Coronavirus Response

Dear Colleagues,

We are writing to provide you with a brief update regarding the planning process for Duke University’s Return to the Workplace efforts. These efforts are being carefully controlled and coordinated to ensure personal safety and mitigate potential risks of spreading COVID-19.

Team 2021, the strategy team convened by President Price to assess options and recommendations for the next academic year, continues to meet several times per week. While decisions about the fall semester will likely not be made until late June, the team is also coordinating more immediate plans to initiate the reopening of certain offices and facilities on campus.   These areas will initially include clinical services in Duke Health and research laboratories. 

While the stay-at-home orders for the state of North Carolina and Durham County’s are expected to expire on May 8 and May 15 respectively, please note we expect the majority of the University’s workforce to continue to work remotely until further notice.   

No unit or department should increase on-site staffing beyond current levels until further notice and only employees who have been specifically designated and informed by their supervisors should make preparations to return to their offices after May 15.

The University has formed a Return to the Workplace group made up of representatives designated by each dean and vice president. This group will be coordinating the process, schedule and approvals needed to ramp up activity in Duke facilities.  They will also work with their respective school, department and administrative unites to ensure appropriate social distancing practices, coordinate building controls and access, and distribute appropriate PPE and other safety resources. 

A video Q&A and a comprehensive Guide for the Return to the Workplace will be made available to all employees later this week to provide more detail on policies, practices and expectations that will need to be observed as we continue the process of restoring activity to the Duke campus and our off-campus facilities.   

We want to extend a special thanks to the thousands of front-line Duke Health staff who have continued to deliver exceptional patient care during this public health crisis, and the hundreds of University staff who are supporting the students who currently remain on campus, maintaining critical laboratories, utilities, and facilities, and providing essential operational support services to the entire Duke community. We are also deeply grateful to the countless others who are working remotely to advance our missions in new and innovative ways. 

Sincerely,

Kyle Cavanaugh, Vice President, Administration, Co-chair Team 2021
Jennifer Francis, Executive Vice Provost, Co-chair Team 2021  

This message is being sent to all Duke University faculty and staff.

This week Governor Cooper announced an extension of the “stay-at-home” order for the entire state through May 8, and the City of Durham City and Durham County announced a joint extension until May 15. Area municipalities are also allowed to create provisions that are in addition to and extend beyond the state’s May 8 order.

Duke will phase in a return of faculty and staff over time in a coordinated process to ensure appropriate social distancing, availability of PPE (personal protective equipment) and testing capabilities for COVID-19. Expanded staffing will begin in more controlled areas of greatest need such as health clinics and research laboratories as early as next week.

These efforts are being tightly controlled and coordinated to mitigate potential risks and ensure the safety of faculty and staff, as well as the communities we serve. No unit or department should increase staffing levels beyond current needs to support critical on-site operations without approval from your respective dean, vice president or vice provost. Once decisions to expand on-site staffing in certain areas have been made, those areas will receive guidelines and instructions for returning to work on campus.

Our approach to staffing will need to be phased in over time and fluid as conditions change. As areas of the state and region begin to ease restrictions on activities, we may see localized spikes of COVID-19 outbreaks. Such outbreaks will increase demands on our health system and may force us to restrict on-site staffing again to only those necessary to support critical operations until the outbreaks are contained.

We continue to work closely with local, state and federal authorities as well as public health officials, including our own Duke Health experts in infectious diseases, to determine the safest approach for all members of the Duke community.

No decisions have been made yet as to activities related to the fall semester. President Price has charged Strategy Team 2021 with assessing options for a return of students, faculty and staff to campus. More information will be communicated regarding those plans as we assess conditions through the coming months and once decisions have been finalized.

Thank you for your ongoing flexibility and support in serving our core missions and upholding our shared values during this unique time in Duke’s history.

Sincerely,

Kyle Cavanaugh, Vice President, Administration, Co-chair Team 2021

Jennifer Francis, Executive Vice Provost, Co-chair Team 2021

The following memo was sent to University leaders and managers on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.

TO:       Vice Presidents, Vice Provosts, Deans, Directors, Department Heads, and Managers

FROM: Kyle Cavanaugh, Vice President, Administration, Co-chair Team 2021
Jennifer Francis, Executive Vice Provost, Co-chair Team 2021

SUBJECT: Planning For a Return to the Workplace

President Price has charged Strategy Team 2021 with assessing options for a return of students, faculty and staff to campus. As co-chairs of that team, we want to share some considerations to help set appropriate expectations for the coming weeks and months.

The “stay-at-home” order for Durham and all of North Carolina remains in effect through at least April 30. Under that ordinance, only essential staff and faculty are reporting to campus to support critical on-site research, safety and security operations, facilities, student support services and patient care. We anticipate either the state or local orders will be extended beyond the original deadline, perhaps until May 15. 

When the “stay-at-home” orders are lifted, Duke will likely phase in a return of the faculty and staff over time as we ensure appropriate social distancing and availability of PPE (personal protective equipment) and testing capabilities for COVID-19.  We are working closely with local, state and federal authorities as well as public health officials, including our own Duke Health experts in infectious diseases, to determine the safest approach for all employees.

To be clear, no dates has been set for the resumption of activity on the Duke campus, regardless of when the “stay at home” orders are ended.  Further, we ask that you not make any public announcements, statements or commitments regarding the return of students, faculty and staff and the resumption of events and programs on the Duke campus. More information will be communicated regarding the transition once plans have been finalized. Until then, only employees supporting critical operations should report to work on-site.

In the meanwhile, we are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of those required to be on campus. All employees on campus are provided masks to wear during their shifts, social distancing is being practiced to the extent possible and building access is being tightly controlled and monitored daily.

Any employee reporting to work should continue to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to work and contact the Duke COVID hotline* (919-385-0429 option 1 for employees) if presenting with any symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, runny nose/sinus congestion, sore throat, muscle aches, and headaches) before returning to work.

Please share updates with your staff to help set appropriate expectations regarding when and how Duke will manage a phased return to work and operations. Thank you for all you are doing to help lead your teams during this challenging time.