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Jay Smith, a history professor at UNC Chapel Hill, told Spectrum News, "Great relief was the initial impression."

But, he said, "It shouldn't have taken so many infections."

"It was very frustrating that it took this much hard evidence" to move classes online, Smith said. "This was the most predictable disaster in the history of disasters."

Sherryl Kleinman, who has lived in Chapel Hill for 40 years and taught sociology at the university for 38, told Spectrum News 1, "The UNC-CH plan falls far short of what is needed. The University cannot control the density of fraternity or sorority houses, those living in apartments in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and not even in dorms on campus."

She said she hoped university administrators would work with other campuses in the UNC System to return to all online classes and close on-campus student housing.

North Carolina remains in Phase 2 of Gov. Roy Cooper's reopening plan. New coronavirus cases around the state have been trending downward, but there are still almost 1,000 people hospitalized with the virus in the state as of Monday.