On April 16, Jill Dolan, dean of the college, and Rochelle Calhoun, vice president for campus life, sent an email to undergraduates regarding end-of-semester processes and summer programming cancellations and guidelines.
On April 16, Dean of the Graduate School Sarah-Jane Leslie sent an email to prospective degree candidates for a virtual Hooding ceremony and Commencement, as well as plans for an in-person ceremony in 2021.
On April 16, Aly Kassam-Remtulla, associate provost for international affairs and operations, issued the following extension of the University’s current prohibition against international travel and strong recommendation against domestic travel, including University-sponsored travel and personal travel (domestic and international). This information supersedes earlier guidance about travel.
Given the uncertainty about when travel will again be safe and when countries will begin lifting current travel restrictions, we share the following guidance for all populations affiliated with Princeton University including undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and staff. This guidance is in place until further notice.
Academic and administrative units that have questions about domestic or international travel may seek guidance from the Global Safety and Security unit at globalsafety@princeton.edu.
University-sponsored international travel
International travel continues to be suspended and this will only be reviewed when the current US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and US Department of State (DOS) travel restrictions have been relaxed. For travel to be considered, a location will have to be CDC Level 0 or 1 AND DOS Level 1, 2, or 3. At this time, no locations meet those criteria and we will provide additional guidance to the campus when that occurs. Until further notice, no international travel should be planned or scheduled.
University-sponsored domestic travel
COVID-19 is rapidly spreading throughout the United States and we do not have systematic advice from government authorities about the safety of domestic travel. We therefore maintain a strong recommendation against non-essential domestic travel.
We urge those who engage in such travel to exercise caution and good judgement. Travelers should heed the advice of authorities in the states they are departing from and to which they are traveling. For further advice, please consult the CDC’s advice for domestic travel.
Many states have a “shelter in place” order so we expect domestic travel in the near-term to be limited. In addition, several states now require quarantines for those arriving from cities and states affected by large-scale outbreaks. We encourage those considering domestic travel to develop medical and logistical contingency plans in case restrictions change, including in the state to which they plan to return.
As was the case prior to COVID-19, undergraduate students must register all domestic travel (beyond the New York to Philadelphia corridor) in Concur Request.
Personal travel (international or domestic)
We continue to strongly urge against international and domestic personal travel (vacations, visiting friends/family) and note our limited ability to support such travelers. If you choose to engage in international personal travel, you should register for alerts from International SOS (membership number 11BSGC000022), enroll in the DOS Smart Traveler’s Enrollment Program (STEP) (or similar programs offered by other governments for their citizens/nationals), purchase travel insurance (note that most policies do not cover COVID-19 related evacuation or repatriation), and closely monitor local travel advisories.