This message is being sent to all Duke undergraduate students.

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Dear students, 

Effective at midnight, Saturday, March 13, all Duke undergraduate students are required to stay-in-place until 9 a.m., Sunday, March 21. This message supersedes all previous messages.

This action is necessary to contain the rapidly escalating number of COVID cases among Duke undergraduates, which is principally driven by students attending recruitment parties for selective living groups. Over the past week more than 180 students are in isolation for a positive COVID 19 test, and an additional 200 students are in quarantine as a result of contact tracing.  This is by far the largest one-week number of positive tests and quarantines since the start of the pandemic.

We will continue to monitor the situation and will share an update on Thursday, March 18.

WHAT THIS MEANS 

The goal of the stay-in-place period is to stop the spread of COVID among the undergraduate population as quickly as possible.

Details are included below the signature. In summary, during the stay-in-place period:

  • All in-person courses including lab classes will shift to remote-only delivery. There will be VERY few exceptions to this; if you are enrolled in a course with an exemption, you will receive direct communication from your instructor or dean. 
  • Undergraduates working in laboratories may not participate in laboratory activities this week.
  • Students living in Duke-provided housing (including Avana, Blue Light, and the Washington Duke) must remain in their residence hall room or apartment at all times except for essential activities related to food, health, or safety. 
  • Students living off-campus in the Durham area are not permitted on campus, except to participate in surveillance testing, seek medical care at Student Health, or pick up grab-and-go food orders at the Crown Commons express pick up (5 minute limit). 
  • Common spaces such as the Bryan Center, Brodhead Center, and other campus buildings will only be open to residential students for essential activities (for example, food or package pick up), and only during limited hours. Details and open hours will be posted on the Keep Learning site. 
  • Additional details for on-campus and off-campus students are included below the signature. 

WHY THIS IS NECESSARY NOW

If this feels serious, it’s because it is. This stay-in-place period is strongly recommended by our medical experts. The restriction of student movement—coupled with a renewed dedication to following social distancing, masking, symptom monitoring and other public health guidelines—gives us the best path toward curtailing further spread. Violations of these requirements will be considered a violation of the Duke Compact and will be treated as such; flagrant and repeated violations will be grounds for suspension or withdrawal from Duke.

Our ability to complete the semester, commencement for our seniors, and the health and safety of our community, including your fellow undergraduate students, is hanging in the balance. Now more than ever we NEED you to come together as a Duke community to meet this challenge together. We know you can do it.

Thank you and go Duke,

John Blackshear
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Gary Bennett
Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education 

Mary Pat McMahon
Vice Provost of Student Affairs

STAY-IN-PLACE DETAILS 

During the stay-in-place period:

  • All in-person courses including lab classes will shift to remote-only delivery. There will be VERY few exceptions to this; if you are enrolled in a course with an exemption, you will receive direct communication from your instructor or dean.
  • Undergraduates working in laboratories may not participate  in laboratory activities this week.
  • Students living in Duke-provided housing (including Avana, Blue Light, and the Washington Duke) must remain in their residence hall room or apartment at all times except for essential activities related to food, health, or safety.
  • Students living off-campus in the Durham area are not permitted on campus, except to participate in surveillance testing, seek medical care at Student Health, or pick up grab-and-go food orders at the Crown Commons express pick up (5 minute limit).
  • Common spaces such as the Bryan Center, Brodhead Center and other campus buildings will only be open to residential students for essential activities (for example, food or package pick up), and only during limited hours. Details and open hours will be posted on the Keep Learning site. 
  • Libraries will be closed to undergraduate students.
  • For those returning from travel, two negative surveillance tests will be required, even if this extends your quarantine past next weekend. All features of the stay-in-place pertain to you regardless of when you return. 
  • See additional details for on-campus and off-campus students below. 

ON-CAMPUS STUDENTS 

For students living in Duke-provided housing (including Avana, Blue Light, and the Washington Duke), during the duration of the stay-in-place period:

  • On-campus students must remain in their residence hall room or apartment at all times except for essential activities.
  • On-campus students may only leave their residence hall room or apartment for essential activities, such as:
    • picking up food from Duke Dining locations
    • participating in surveillance testing when called
    • seeking medical care
    • picking up essential supplies such as toiletries or mail (please note that pick-up times will be limited)
    • spending time outdoors for exercise and recreation in a manner that does not increase the potential spread of COVID-19, in a maximum group of 3. This means no spikeball or other group outdoor games, even if masked and socially distanced. 
  • On-campus students will only have DukeCard access to their assigned residential space, to certain surveillance testing sites (check Duke Unitedfor location information as this may change), and Duke Dining locations. 
  • On-campus students are expected to remain on campus grounds for the duration of the stay-in-place period and limit any unnecessary movement or activity outside of their room/apartment.  
  • All dining will be pick-up only. NO eating together, either indoor or outdoor. 
  • Maximum group size for undergraduates OUTSIDE on campus is 3 people (you and two other people, preferably in your bubble), with masking and social distancing required at all times. This EXCLUDES dining—no eating together, whether indoor or outdoor. 
  • No group gatherings indoors. Common rooms and other gathering spaces in residence halls will be closed until further notice. 
  • A curfew of 9:00 p.m. will be in place for all undergraduate students on campus. This means you must be back in your residence hall by this time. 

OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS 

For students living off-campus in the Durham area, during the duration of the stay-in-place period:

  • Students living off-campus may not come to campus for any purpose except to:
    • participate in surveillance testing when called,
    • seek medical care at Student Health, 
    • pick up grab-and-go food orders at the Crown Commons express pick up (5 minute limit).
  • Students living off-campus may only visit certain surveillance testing locations, but will be expected to show up for testing when called to do so. Visit the Duke United site for details.
  • Students living off-campus will not have access to campus facilities for any other purpose, including visiting Duke Dining locations (aside from Crown Commons express pick up) or utilizing other public spaces like the Bryan Center, Brodhead Center, etc.
  • We strongly encourage students living off-campus to limit any unnecessary movement or activity outside of their apartment/house to limit potential contact or spread with members of the community.
  • We strongly encourage students living off-campus to make appropriate arrangements for food and necessary supplies to minimize contact with any members of the community.

RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS

IF YOU FEEL SICK: If you feel sick, you should call Student Health during business hours at 919-681-9355 and choose option 2 to speak to a triage nurse if you are experiencing any symptoms or have any concerns.

DINING: Find information on dining locations and hours, mobile ordering, and menus and nutrition facts from Duke Dining.

WELLNESS RESOURCES:

BLUE DEVILS CARE: 24/7 telemental-health support to all students at no cost, through immediate and scheduled appointments. Visit BlueDevilsCare.duke.edu and use code: DUKE2020.

CAPS: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers many services to Duke students, including telemental-health appointments. Any student can call 919-660-1000 to speak with someone, or for assistance with referrals in your local community.

DUKEREACH: DukeReach will help you identify support services from among the variety of resources across campus or in your local community. You can contact DukeReach at 919-681-2455 or by emailing dukereach@duke.edu.

DUWELL: DuWell engages students through a variety of wellness experiences across campus in an effort to manage stress and reduce anxiety while emphasizing self-care.

“TWO-CLICK TO CONNECT” FORM: In just two clicks, you can select the category of person who will reach out to you within 24-48 hours, be it a trained Peer For You responder or a DukeReach staff member. These individuals are here to discuss whatever’s on your mind, help guide you through stressful times, and connect you to resources. Visit https://bit.ly/TwoClickSupport.