On May 29, NC State’s Department of Registration and Records sent an email to students, faculty and staff, outlining additional updates made to the Fall 2020 plans concerning the academic calendar and classroom safety due to COVID-19. According to the email, the changes were made with the Academic Calendar Task Force. 

The fall semester will end before Thanksgiving break, with the last day of classes for the regular session on Friday, Nov. 13. Final exams will be held Nov. 16-20, with no reading day, and exams will have a maximum time limit of 2.5 hours. An adjusted final exam schedule has not yet been posted, but will be released in the coming weeks, the email stated. 

NC State classes will be held and offices will remain open on Labor Day, Sept. 8, and the university will forgo fall break, which was previously scheduled for Oct. 8 and 9. Plans for commencement have not yet been announced, and will be released at a “later date,” according to the email.

Classes for the fall semester are set to be held in-person. Changes that classrooms will incorporate include: 

• Reduced class sizes to allow for appropriate social distancing

• Moving larger classes online or using hybrid delivery methods

• Upgraded classroom technology for improved recording and distribution of lectures

• Installation of physical barriers in front of lecture podiums when appropriate

• Increased sanitation efforts, including regular classroom cleanings and accessible hand sanitizing stations

The university will “strongly encourage” mask usage in public spaces in order to lower health risks, according to the email. NC State has procured over 1 million masks, with more set to be delivered throughout the school year, which will be distributed as the campus community returns. 

More information and updates on the university’s response to COVID-19 can be found on the NC State website.