During　the　2009　A/H1N1　influenza　pandemic,　very　strict　interventions　including　campus　quarantine　(Fengxiao)　(restrictions　on　the　movements　of　university　personnel)　were　taken　in　mainland　China　to　slow　down　the　initial　spread　of　the　disease　from　the　university　network　to　a　wider　community.　The　decision　for　implementation　and/or　relaxation　of　Fengxiao　depends　on　the　assessment　of　the　level　of　infection　within　the　university　network　compared　with　that　in　the　wider　community　and　on　the　degree　of　interruption　of　normal　academic　activities　and　the　associated　social/economic　costs.　However,　the　most　important　consideration　influencing　the　decision　is　whether　the　initiation　and　termination　of　Fengxiao　can　alter　the　pattern　of　disease　spread　in　the　entire　community　for　effective　prevention　and　control　of　the　emerging　disease.　Here　we　formulate　and　analyze　a　dynamic　model　to　evaluate　the　effectiveness　of　Fengxiao　as　a　social　distance　measure　for　curbing　the　outbreak　in　major　cities　of　China.　Using　data　from　the　initial　laboratory-confirmed　cases　admitted　to　the　8th　Hospital　of　Xi＇an　(the　capital　city　of　the　Shaanxi　Province),　we　estimated　the　reproduction　number　for　the　period　under　consideration　in　the　range　1.273-1.784　and　concluded　that　the　population＇s　mobility,　combined　with　the　suspension　of　the　Fengdao　strategy,　was　a　key　factor　contributing　to　a　subsequent　epidemic　wave.　Fengxiao　in　China　is　a　reversal　of　the　usual　strategy　of　school　closures　adopted　in　many　other　countries,　but　the　lessons　learnt　from　it　may　be　useful　for　disease　management　in　other　countries　where　restrictions　on　the　movements　across　a　facility　boundary　and　close　monitoring　of　the　infection　within　the　facility　are　feasible　in　the　long　term.　(C)　2011　Elsevier　Ltd.　All　rights　reserved.