Welcome (Back) Home!

To kick off the new school year, New Student & Family Programs sat down with Vice Provost of Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Gary Bennett. We asked them about the semester ahead and what students and families can anticipate.

What are you personally most excited about this fall semester?

Mary Pat McMahon: Seeing the BC Plaza, Bryan Center, Abele quad bustling again. Students were around last year, but now we're back to a more typical routine and you can see random encounters and students having advising check-ins, outdoor meals, and planning meetings across the Plaza. I've had a chance to go to student performances and athletic competitions too. Those are terrific opportunities for community connection and celebration.

Gary Bennett: I’m excited to spend time with students in person! I’m ready to Flunch, have students join me in office hours, take walking meetings through the Gardens, join Duke Conversations, grab coffee in the Perk, and hopefully get stopped on Abele to hear all the amazing things our students are doing!

Read the full interview on the Parent & Family Blog, including questions about COVID planning, ways in which this year will be different than previous ones, and events your students shouldn't miss!

Important Dates

Class of 2020 Commencement Weekend: September 24-26, 2021
Fall Break: October 2-5, 2021
Family Weekend: October 15-17, 2021
Thanksgiving Break: November 24-28, 2021
Last Day of Classes: December 3, 2021
Final Examinations Period: December 8-13, 2021
Spring Semester begins on Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Check out Duke's Academic Calendar for more information.

In Case You Missed It

Family Weekend Registration is LIVE!

Family Weekend 2021 will be held Friday, October 15 – Sunday, October 17.

The main schedule and registration link can now be found on our website.

We anticipate welcoming families to campus for this weekend; however, COVID-19 conditions could change this at any time. Ensuring the health and safety of the Duke and Durham communities, as well as our Duke families, is paramount. Any in-person visitors will be expected to adhere to campus COVID-19 policies for their safety and the safety of the Duke community. These policies include that masks are required in all indoor locations on campus.

Blue Devil Return

Duke hosted a joyful evening of fun on August 22 called the Blue Devil Return — a welcome back carnival for the entire student body featuring food, games, an evening Chapel climb, and fireworks. The Class of 2024 even got its long-delayed class photo. View photos and videos from the event.

Vaccine Compliance

On August 24, students not yet vaccinated were sent correspondence from the university. Families, we ask you to please connect with your student if this pertains to them.

Campus Updates

Over the last few weeks, Duke has sent multiple updates to students and families regarding COVID policies. You can review the messages sent to students here.

Additionally, because of the declining trend the last couple of weeks, masking is no longer required outdoors in most circumstances on the Duke campus, though masks are still strongly recommended in outdoor settings with a gathering of people. Masks will continue to be required for large outdoor events on campus and must still be used indoors in classrooms and public spaces. Read more.

Jerome Lynch Named New Dean of Pratt School of Engineering

Read more about Duke's exciting news HERE. Jerome Lynch also shares his perspectives on Duke Engineering, initial priorities as dean, and vision for the transformative role engineers can play in society in this article.

Career Everywhere

Duke Career Hub for Career Communities

Duke Career Communities have a new home.

As students returned to campus last month, they discovered Duke Career Hub, our brand-new Virtual Career Center, which replaces our website. As part of our Career Everywhere mission, the Career Hub is used to curate the rich and expansive resources that currently exist in a more accessible format and allows community managers to develop content and resources specific to their career communities. Students can choose career communities in which they have an interest and receive alerts about jobs, internships, events, and resources that are directly relevant to those choices.

Career Communities

Business, Finance, & Consulting
Data & Tech
Discovery & Exploration
Education, Nonprofit, & Social Impact
Engineering
Entertainment, Media, & Arts
Government, Law, & International Affairs
Healthcare
Science & Sustainability

Go ahead have a look and begin sharing with your students.

DukeReach

DukeReach directs students, faculty, staff, parents, and others to the resources available to help a student in need. Parents and family members can contact DukeReach directly if you are worried about your student, including for reasons related to sickness, mental health, and academic challenges. Staff members will connect students of concern and support them in managing all aspects of their well-being. Find out more on the DukeReach website.

Upcoming Events

Fraternity and Sorority Recruitment

Emilie Dye, Director of Student Engagement [for] Leadership, invites families to partner with Fraternity & Sorority Life at Duke. If your student is considering joining a fraternity or sorority or recently joined the community this fall, this letter from Emilie outlines experiential learning and development opportunities for participating students, what your student can expect, how you can support your student as they decide on the right organizational fit, and safety measures.

Annual Fall Career Fair

The Duke Career Center Fall Career Fair will be held virtually via Handshake on Thursday, September 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST!  This fair attracts companies across all industries. It is also a great opportunity for students to connect with employers while exploring a variety of careers, organizations, trends, and job opportunities. All undergraduate students are invited to attend. This is one of many recruiting opportunities for students this fall. Learn more HERE.