Dear Alumni,
We hope this message finds you, and those close to you, in good health and spirits. Know that we are thinking of you as we all confront the challenge of COVID-19.
Organizations across the world are in unprecedented territory in adjusting their operations. We know you are no exception and are likely experiencing great disruption in the way you are working.
However, we also know this: You are part of Team Fuqua. You will lead your organizations through this great challenge. You will find creative ways to get work done in better, more efficient and innovative ways as we enter into a new normal.
And we are here to support you. We are actively looking for ways for you to benefit from our faculty’s research and expertise on issues that are important to your work now. We will have additional information about those resources in coming days.
In the meantime, many of you have asked about us. We wanted to give you a quick update on what’s changed at Fuqua in the last week as a result of COVID-19.
- Our classes are being delivered fully online. On March 11, Duke University President Vincent Price moved all classes online to help prevent the spread of the virus. At Fuqua, we were particularly well equipped to deliver classes online given the capability we have developed in recent years. We are proud of the way our faculty and staff came together without missing a beat and the online transition has gone smoothly.
- Large gatherings on campus have been canceled, postponed or turned into virtual events. We communicated with many of you last week about the cancelation of upcoming alumni events, including Fuqua Around the World on March 25 and Fuqua Reunions on May 1-3.
- We’ve been supporting members of our community affected by COVID-19. Some students who were traveling outside the U.S. on a student-organized spring break trip tested positive for COVID-19 and are receiving treatment abroad and here in Durham.
- We are helping keep our community informed during challenging and fluid circumstances. Duke is providing ongoing communications about its procedures at coronavirus.duke.edu. Updates specifically about Fuqua can be found at www.fuqua.duke.edu/covid-19response.
While we adjust to this new reality, our work continues. We are grateful for your ongoing support as volunteers, donors, and advocates. We would not be able to make such sweeping adjustments to our programming without your support, and we count on your continued assistance as we move forward.
Please know that you are all in our thoughts during this unprecedented crisis. We encourage you to reach out to your Fuqua classmates and fellow alumni to lend support. Even as we distance ourselves physically for the greater good, we are a caring community that is stronger together.
Best wishes,
Hank Woods
Associate Dean, Development and Alumni Relations
Duke’s Fuqua School of Business