This email was sent to the leaders of Durham neighborhood organizations from the Office of Durham and Community Affairs.

Dear neighborhood presidents,

As neighbors of Duke, many of you have received some communications from Duke Student Affairs about student move-in beginning today, Friday, August 7. I am writing to share some additional details about steps Duke is taking to safeguard community health and make sure our neighbors know how to reach Duke with any concerns.

Duke is taking community safety very seriously, and this school year will look different than any other in the past, not only because fewer people are on campus but also because there are new expectations related to behavior. To start, all students, faculty and staff must sign The Duke Compact, which is a pledge to safeguard community health through key behaviors and adhere to local and state ordinances. Expectations specifically for studentsare housed in the Duke Community Standard, and this year there are also COVID-specific which have some additional restrictions. You can read the message outlining additional student expectations from Dean of Students John Blackshear and Jeanna McCullers, Director of the Office of Student Conduct.

Some specific changes include:

  • Spreading student move-in over two weeks to ensure students, staff, and families can maintain safe distancing.
  • Limiting the student population on campus and in Duke residences to primarily first-year and sophomore students.
  • Requiring and providing COVID-19 testing of all residential students before moving in.
  • Establishing processes to immediately and safely quarantine and provide medical, educational, and wellness support to any student in a Duke residence that tests positive.
  • Requiring daily symptom monitoring and health checks for all students, faculty and staff returning to campus.
  • Requiring masks in all public spaces, social distancing of 6-feet, and frequent handwashing.
  • With regard to Duke trails such as Al Buehler and the Duke East Wall, Duke is following Durham’s Safer at Home order, which does not require masks while exercising or walking outdoors as long as you maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others.
  • If you are planning to visit the Duke campus, get more information at https://returnto.duke.edu/campus-visitors/
  • Supplying face coverings, hand sanitizer, and other protective materials for students, faculty, and staff on campus.
  • Limiting gatherings to 10 people indoors and outdoors, on- and off-campus, at all times for increased safety.
  • This is more restrictive than the city’s stay-at-home ordinance which limits gatherings to 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors.
  • It should also be noted that Duke has banned all in-person Duke-sponsored events on- and off-campus.

You can read details about how Duke is preparing for the new semester at returnto.duke.edu.

If you have any concerns or observe students whose behavior does not adhere to these policies, please call the Duke “Speak Up” reporting line at 800-826-8109, option 3, or email conduct@duke.edu, which goes to the Office of Student Conduct in the department of Student Affairs. Submissions by phone and email will be sent to the appropriate department for follow up. Students whose behavior is found to be in violation of Duke or state/local standards will go through the Duke student conduct process.

Duke is working closely with Durham City and County to ensure our safety protocols remain aligned with local and state ordinances and respond swiftly to changing conditions. Duke is also involved in several important public health initiatives regarding COVID-19 including the Pandemic Response Network, Latinx outreach, and partnerships with local school districts. You can read more about Duke’s research and other efforts related to the coronavirus on our news site.

Finally, we invite you to stay connected with all that is going on at Duke by signing up for our daily email, The Duke Daily.

Sincerely,

Mayme & team