Building Community:

A Conversation with Duke Staff

This month Dr. Zoila Airall, Associate Vice President for Campus Life, engaged colleagues in a dialogue about how students build and find community at Duke. Using the priorities of the Division of Student Affairs as a framework for the conversation, staff members from the Center for Multicultural Affairs, New Student Programs, and Student Leadership discussed some of the opportunities that students have, ways staff support students through the community building process, and the learning that allows students to find community across differences. Click the video below to hear the conversation.

Zoila has spent almost twenty years at Duke supporting students, creating community, and advocating for meaningful inclusion across campus. Zoila will retire at the end of this school year but not before receiving multiple awards that highlight the impact she’s made. Zoila was recently honored by the Cook Society for her efforts in scholarship, mentorship, and service. She also received Duke’s Presidential Award earlier this week, one of the highest honors on campus, which is awarded to those who have made exceptional contributions to the Duke community.

Important Dates

March 7 - 15 • Spring Recess
April 1 • Fall 2020 Registration begins
April 22 • Last Day of Classes (LDOC)
April 23 - 26 • Reading Period
April 27 - May 2 • Spring Final Examination Period
May 4 • Residence halls close at noon*
May 8 - 10 • Commencement Weekend 2020

* For students not participating in Commencement activities

Student Spotlight

This month, Ivan Robles ’20 shares his experiences of finding and creating community at Duke. From his work study role at the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (CSGD) to his leadership in launching the Latinx in Leadership series, Ivan speaks about the intersectionality of identity and community as well as what community means to him. Listen to the podcast.

Moments with Mary Pat

In this clip, Mary Pat McMahon, Vice Provost/Vice President for Student Affairs, talks about the crucial role building empathy and understanding plays in creating a sense of community at Duke.

Continued Coronavirus Updates

President Price's Message

Last night President Price sent an email to the Duke community. He emphasized that the University senior staff continues to meet regularly to monitor the situation. He stated, "We know this is a rapidly evolving situation, and it will continue to be so for the foreseeable future." All updates will be posted to the dedicated Duke coronavirus response website.

Travel Guidance - Coronavirus

As we approach Spring Break, and with various travel restrictions in place related to the coronavirus, Duke has offered travel guidance for students with concerns and questions about traveling outside the U.S. Given the rapidly evolving situation, travel policies may quickly change: Duke is encouraging students who will be traveling to continue checking university websites and trusted news sources for updates.

Family Weekend 2020

Save the date for Family Weekend 2020: Friday, October 16 - Sunday, October 18! Programming will include academic lectures as well as cultural and art highlights. Additionally, there is a collective effort by the University to ensure that Family Weekend provides the opportunity for family members to connect with other Duke parents and students.

Registration and the Family Weekend schedule will be available on August 1 through the Parent and Family Programs webpage. For planning purposes, please note that programming will begin Friday morning and continue through midday Sunday.

Design Your Duke

This month's content is from Leanne Brown, Assistant Director for Undergraduate Programs and Services at the Duke University Career Center.

Why Your Student Should Create Their Own Board of Directors

Would you like for your student to be set up for a lifetime of better decision making?

They can enjoy multiple opportunities at Duke to seek advice from people who know them, their strengths, and their goals. Duke recommends setting up a board of directors, for which they are the chair, to get advice during their time at Duke and beyond. This board is comprised of people who know them and know different aspects of them from different areas of their life. We recommend intentionally creating long-term relationships with a variety of people on and off campus. Especially early in their career, when faced with an opportunity or major decision, students with a board of directors will have people who know them to offer their perspective. Ultimately, their decisions are their own, of course, but it can be immensely helpful to seek different perspectives while they are making them.

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.

In Case You Missed It

Tobacco-Free Campus

In April 2018, Duke University announced a new smoke-free policy that would prohibit the use of combustible tobacco on campus beginning July 1, 2020. Since that time, campus medical experts have reviewed the growing body of evidence on the health risks associated with e-cigarettes and vaping. Accordingly, this month a modification to the policy was announced. Now all tobacco products including e-cigaretts, vaping, and chewing tobacco will be part of this policy, making Duke a tobacco-free campus on July 1st.

Nationally Competitive Scholarships

Junior and Senior Parent -- Is your son or daughter interested in applying for a Fulbright, Rhodes, or other scholarship? Do you know that Duke has an office devoted to helping students apply for these opportunities? Nationally Competitive Scholarships in the Office of University Scholars and Fellows has two full-time advisors poised to help. Please note that timeline for taking up an award in the fall of 2021 begins in the Spring of 2020 with many deadlines in early August 2020. Please refer your student to this office for scholarship advising. The office holds general information sessions every Monday at 4pm in their office and individual advising by appointment.

New Art Exhibits on Campus

Two new cultural exhibits opened this week at the Rubenstein Arts Center, affectionately called the Ruby. Radio Haïti-Inter: Three Decades of Resistance tells the story of how Haiti’s first independent radio station became a voice for democracy. This multimedia experience uses photographs, ephemera, objects, and sound recordings from the Radio Haiti Archive at Duke University. The second exhibit, When I Say Africa: Photographs from the Continent, is a selection of photographs by African artists that crafts a narrative to reframe how Americans see the continent. Read more here.