Category: Duke University Page 14 of 24

Testing Update: Sept 26 – October 2

On October 5, 2020

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing program received results from 14,554 tests administered to students, faculty and staff from September 26 – October 2, 2020. In total, there were 20 positive results – ten undergraduate students, five graduate/professional students and five faculty/staff. The positivity rate for this period was 0.137%.

Since the start of the program on Aug. 2, Duke has completed 72,470 tests.

The announcement of testing results is posted to Duke Today.

Testing data is also available on our Testing Tracker, which is updated each Monday.

Student conduct updates, Oct. 2

By Paul Grantham

On October 2, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Students

The message is being sent to all Duke undergraduate students.

Friday, October 2, 2020

Dear undergraduate students,

Wherever you are as we reach the halfway point in the fall semester, we hope you are well this Friday. We are writing to share some updates on conduct case volume and outcomes for individual students and organizations.

Over the past week, rates of COVID transmission have increased globally, nationally and here in the Durham area. We are likely to see some additional cases in our own community, but we are collectively working to keep those to a minimum. We appreciate that thousands of Duke students in Durham and around the globe are taking action daily to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We continue to appreciate the dedication and efforts we see in the Blue Devil community. We are proud of your leadership as students, we know you share our gratitude for the efforts of our extraordinary faculty and staff.

At the same time, we have seen a handful of situations where some students are flagrantly violating the Duke Compact and our expectations for health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because this conduct could easily lead to an increase in viral transmission on campus and in the community, these students have lost their opportunity to remain on campus. Some may even lose their chance to graduate from Duke.

We don’t want students to spread the virus to one another, to staff, faculty, or members of our Durham Community. We don’t want you to lose the opportunities for which you’ve worked so hard.

Some important reminders:

While North Carolina regulations have recently changed, all Duke students are still required to adhere to University requirements limiting informal gatherings indoors or outdoors to 10 persons or fewer.
We are aware that some students have disrupted local communities by hosting off-campus gatherings in apartments or rented properties. Students may face disciplinary action if they either host, or attend these events.

COMPLIANCE AND CONDUCT UPDATES

As a reminder, enforcement of Duke’s policies is a part of our COVID response. These efforts are nuanced and hold students progressively accountable depending on the severity of the violations. Since August 7, we have taken the following actions:

21 — Administrative Action Hearings held (for individuals and groups) recommending interim actions such as suspension of activities, loss of campus privileges, remote learning, etc.
4 — Campus organizations placed on suspension
6 — Individual students issued interim suspensions for flagrant violations of COVID policy expectations and the Duke Compact pending an administrative hearing, including for hosting gatherings and failing to follow quarantine and isolation protocols to protect fellow students.
104 — Sanctions implemented by either Office of Student Conduct or Housing and Residence Life – these actions are part of a student’s conduct record and in some cases reportable to graduate schools, study away programs, and employers
293 — Students referred for educational interventions for less severe infractions of the Duke Compact – these outcomes are not part of a students’ disciplinary record
9 — Pending cases under review for potential administrative action involving more flagrant misconduct and persistent non-compliance by individuals.

As a result of these violations, some students have lost their right to remain on campus and must work remotely for the remainder of the semester. Some also face charges that could result in their suspension or permanent expulsion from Duke.

The University updates the COVID testing tracker every Monday. We will provide another update on student conduct on October 30th.

We are in this together. Please keep supporting one another in doing this right.

Thank you and go Duke,

Mary Pat McMahon
Vice Provost for Student Affairs

Gary G. Bennett
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

President Updates Community at Midpoint of Semester

By Paul Grantham

On October 1, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Faculty, For Staff, For Students

To the Duke Community,

We are now halfway through the fall semester. This may seem surprising, both because we started earlier than usual this year and because it feels like the first day of classes was a decade ago.

There are still challenges ahead, but we have much to be proud of at Duke. Thanks to the cooperation of the Duke community, our comprehensive testing program, and generally good adherence to our health and safety protocols, we have so far kept the rate of coronavirus infections relatively low. This has enabled us to continue our semester as planned.

Read the full message on the Duke Today website.

Update on Duke’s Operational Plans

By Paul Grantham

On October 1, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Faculty, For Staff, For Students

As the State of North Carolina moves to Phase 3 of pandemic restrictions on Friday October 3, we write to advise you that Duke University will not be changing campus safety protocols and practices.

For more details, see the story on the Duke Today website.

Testing Update: Sept 19-25

By Kristen Brown

On September 28, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, Testing & Reporting

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing program received results from 14,141 tests administered to students, faculty and staff from September 19-25, 2020. In total, there were eight positive results – two faculty/staff and six students.

Since the start of the program on Aug. 2, Duke has completed 57,916 tests.

The announcement of testing results is posted to Duke Today.

Testing data is also available on our Testing Tracker, which is updated each Monday.

Testing Update: Sept 12-18

By Kristen Brown

On September 21, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, Testing & Reporting

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing program received results from 12,323 tests administered to students, faculty and staff from September 12-18. There were nine positive results.

Since the start of the program on Aug. 2, Duke has completed 43,775 tests.

The announcement of testing results is posted to Duke Today.

Testing data is also available on our Testing Tracker, which is updated each Monday.

Testing Update: Sept 5 – 11

By Kristen Brown

On September 14, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, Testing & Reporting

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing program administered 7,582 tests administered to students, faculty and staff from September 5-11 with six positive results.

Since the start of the program on Aug. 2, Duke has completed 31,362 tests.

The announcement of testing results is posted to Duke Today.

Testing data is also available on our Testing Tracker, which is updated each Monday.

Message from President Price about Fall Sports at Duke

By Kristen Brown

On September 11, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Faculty, For Staff, For Students

Dear Duke Students and Colleagues,

Early September is typically a time of great energy and excitement at Duke, as students and faculty challenge each other in the classroom, the campus is active with events and programs, and visitors come from all over the world to take part in our academic and cultural life. Fall is also, of course, a very active time for our student-athletes, as well as for their fans and supporters on campus, in the community and around the world.

Over the past several months, the Atlantic Coast Conference, of which Duke is a founding member, has carefully assessed the prospects to continue intercollegiate sports in this most complicated of years. An ACC Medical Advisory Group – which included physicians from Duke and other universities in the conference – worked over the summer to advise the member institutions on the risks and options for fall activity, and to develop comprehensive standards for testing, hygiene, medical monitoring and other practices that are essential for students to compete safely in team and individual sports. After careful review, the ACC adopted those guidelines and committed to begin the season in all six fall sports (football, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, field hockey and cross country).

After consultation with our own medical faculty experts, Duke has decided to take further steps to mitigate the risk to the health and safety of our student-athletes, our communities, and the continuity of our educational and research missions. In advance of the start of competition this week, and knowing that many have questions about intercollegiate athletics in these challenging times, I want to take a moment to inform you about the safety protocols that we have now put in put in place:

All student-athletes, related staff and coaches participating in football, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball and field hockey, which have been identified as higher risk by the ACC Medical Advisory Group, will have daily COVID-19 testing for the duration of their seasons.

To protect against potential spread of COVID-19 in our residence halls and the broader population, student-athletes competing in those five sports will be required to temporarily sequester to designated residential areas following each home or away game until testing and medical monitoring confirms that they are cleared to return to the community. Student-athletes will receive all academic, wellness and mental health support services, as well as access to Student Affairs staff.

All teams will travel by charter bus or plane and, to the extent possible, will depart and return to campus on the same day. Only student athletes and essential coaches and staff will be permitted to travel to the games and, once on-site, Duke student-athletes, coaches and staff must strictly comply with distancing requirements, stay in areas separated from others, and not interact socially with members of the opposing team, spectators, or fans except for immediate family members.

As announced earlier, spectators will not be permitted at any Duke games. Attendance from the visiting team will be limited to essential personnel as determined by the ACC.

We are immensely proud of our student-athletes and celebrate their dedication to academic and athletic success. But we never lose sight of the fact that they are, first and foremost, Duke students. Thus, student-athletes who choose for any reason not to participate in competition this year will continue to receive their scholarships, financial aid and other services, and they will maintain their academic and residential standing as well as their eligibility to participate in future athletic seasons.

I want to stress that these are our initial plans. As with every other aspect of this global pandemic, we will remain vigilant and flexible, monitor outcomes, and prepare to make changes as we learn from our experiences and others around the country. Our experience with fall sports will help inform planning for winter and spring sports as well. If conditions warrant further restrictions, a pause or even suspension of activities, then we will not hesitate to take that action. Every decision we make will be based, first and foremost, on safeguarding the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the Duke community.

This has been and will continue to be a difficult semester in many respects; but in just as many ways it has been wonderfully inspiring. I’ve been inspired by our dedicated faculty and staff, including those many who have been supporting Duke Athletics through these complicated times, in meeting successfully the numerous challenges posed by the pandemic. And I have been inspired by way our Duke students, including our student-athletes, have stepped up to support and protect each other and our community so responsibly by adapting to the public-health demands of the moment. We are, on and off the field, a Duke united. For that, and for all you do, I am deeply grateful.

Sincerely,

Vincent E. Price
President

Testing Update: Aug 29-Sept 4

By Kristen Brown

On September 7, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, Testing & Reporting

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing program administered 6,840 tests administered to students, faculty and staff from Aug. 29-September 4 with six positive results.

Since the start of the program on Aug. 2, Duke has completed 23,880 tests.

The announcement of testing results is posted to Duke Today.

Testing data is also available on our Testing Tracker, which is updated each Monday.

COVID and compliance updates, Sept 6

By Kristen Brown

On September 6, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Students

The message was sent to all Duke undergraduate students.

Sunday, September 6, 2020

We hope you have had a great first few weeks of classes, whether you are here in Durham or engaging remotely this semester.

We are so proud that the overwhelming majority of you who are working so hard every day to keep your peers and the Duke community safe. This is no small effort. Thank you for all you are doing.

Now, we need your help—every single one of you—to help keep up this momentum and keep our community moving in the right direction.

A couple of weeks ago, we wrote to you with updates on COVID-19, Compact compliance, and to enlist your help in taking daily actions to keep our community safer. We are writing today with our next update on COVID and compliance efforts.

COVID UPDATES, BY THE NUMBERS

The latest updates on COVID testing, cases, and quarantine/isolation numbers are posted each Monday to the Duke COVID Testing Tracker. The dashboard includes data on testing, quarantine, and isolation in our community, both weekly and cumulatively (from the start of classes). Weekly summary data are also published on Duke Today. Please note you can check back tomorrow to see the numbers as of this past Friday, September 4.

By the numbers (August 22-28):

5,355 — Asymptomatic/surveillance student tests administered
3 — Positive results from asymptomatic/surveillance testing
3 — Positive results from reported symptoms
6 — Students in isolation
54 — Students in precautionary quarantine*

*Students in quarantine must stay away from others until Student Health determines if they have contracted COVID-19.

COMPLIANCE AND CONDUCT UPDATES

As a reminder, enforcement is a part of Duke’s COVID response and our efforts are nuanced and hold students progressively accountable. Updates as of August 27 are included below, with all numbers cumulative.

Several hundred — Students who have received verbal reminders, warnings, and other interventions from Residential Life, Student Affairs, and the Compliance Team (C-Team).
200+ — Formal reports of possible undergraduate violations of COVID-19 policy expectations and which the University has endeavored to identify and follow up with individuals or groups responsible for the alleged conduct.
90 — Students referred for formal educational interventions and training for less severe infractions of the Duke Compact.
29 — Pending cases involving more flagrant misconduct and persistent non-compliance by individuals or groups of students currently under investigation by the Office of Student Conduct.*
As a result of COVID violations, students have lost their right to access campus and must work remotely for the remainder of the semester.

*Note: If found responsible, students and student organizations face a range of possible sanctions, including: disciplinary probation, suspension to be served in an upcoming term, immediate suspension or removal from campus, or permanent dismissal from Duke.

Please also note that even though the state and city restrictions for events and venues have loosened somewhat, all Duke students are still required to adhere to University requirements limiting numbers to 10 persons or fewer.

Thank you for all the ways you are taking tangible action to keep your fellow students, our staff and faculty, and the entire Duke and Durham communities safe. We are in this together.

Thank you and go Duke,

Mary Pat McMahon
Vice Provost for Student Affairs

Gary G. Bennett
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education