Duke Kunshan University international juniors who are currently on Duke’s campus will now be allowed to remain on campus in the spring, according to a Wednesday email sent to DKU students who have committed to Duke’s spring term and obtained by The Chronicle.
DKU had previously announced Sept. 12 that juniors who are completing a study-abroad term at Duke this semester will be required to return to the Kunshan campus next semester.
“Junior and senior students who are committed to the Duke Spring 2023 term have done so with particular, often concerted and complex, plans and obligations for the year ahead,” the email read. Campus leadership, research and internships were listed as examples.
The email also announced that DKU “will not be able to provide any financial support (including from the Student Assistance Grants) to students who enroll at Duke (or in other study away programs) for the Spring 2023 or Summer 2023 terms,” citing the need to focus resources on helping students enter China and “return to our original academic plan.”
Lydia Jin, senior director of strategic marketing and public affairs at DKU, wrote in an email to the Chronicle that students will continue to receive the financial aid or scholarships that they had previously been awarded. However, DKU will not accommodate future requests for additional financial support to cover student costs for the upcoming spring or summer terms.
Juniors who have not completed a study away term and are not committed to Duke for the spring can now enroll in DKU’s GO or GO-FLEX programs, which are approved study abroad opportunities for students who prefer in-person university experiences but are unable to attend Duke due to travel restrictions or other reasons.
All juniors are still expected to be at the China campus for fall 2023.
Seniors who have not committed to be in Duke for the spring will be expected to return to China. Those who are committed to Duke and expected to graduate this spring will be allowed to remain on campus.
The email also clarified expectations for seniors expected to graduate fall 2023 or later. If they have already committed to remain at Duke for the spring, they will be allowed to stay the duration of the semester.
At the end of the spring semester, if they are within 20 credits of graduation, these seniors will be allowed to participate in Duke’s commencement ceremony as well as a “modified virtual experience” at DKU’s commencement ceremony.
All sophomores and first-years are still expected to be in China in the spring. Sophomores may apply to study away at Duke or elsewhere for one semester in the 2023-2024 academic year.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated on Thursday afternoon to include Lydia Jin's clarification on DKU's financial aid policy.
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Anisha Reddy is a Trinity junior and a senior editor of The Chronicle's 118th volume.