Students can prepare for a socially distant move-in and lots of single rooms for the Fall semester.
In a Friday email to undergraduates living on campus in the fall, Joe Gonzalez, assistant vice president of student affairs and dean for residential life, provided more information about the move-in process and how students will be tested for COVID-19 once they return to campus.
Gonzalez wrote that a “set number of students” will be assigned to certain days within a defined move-in period “to allow for proper social distancing and to support arrival testing and isolation protocols.”
During their assigned times, undergraduates will go to Penn Pavilion to undergo a symptom check, receive masks and other health items and information, and be tested for COVID-19—only after which will their DukeCards be activated. He wrote that up to two individuals—who may not enter Penn Pavilion and must wear masks, wash hands often and maintain social distance—may assist each student with move-in.
After move-in is completed, Gonzalez wrote that students will be expected to “sequester in their room with limited movement around campus” until they receive test results in roughly 48 hours.
Gonzalez wrote that students are “strongly encouraged” to only bring necessary items for the Fall semester and leave “extraneous items” at home.
No overnight visitors will be allowed during move-in week and through the entire Fall semester, Gonzalez noted.
First-year students will move in Aug. 7 to 10, Gonzalez wrote, and upperclass students will follow Aug. 10 to 15. Those who chose the pack/ship/store option for their belongings should hope to have items returned to their rooms by Aug. 15—though “it will be a challenge,” he wrote.
Edens, Keohane and Wannamaker quads will house first-year students, according to Gonzalez which will allow Duke to assign all first-years who aren’t on varsity athletic teams to single rooms on East and West campuses.
“The University recognizes that first-year students typically benefit from the experience of living with and learning in shared rooms, but at this time we want to ensure that students who do not yet have practice navigating life with a college roommate are able to maintain a greater degree [of] control over their living environment,” Gonzalez wrote.
He added that many—but not all—returning students will be living in singles. This will be to the “best interest of our community,” he wrote, since returning students often already have experience living with people they know well and share expectations and communication skills with.
He also mentioned in the email that the University has leased another apartment complex near campus, The Avana, for juniors and seniors.
This is a developing story and will be updated if new information becomes available.
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Mona Tong is a Trinity senior and director of diversity, equity and inclusion analytics for The Chronicle's 117th volume. She was previously news editor for Volume 116.