each other healthy. Student Health Services will hold events for flu vaccinations in October, but you can get yours starting before then using Vaccine Finder or contacting your primary care provider. 

Faculty and Staff can find information about flu shots from the State Health Plan at https://www.shpnc.org/employee-benefits/flu-shot-information.

We’re now a third of the way through Fall 2020 with just over two months remaining. As I’ve expressed many times, your actions are the deciding factor in the completion of our semester on campus. Please continue to wear your mask, social distance, wash your hands and avoid large gatherings. Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen many of you following our safety standards. I sincerely appreciate your efforts to keep our campus safe and healthy so you can have the educational experience for which you chose UNCP.

Go Braves!

Sincerely,

Robin Gary Cummings, MD

Chancellor

Thursday, September 3, 2020: Message to Faculty and Staff

Faculty and Staff:

As we near completion of the first third of our fall semester, I again wanted to thank you all for your hard work to get us to this point. I appreciate everyone who joined the Town Hall this afternoon. The recording will be available in BraveWeb shortly for your review. 

As we discussed this afternoon, on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, in partnership with the Robeson County Health Department, we hosted a free drive-thru COVID-19 testing site on campus. Thanks to RCHD, many campus and community volunteers, and the faculty, staff and students who participated, we administered more than 700 tests over the two-days—setting a record for RCHD testing sites to date. This was a particularly important opportunity for us to perform voluntary surveillance testing for our campus community.  I am pleased to report UNCP’s positivity rate is 4.36% (below the WHO-recommended 5% target.) In comparison, North Carolina’s most recently released positivity rate was 7.6%. 

As of today, we have 73 active student cases, down from 93 on Monday. Since August 3, 114 students have gone through their required period of isolation and have been cleared to resume normal activity. 

This by no means is an indicator that we can simply relax and let our guard down. While we have seen more recovered cases than new ones this week, we are still working hard to identify and isolate patients and perform contact tracing in partnership with local public health officials following CDC guidelines.

Importantly, we must each continue to do our part by wearing a mask, social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, washing our hands and closely monitoring our personal health daily. If we are each committed to these measures in place and to working together toward a common purpose, we can reduce the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in our communities across North Carolina.

Tomorrow, North Carolina will move into Phase 2.5 of our recovery plan. The Governor’s Executive Order provides for an increase in mass gathering limitations. As we discussed this afternoon, to build upon the hard work already underway on our campus, our limitations will not change from 10 indoors and 25 outdoors. Over the last two weeks, we have actively discouraged any gathering of any size, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation. To collaborate with UNCP, the Town of Pembroke's regular council meeting will be Tuesday night where they will discuss these same limitations. 

During this Labor Day weekend, I encourage you to keep yourself and your families safe while enjoying a well-deserved break. Please take a moment to review the CDC’s recommendations for staying safe while traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic if you are planning necessary travel.

Thank you again for the hard work to get UNCP to this point. Have a safe, happy and restful Labor Day weekend.

Sincerely,

Robin Gary Cummings, MD

Chancellor

---

Thursday, September 3, 2020: Message to Students

Braves:

As the Labor Day holiday approaches, I want to remind you how important it is to take precautions over the long weekend. We’re almost a third of the way through our semester, and your actions will directly impact our success going forward.

Nearly 500 students took advantage of the Robeson County Health Department’s free testing last week. More than 700 total tests were administered to faculty, staff and students in total. I want you to know our UNCP family had a positivity rate of 4.36%. The World Health Organization and other leading public health agencies accept that a positivity rate of 5% or less is an indicator of successfully managing community transmission of COVID-19. We are proud of this rate as it supports all the good work you are doing to protect yourself and others by following the three W’s. These efforts are vital to ensuring we can safely complete the Fall semester.

As you’ve heard, the Governor announced North Carolina will move into Phase 2.5 tomorrow at 5 p.m. The Governor’s Order provides for an increase in mass gathering limitations. In an effort to build upon our progress, UNCP will continue to limit mass gatherings to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. We are so appreciative of our students, faculty and staff who have refrained from hosting or attending any in-person meetings, events or gatherings over the last few weeks and ask for this trend to continue so we can collectively slow the spread of COVID-19. We’ve contacted the Town of Pembroke to observe the same limitations and this will be discussed at their Council meeting next week. 

Our processes and protocols in place have shown positive trends for our campus. While we saw a decrease in our active cases over the last few days, we cannot relax and let our guard down. Keep doing your part by wearing a mask, social distancing, avoiding large crowds, washing your hands and monitoring your personal health daily. If you have any concerns over the weekend, please contact Student Health Services at 910.521.6219.

Have a safe, happy and restful Labor Day weekend.

Go Braves!

Sincerely,

Robin Gary Cummings, MD

Chancellor

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has identified a cluster of COVID-19 cases in Pine Hall. A “cluster” is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as a minimum of five cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases.

We are notifying the campus of this cluster per guidance under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, which establishes requirements regarding health and safety information that universities must share with their campuses.

The individuals in this cluster have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring. We have also notified the Robeson County Health Department and are working with them to identify additional potential exposures. Contact tracing has been initiated with direct communication to anyone determined to have been a close contact with a positive individual. A close contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should immediately contact their health care provider or Student Health Services at 910.521.6219.

The university will not broadly communicate details about individual positive cases, consistent with the State Human Resources Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as well as other privacy considerations.

As part of the Fall 2020 plan, the university has been putting systems in place to identify, trace and isolate potential positive cases both on and off campus for our students, faculty and staff. Additional information is available at uncp.edu/covid.

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has identified a cluster of COVID-19 cases in Cypress Hall. A "cluster" is defined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as a minimum of five cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases.

We are notifying the campus of this cluster per guidance under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, which establishes requirements regarding health and safety information that universities must share with their campuses.

The individuals in this cluster have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring. We have also notified the Robeson County Health Department and continue working with them to identify any additional potential exposures. Contact tracing has been initiated with direct communication to anyone determined to have been a close contact. A close contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should immediately contact their health care provider or Student Health Services at 910.521.6219.

The university will not broadly communicate about individual positive cases, consistent with the State Human Resources Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as well as other privacy considerations.

As part of the Fall 2020 plan, the university has been putting systems in place to identify, trace and isolate potential positive cases both on- and off-campus for our students, faculty and staff. Additional information is available at uncp.edu/covid. 

BraveNation:   

We are now in the third week of our semester, and I’m proud to see the majority of our campus is abiding by our community standards and protocols which is critical to our success. As we move forward, I want to continue to emphasize that wearing a face covering and practicing social distancing can reduce the spread of COVID-19. 

The Governor's Executive Order mandates masks in NC where social distancing cannot be maintained, and we expect all students, faculty and staff to comply on-campus and off-campus. The UNC System President has given chancellors the authority to implement any additional protocols on our campuses if necessary. In the best interest of our university community, we are clarifying and strengthening our stance on the wearing of face coverings (or masks) with the adoption of a formal regulation. This new regulation can be found here.  

Wearing a face covering is required by the regulation, please see section 7.1 for actions taken against non-compliance. Below is a summary of the expectations in the face covering regulation. 

Until further notice, all faculty, staff, students, vendors, contractors and visitors at UNC Pembroke must wear a FACE COVERING THAT COVERS THEIR NOSE AND MOUTH while indoors—including in classrooms, libraries, auditoriums, hallways and meeting spaces. Face coverings are also required outdoors in situations where appropriate social distancing cannot be maintained. 

For clarification and expectations, please see the following examples: 

Examples of where face coverings are REQUIRED include the following: 

• All classrooms and instructional spaces (labs, simulation rooms, etc.) 
• Inside of any campus building 
• Any other public indoor setting unless an exception applies 
• In any university transportation or vehicles where others are present 
• Walking outside on campus or in an outdoor setting in the company of others where physical distancing isn’t possible 

Examples of where face coverings may be RECOMMENDED but NOT REQUIRED include the following: 

• Alone or with a roommate in a residence hall room 
• Walking alone outside on campus 
• Walking in an outdoor setting in the company of others where physical distancing is possible 

Examples of EXCEPTIONS to the face covering requirement include the following: 

• Alone in a private office 
• Alone in a vehicle 
• A medical condition that would prevent an individual from safely wearing a face covering (contact Accessibility Resource Center/Human Resources for accommodations) 
• Receiving medical services that require temporary removal 
• Running, playing a sport or exercising provided physical distance can be maintained 
• Actively eating and drinking (while maintaining physical distancing) 
• Teaching or addressing an audience if there is another barrier, such as plexiglass, and social distance can be maintained 

For us to continue our education in an on-campus setting, and as I have emphasized many times, it takes each of us. Please do your part on- and off-campus to stay healthy and safe, and to keep BraveNation’s faculty, staff and students healthy too. 

Sincerely,   

Robin Gary Cummings, MD

Chancellor 

 

 

BraveNation: 

Late this afternoon, we updated our COVID-19 Case Reporting Dashboard with the most recent numbers affecting campus. These numbers certainly are concerning, but I can share that very few cases, if any, are directly linked to the classroom environment. In partnership with Robeson County Health Department, we have confirmed a number of events that have occurred off-campus contributing to the increase in confirmed cases. 

Please know we are taking additional, aggressive measures with a zero-tolerance for those who choose to not adhere to our prescribed and clear expectations. In Athletics, these measures include cancellation of all close-contact Fall sports, including football and soccer. We will continue and increase our screening and assessment of student-athletes. Working with our coaches, additional education and awareness sessions are planned. Any UNCP Greek organization responsible for a large gathering will be sanctioned and potentially suspended from campus. We are also working to identify those responsible for any violation of the Governor’s prohibition on mass gatherings to take appropriate disciplinary measures. 

I want to reiterate clearly to each member of our campus community our chance of successfully completing this semester on campus is directly dependent on individual compliance with the rules and regulations in place. Moving forward, there will be clear and swift consequences for any violations. The town and university are strictly enforcing the ban on gatherings of more than 10 inside or 25 people outside both on- and off-campus. Per the Governor’s Executive Order, violations of this rule can result in a Class 2 misdemeanor. The university will also take disciplinary action through the Student Conduct process, including possible expulsion from UNCP. 

Our face-covering regulation requires all individuals on campus to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth at all times indoors, and outside where social distancing isn’t possible. Compliance is a condition of employment and enrollment. Regardless of where you are, always practice social distancing and remember a mask is not a substitute for social distancing. 

 

It is the often stated expectation that all students, faculty and staff closely monitor your personal health and immediately report any illness or symptoms to Student Health Services or your primary care provider. Our effective and comprehensive screening, testing and tracing system is no substitute for individual accountability and social responsibility. 

The success of this semester depends on each one of us complying with this guidance. You can help us flatten the curve and stop the spread of COVID-19. Your colleagues and peers deserve the opportunity to complete this semester on campus—and so do you. Please appreciate our role to protect everyone on our campus and the lack of tolerance for any individual or group who fails to respect that position. 

Sincerely, 

Robin Gary Cummings, MD 

Chancellor

BraveNation:  

Yesterday afternoon, UNC-Chapel Hill announced the decision to move all undergraduate courses to an online format following the reports of a number of COVID-19 clusters on their campus. UNC System President Peter Hans released the following statement shortly after.     

“The decision to adapt operations applies to UNC-Chapel Hill only because no other UNC System institution has reported information, at this time, that would lead to similar modifications.     

All students must continue to wear facial coverings and practice social distancing as part of their personal responsibility, particularly in off-campus settings. Taking personal responsibility and enforcing community standards are essential for the success of this semester and for protecting public health.  

Each campus is different, and I expect situations to evolve differently. In any circumstance, we will be grounded by reliable public health data and prevailing local health conditions. I will continue to stay in close contact with our chancellors and fully support their efforts to fulfill our core educational mission in safe learning environments.”   

As President Hans indicated, the modification applies only to UNC-Chapel Hill. UNC Pembroke will continue with our current operational status and is prepared to adapt our existing plans should the need arise. We are actively and closely monitoring the situation.    

It is critical that our students, faculty and staff remain committed to the community standards that are now in place regarding face coverings, social distancing, hygiene, gatherings, and other measures designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. This includes on- and off-campus behavior. Ignoring these measures has serious consequences.

I want to emphasize to our campus community that a mass gathering prohibition exists per the Governor’s Executive Order to no more than 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors. While there is an exemption for educational purposes, the university and the Town of Pembroke will be actively enforcing this rule for non-academic gatherings on- and off-campus. Any violation could result in disciplinary action through our Student Conduct process up to and including removal from the university.  

In addition, we have heard feedback about updating our case reporting dashboard each week and the desire to see more frequent updates. Beginning this Thursday, we will now update twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays at approximately 5 p.m.  

For those of you on campus, we can work together to complete our semester, but it will take all of us to do our part. Continue to wear your mask covering your nose and mouth when you are or could be around others, maintain an appropriate social distance from others, wash or sanitize your hands frequently, and most importantly, avoid large gatherings where social distancing is unlikely.   

Our success as a university family depends on the personal responsibility we take for ourselves and for one another.   

Sincerely,   

Robin Gary Cummings, MD  

Chancellor  

BraveNation,

We are sending you this notification as a requirement of the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act, which provides guidance on the health and safety information colleges and universities share with their campus. As we begin this semester, we want to remind you that COVID-19 is still present across our state, and it is important that we all take necessary steps to reduce the risk of transmission. The intent of this message is to remind you about UNC Pembroke’s COVID-19 resources and protocols for the fall semester.  

The full Roadmap to Fall 2020 outlining safety precaution and procedures to minimize the spread of the virus can be found at uncp.edu/covid along with additional information. 

COMMUNITY STANDARDS 

​It's important we do all we can to protect the health and safety of ourselves and those around us. Every student, employee and visitor to the UNC Pembroke campus is required to adhere to our community standards that promote a healthy and safe environment in order to study, work or visit the campus. 

The following health and safety standards have been adopted by our campus community.  

• Adhere to guidelines issued by all public health officials.  
• Facial coverings or masks that cover your nose and mouth are required on campus, in both buildings and outdoor spaces where physical distancing cannot be maintained.  
• Maintain physical distance, preferably 6 feet wherever possible.  
• No more than 2 individuals in a single elevator trip.  
• Practice good personal hygiene at all times including frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizer.  
• Properly clean all shared surfaces after use to protect others around you.   
• Monitor your own personal health and remain at home when you are ill. 
  
   

All students and on-campus employees are being provided with face coverings for use. Students received a COVID-19 self-care kit which includes face coverings, sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, a thermometer and educational information about COVID-19 and personal health. Individuals who would like to seek a consideration on the face-covering requirement or need additional accommodation should contact the Accessibility Resource Center.  

Many adjustments have also been made to physical campus spaces that promote a safe environment. For example, furniture has been removed from classrooms to help maintain physical distancing, plexiglass has been installed on most lecture podiums, signage has been installed to reinforce our community standards, and facilities operations have increased sanitization efforts of all spaces.  

 

HEALTH AND WELLNESS 

Before leaving home for work or study each day, all individuals should check for symptoms using the COVID-19 screening checklist. You can also click on “Self check symptoms” on the CDC’s COVID-19 home page to utilize their self-screening tool.  

The Roadmap to Fall 2020, Faculty and Staff Return to Work Guide and the Student Return to Campus Guide outline the responsibility of students, faculty and staff to carefully monitor their health every day before coming to campus. Please follow these instructions for your health and the safety of those around you. 

Anyone who is experiencing any symptom(s) indicated on the screening checklist or tool must not go to class or work and should self-isolate and immediately contact a health care provider. 

Student Resources and Testing 

Student Health Services has additional resources available for students and can perform COVID-19 testing per CDC guidelines. Please call 910.521.6219 for additional information or if you are having any symptoms.  

If a student tests positive, they should immediately contact Student Health Services to initiate care and contact tracing. More information about isolation and quarantine is available in the Roadmap and will be provided to students by Student Health Services. 

Employee Resources and Testing 

Environment, Health and Safety has additional resources available for employees. Employees who require COVID-19 testing should call their primary care provider. Southeastern Health Care Clinics in Pembroke and Lumberton offer COVID-19 testing, and you can also use NCDHHS’s Find My Test locator to identify a location near you.  

If an employee tests positive, the university must be notified using covid@uncp.edu. The Office of Human Resources will be in contact with the employee following notification. Please reference the instructions in the Roadmap for CDC guidelines on returning to campus and normal activity following a positive test result. 

COMMUNICATION 

The university’s COVID-19 resource page contains a collection of resources and information along with guides for employees and students detailing proper procedures for returning to and remaining on campus. These documents also detail what to do if you get sick or think you have been exposed to COVID-19. All campus messages and important operational updates are also shared to this website in addition to being emailed to the campus community.  

We have also added a COVID-19 Reporting Dashboard to this site that is updated each Monday at approximately 5 p.m. with the number of positive cases that affect campus. Our data, along with public health data provides a clear picture of the extent of virus spread. 

As a reminder, the university will not communicate broadly about individual positive cases, consistent with the State Human Resources Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as well as other privacy considerations. Individuals who have been potentially exposed to the positive case will be notified through the university’s contact tracing procedures. To protect the privacy and personal health data of faculty, staff and students, the university will only release non-identifying information about coronavirus cases on campus. If deemed necessary, the university may also consider releasing non-identifying information in specific circumstances or to specific groups should we experience clusters of positive results.

 

The university will continue to issue updates on operational status to the campus community via email regularly. 

BraveNation:  

Yesterday afternoon, UNC-Chapel Hill announced the decision to move all undergraduate courses to an online format following the reports of a number of COVID-19 clusters on their campus. UNC System President Peter Hans released the following statement shortly after.     

“The decision to adapt operations applies to UNC-Chapel Hill only because no other UNC System institution has reported information, at this time, that would lead to similar modifications.     

All students must continue to wear facial coverings and practice social distancing as part of their personal responsibility, particularly in off-campus settings. Taking personal responsibility and enforcing community standards are essential for the success of this semester and for protecting public health.  

Each campus is different, and I expect situations to evolve differently. In any circumstance, we will be grounded by reliable public health data and prevailing local health conditions. I will continue to stay in close contact with our chancellors and fully support their efforts to fulfill our core educational mission in safe learning environments.”   

As President Hans indicated, the modification applies only to UNC-Chapel Hill. UNC Pembroke will continue with our current operational status and is prepared to adapt our existing plans should the need arise. We are actively and closely monitoring the situation.  

It is critical that our students, faculty and staff remain committed to the community standards that are now in place regarding face coverings, social distancing, hygiene, gatherings, and other measures designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. This includes on- and off-campus behavior. Ignoring these measures has serious consequences. 

I want to emphasize to our campus community that a mass gathering prohibition exists per the Governor’s Executive Order to no more than 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors. While there is an exemption for educational purposes, the university and the Town of Pembroke will be actively enforcing this rule for non-academic gatherings on- and off-campus. Any violation could result in disciplinary action through our Student Conduct process up to and including removal from the university.  

In addition, we have heard feedback about updating our case reporting dashboard each week and the desire to see more frequent updates. Beginning this Thursday, we will now update twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays at approximately 5 p.m.  

For those of you on campus, we can work together to complete our semester, but it will take all of us to do our part. Continue to wear your mask covering your nose and mouth when you are or could be around others, maintain an appropriate social distance from others, wash or sanitize your hands frequently, and most importantly, avoid large gatherings where social distancing is unlikely.     

Our success as a university family depends on the personal responsibility we take for ourselves and for one another.   

Sincerely,   

Robin Gary Cummings, MD  

Chancellor