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Emails show faculty, health officials expressed concern over UNC-Chapel Hill's COVID-19 plan before August reopening - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham <br />https://abc11.com/unc-covid-nc-coronavirus/7029408/[10/19/20, 3:46:34 PM] <br />Following emails show campus leaders discussed and <br />reviewed the protocols on food delivery to isolated <br />students. <br />As local health officials pointed to continual concerns, <br />the UNC Board of Governors called for financial <br />impact reports from all chancellors. Emails show the <br />Board of Governors were consulting on the financial <br />impact of closing campuses and canceling fall sports <br />while requesting each chancellor reduce budgets by 25 <br />percent and 50 percent. <br />"This is not a request, this is a directive, and I want <br />each of you to respond to this email confirming that <br />you understand that you are to take no action until the <br />board and new President have met to make a decision <br />about how to proceed," wrote Randy Ramsey, UNC <br />Board of Governors Chairman on July 14. <br />Many faculty members expressed confusion over <br />whether UNC-Chapel Hill officials had the ultimate <br />power in choosing whether students returned to <br />campus. <br />"What was very unclear and what became more clear is <br />the extent to which the chancellor and provost were <br />making decisions within constraints from the UNC <br />System Office and so overtime that became clear that <br />they could not really make their own decisions. They <br />could make decisions within confines but not an all or <br />nothing decision about to reopen or not reopen," <br />Chapman said. "That was a constant negotiation that <br />was going on apparently and so I think that was <br />somewhat confusing to everyone because the system <br />was not necessarily taking responsibility for that." <br />UNC-Chapel Hill officials did not respond to the I-