Coronavirus Informational Updates

CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid (April 30, 2020)

Message from the Chancellor: Campus Updates and Fall 2020 Preparations (April 29, 2020)

NCCU COVID-19 Update: Summer Sessions 2020 Online (April 7, 2020)

NCCU COVID-19 Update: Grading Exception for 2020 Semester (Pass/Fail Option) and Revised Academic Calendar/Withdrawals Dates Due for COVID-19 (April 7, 2020)

NCCU COVID-19 Update: Refunds for Housing and Dining Fees

Dear NCCU Students,

An announcement was distributed to the campus community on Monday, March 30, 2020, regarding prorated reimbursements for housing and dining fees paid for the spring 2020 semester. Below are more details regarding the timeline and process for distributing refunds following guidance that has been provided by the University of North Carolina System to all institutions.

• North Carolina Central University will provide refunds for housing and dining to students by April 30, 2020; we are beginning this process immediately. Refunds will be posted to the student's account and provided as refunds, net of any outstanding bill due for the spring semester or the remaining balance of a payment plan. Hence, if there was a balance due on your account, the refund will be first applied to the outstanding balance and the remainder provided to the student.
• The refund may be returned to the student or parent, if the parent loan is the last payment applied.
• Refunds will reflect the prorated dates from March 21 through May 8, 2020, which equates to 49 days or 40 percent of fees for the spring 2020 semester.
• Student refunds will be based on each student’s residence hall and meal plan selection.
• All students who had housing or dining contracts will be eligible for a refund regardless of the source of funds used for payment (i.e., Pell Grant, scholarships, etc.).

Students who were granted exceptions to remain on campus in residence halls beginning March 21, 2020, will not be eligible to receive housing or dining refunds.

Questions related to refunds (once they are processed) can be directed to [email protected].  

Thank you for your patience as the university works to respond quickly to COVID-19. For updates, please visit www.nccu.edu/coronavirus.

NCCU Urgent COVID-19 Update

Dear NCCU Community,

North Carolina Central University provides emergency notifications to campus constituents as required by the Clery Act. We write today to inform you that university officials were notified on April 1, 2020, by a member of the NCCU community who resides off campus of a positive COVID-19 test result. This student reported off-campus contact with NCCU students. Of the students, two contacts currently reside on campus. These students are in isolation, and NCCU is working with public health and medical professionals to identify any potential contacts. 

As required, the university follows confidentiality guidelines and directives set forth in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We are working in concert with the guidance and response efforts of the federal government, the state of North Carolina and local authorities. This communication provides the required notification related to these events. We continue to take critical steps to protect the health and well-being of our community and its members.

Students who are ill or develop COVID-19 symptoms should contact the Student Health Center at 919-530-6317 or call your local healthcare provider immediately to seek guidance regarding appropriate treatment. Faculty and staff are directed to contact their physician.

More information is available online from the North Carolina State Department of Health and Human Services and the Durham County Health Department. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization also post regular COVID-19 updates.

NCCU administrators and the NCCU Pandemic Emergency Response Team are monitoring developments regularly and will continue to provide updates regarding COVID-19 via email or online at www.nccu.edu/coronavirus.

Please remember these essential guidelines related to virus prevention:

• Actively practice social distancing;
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth;
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash;
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces;
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; and
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Dear NCCU Community,

Today, the University of North Carolina (UNC) Board of Governors held a special call meeting, and UNC President Bill Roper has announced that UNC System students who paid for housing and dining will receive prorated refunds for the spring 2020 semester. NCCU administrators are working with the UNC System to develop a process on how refunds will be issued. We will provide additional information on the release of these refunds to students, parents, faculty and staff as soon as we have further information and guidance from the UNC System.

As a reminder, NCCU has established a Student Emergency Relief Fund. This fund is designated to support the highest, short-term financial needs to students currently enrolled at NCCU who are now facing extenuating circumstances related to housing, food and other vital resources. Apply online here by April 15, 2020: https://www.nccu.edu/forms/covid-19-fund-application.

We encourage our NCCU family to continue to heed the guidelines and orders issued by local, state and national health authorities as COVID-19 remains a health emergency worldwide. Be well and stay safe, Eagles!

In Truth and Service,

Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., Chancellor

Dear NCCU Community,

North Carolina Central University provides emergency notifications to campus constituents as required by the Clery Act. We write today to inform you that university officials were notified on March 26, 2020, by a member of the NCCU community, specifically an NCCU student, who self-reported a positive test for COVID-19, which the university is in the process of confirming with our public health partners. The student, who is self-quarantined off campus, is working closely with public health and medical professionals to monitor his/her progress. The student, who lives off campus, reported being in Eagle Landing Residence Hall on March 21, 2020; NCCU is working with public health partners to trace and notify potential exposures.

As required, the university follows confidentiality guidelines and directives set forth in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We are working in concert with the guidance and response efforts of the federal government, the state of North Carolina and local authorities. This communication provides the required notification related to these events. We continue to take critical steps to protect the health and well-being of our community and its members.

Students who are ill or develop COVID-19 symptoms should contact the Student Health Center at 919-530-6317 or call your local healthcare provider immediately to seek guidance regarding appropriate treatment. Faculty and staff are directed to contact their physician.

More information is available online from the North Carolina State Department of Health and Human Services and the Durham County Health Department. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization also post regular COVID-19 updates.

NCCU administrators and the NCCU Pandemic Emergency Response Team are monitoring developments regularly and will provide updates regarding COVID-19 and its impact on our community via email or online at www.nccu.edu/coronavirus.

We realize that this evolving crisis is concerning and encourage everyone to take care of their health and their family members.

Please remember these essential guidelines related to virus prevention:

• Actively practice social distancing;
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth;
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash;
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces;
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; and
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

NCCU will be transitioning all classes (undergraduate, graduate, certificate, professional) to online delivery effective Monday, March 23, 2020, following a one-week extension of spring break, until further notice. Courses that are currently online will continue to be delivered in that format. Courses that are currently being taught in face-to-face format will be moved to Blackboard. Delivery of instruction for courses with laboratory or clinical components is being evaluated, and updates will be disseminated to the campus by the Office of the Provost. Students are encouraged to check their university email multiple times each day. Each instructor should make a decision on how to deliver their course material through an appropriate means, as noted in the directive. The Office of Student Accessibility Services assists students with academic accommodations (919-530-6325 or [email protected]). 

Faculty should contact NCCU Faculty Den/Blackboard Office and Blackboard System Administrators at [email protected] for assistance, if needed. The Office of e-Learning has developed tools and resources to support all faculty in the transition to remote learning environments. To access these Academic Continuity e-Learning resources that include Instructional Community Drop-In Sessions, a Remote Teaching Prepared Checklist and Sample Student Email, visit https://www.nccu.edu/office-e-learning

Information Technology Services has provided a list of Remote Work Technology Resources. Please note: Students with limited access to the internet or computer access are strongly encouraged to contact their professor and department chair so the university can make the appropriate alternative accommodations.

A "Student Remote Learning Preparedness Checklist" is available here. 

James E. Shepard Memorial Library

Library Building Hours and Remote Services Hours

Due to the modifications happening on our campus in response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, the James E. Shepard Memorial Library will have modified hours and services. The modified hours are posted on http://web.nccu.edu/shepardlibrary/ and will be updated as things change throughout this rapidly evolving situation. 

For the safety of our staff and users, access to the James E. Shepard Memorial Library is restricted to current North Carolina Central University students, faculty and staff on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  You will be required to swipe your NCCU ID to enter the library.  We encourage you to reach out to us via chat, text and email, and we are also able to schedule WebEx sessions to assist you by request. Information on how to contact Shepard Library is posted at http://shepard.libanswers.nccu.edu/.

Chat: http://shepard.libanswers.nccu.edu/

Text Us: 919-799-2182

Email Us: [email protected]

Online/Remote Hours

Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. 

Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Sunday, 1 p.m.–8 pm. 

For subject-specific help, please contact your library liaison. You can find your liaison here: http://web.nccu.edu/shepardlibrary/about/liaisons.html.

An instructional support guide was curated for faculty and instructors to quickly access online materials of the James E. Shepard Memorial Library. You can access the guide here: http://shepard.libguides.nccu.edu/OnlineResources. Additional updates from North Carolina Central University about COVID-19 can be found at https://www.nccu.edu/coronavirus. 

NCCU Libraries: www.nccu.edu/library

Residential Students Must Vacate by Friday, March 20, Unless They Receive an Exception

The Department of Residential Life recognizes the steady news and updates regarding the COVID-19 status are impacting you as an NCCU student and community member.  You are receiving this message because our records indicate you are currently off campus during the spring break extended period. Based on guidance from the UNC System, NCCU is requiring all students to return to, or remain at, their permanent residences off campus. This means that residential students who were approved to reside on campus during spring break must depart, and those residential students who have not yet returned may do so only to retrieve all personal belongings.

Please read the information below carefully.

All residential students are required to leave the residence halls as soon as is practicable and no later than 5 p.m., Friday, March 20. Residential students who are unable to remove all of their belongings by Friday should keep their room key for when they return to pick up belongings at a later date. After Friday at 5 p.m., students may not return to collect any items left behind until directed. We will continue to monitor the development of COVID-19. If it is deemed safe by medical experts, we may be able to offer alternative dates to students.  As a reminder, the safety of our students and community is the top priority for our decisions.

Students who are unable to make it back to campus can leave their items in their rooms; all belongings will be secure.

We recognize that some students cannot go home (such as those from locations with travel restrictions or where studying remotely would not be feasible). Students who may have extenuating circumstances that require them to remain in campus housing must submit for an exception. Only students who secure an exception (which includes a health screening) from Student Affairs will be allowed to remain on campus past Friday, March 20.

• The university will review and grant a limited number of exceptions. Students who receive an exception to reside on campus are required to undergo a health screening. Click here to complete the Housing Exception Request Form; exceptions must be requested by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18. Criteria for exceptions are defined as follows:
  • Inability to travel to, or return from, permanent residence due to travel restrictions 
  • Lack of other available housing options
  • An unsafe domestic situation at permanent residence
  • Significant financial hardship
  • Presence required for in-person instruction (laboratory, clinical, practicum, internship, field experience, etc.) required for graduation.

Decisions on exceptions will be made as soon as possible. Students who receive an exception may be moved to a different location to remain on campus.

NCCU will continue to provide housing for students who genuinely cannot return home, along with modified dining services, although they will be required to engage in social distancing. Residential Life will reach out to any student approved to stay on campus with additional details.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to Residential Life at 919-530-7298 or [email protected]. Thank you.