The closings mark the latest blow to a campus that has had building problems dating back several years.
Millions of dollars of bond money have gone to N.C. Central to help with repairs. But it has not been enough.
School officials say leaky plumbing and a faulty air-conditioning unit have combined to help create the moisture for mold to grow.
The school already was planning to house 400 students in hotels around Durham. But now it has to place the 500 students who were supposed to move into the two dorms, which could cost the school an extra $250,000.
"It'll be tiring," said student Mikkia Sammons, who will be housed in a hotel miles from campus. "I'll have to get up early. I have an 8 o'clock class, anyway. The shuttle starts at 7, so I will have to get up early."
The affected dorms, referred to as Buildings 1 and 2, are little more than three years old, built back in 1999. They were in use all summer, but school officials didn't notice the mold problem until just days ago when staff started moving in for the start of school.
School officials believe the health risks are severe enough to shut down the buildings.
Officials said the mold in the buildings could cause flu-like symptoms.
The library also is experiencing a problem with mold. But the school has been in touch with an enviromental firm to come in and clean the two-thirds of the 563,000-volume collection that has been affected by the mold.
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