ECU to move undergraduate courses online for fall semester
East Carolina University will move undergraduate courses online for the remainder of the fall semester, beginning Wednesday, Aug. 26, Interim Chancellor Ron Mitchelson announced today.
Undergraduate classes are suspended Monday, Aug. 24 and Tuesday, Aug. 25, while students and faculty adjust to the change in the semester schedule.
Professional and graduate courses will continue as they are currently operating. Students in experiential learning courses will continue as scheduled.
During the summer, ECU officials have continuously monitored the number of positive cases and rate of infection among students and prepared for the return of students to campus. Fall classes began at ECU on Monday, Aug. 10.
“This decision to move online for the fall semester was not made lightly,” said Mitchelson. “We are appreciative of the ongoing support and approval of our plan to move forward by UNC System President Peter Hans and public health experts. We believe this decision is best for the well-being of our entire campus community.”
Mitchelson added: “As I have said during the planning for the Return of Pirate Nation, I believe that we achieve our mission – student and regional success – at much higher levels when we can operate in person and with face-to-face engagement. However, ECU is a nationally recognized leader in distance education making us well positioned to make this shift.”
University residence halls will begin move-out this week with the conclusion on Aug. 30. The university will work with international students, student athletes and hardship cases who apply to continue to live on campus.
The university will offer prorated refunds for students for campus housing and dining. Students will receive detailed information regarding this process in messages to their email accounts.
Also, the deadline for withdrawal from academic courses without financial penalty for all courses offered in the first 8-week block will be extended until 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. Withdrawal without financial penalty from 15-week courses remains Sept. 4.
At this time there is no alteration to the existing athletic calendars beyond those already established and announced.
“Quite clearly this is a difficult time for all of Pirate Nation,” Mitchelson said. “No Pirate can feel good about the sequence of events that we have coped with since March. If ever there was a time for Pirate Nation to come together and to support one another, it is now. If ever there was a time for us to care for one another, it is now. If ever there was a time for Pirates to be compassionate, it is right now.”
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