At UNC Asheville, more than 3,300 college students (plus nearly 750 faculty and staff) are wrapping up a successful fall semester. In addition to completing their coursework, students are earning major credit in the regional effort to combat COVID-19. With only 27 cumulative COVID-19 cases since July 1, the students, faculty and staff of Asheville’s University set high community expectations this semester based on a campus culture of compassion, mutual respect, and care for all. The nationally-ranked liberal arts institution has leaned into its student-centered approach this semester, taking on regional partnerships among public and private universities.
Throughout the semester, Student Health Ambassadors – a program across 6 higher education institutions in WNC, with the expertise of MAHEC, and supported by the COVID-19 prevention grant from the N.C. Policy Collaboratory at UNC-Chapel Hill – led the way, offering support to students, sharing best practices, and creatively engaging the campus in knowledge-based strategies to stay healthy and safe.
By the end of the semester, Student Health Ambassadors amassed 1,798 in-person and virtual support station hours at UNC Asheville (and that’s just from 45 of the 93 students hired in the role across WNC). Overall, the program shares knowledge with 22,000 combined students, faculty and staff.
With nearly one third of classes in-person, one third offered in a hybrid format of in-person + online, and one third remote instruction, the on-campus experience has also been robust. See more of this semester’s campus experience (where socially distanced doesn’t mean a lack of a social life) and read more about the team effort in athletics + unique classes that span the liberal arts and sciences.
As UNC Asheville concludes the fall semester – a special video commencement celebration was held on Nov. 21 – the school is launching into basketball season (on a screen near you). Read more about the work that’s been happening behind the scenes to keep student-athletes at the top of their game. UNC Asheville classes will be back in session on Jan. 19, and the Student Health Ambassadors will continue their work thanks to a spring grant from MAHEC. Go Bulldogs. 🐾
See yourself on campus this spring. Ⓟ
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