Duke cancels in-person classes from noon Wednesday to noon Thursday, enacts severe weather policy

UPDATE, 9:17 a.m. Thursday: Duke has extended its severe weather and emergency conditions policy until 6 a.m. Friday, extending the cancellation of all in-person classes.

The Duke University Health System will resume its normal scheduling at noon, in line with the original DukeAlert.

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Duke canceled all in-person classes between 12 p.m. Wednesday and 12 p.m. Thursday, as some parts of North Carolina anticipate receiving up to six inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain.

A Tuesday afternoon DukeAlert announced that the University and the Duke University Health System will activate its Severe Weather and Emergency Conditions policy. The announcement marks the third time Duke has implemented the policy this academic year after over three years of no measurable snowfall on campus. N.C. Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency earlier Tuesday morning.

The DukeAlert noted that while instructors are allowed to transition their class periods to an online format, students cannot be penalized for not attending. According to an updated DukeAlert, instructors are also able to substitute the class period with an assignment or use April 5 — the semester’s first in-person makeup date — to host a replacement class.

The availability of campus bus routes will also depend on the weather conditions, according to the announcement. Following the Jan. 21 alert, all services except for the C1 and DukeVans were discontinued starting at 9 p.m., three hours ahead of the activation of the policy.

The University also directed all “essential service” employees to attend and continue their work while the policy is in effect and advised managers to implement departmental severe weather plans “as appropriate.”

Abby Spiller | Editor-in-Chief

Abby Spiller is a Trinity junior and editor-in-chief of The Chronicle's 120th volume.