The Duke Will

Unveiled to the Duke community in late September, President Price has developed a strategic framework that seeks to answer important questions about the future of Duke. President Price sought to answer: what do we want Duke to look like ten years from now? A hundred years from now? More importantly, how do we get Duke there? The Duke Will framework focuses on five core areas: empowering people, transforming education, building community, forging partnerships, and engaging our networks. Watch the video above for an overview of the Duke Will and read more about Duke's horizon by visiting the Duke Will website.

Important Dates

October 25-27 • Family Weekend
October 30 - November 11 • Spring 2020 Class Registration
November 27 - December 1 • Thanksgiving Recess
December 11-16 • Final Examination Period
December 17 - January 7 • Winter Break

Student Spotlight

Liv McKinney, T'20, reflects on her role as Duke Student Government (DSG) President and how it offers her the unique position to influence the future of the University. Read more about DSG's objectives and hopes for Duke in the Parent and Family Programs blog.

Family Weekend

There is still time to register for Family Weekend 2019! Join us October 25-27 for a fun-filled weekend including student group performances, talks from Duke community members, and various other community-building events. For schedule and registration information, visit the Parent and Family Programs website here.

We look forward to seeing you on campus in less than two weeks!

Upcoming Events

2019 Provost Forum: "Immigration in a Divided World"

The 2019 Provost Forum, organized by a university-wide steering committee and open to Duke students, faculty, and staff as well as members of the local community, will run October 16-17. The topic of the Forum is "Immigration in a Divided World" and focuses on areas of tension within and between nations over issues of immigration. You can view the Forum agenda and read the biographies of the 2019 speakers from the Office of the Provost. While the event is free and open to the public, please note that registration is required for the panel discussions and the talk by author and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.

Embark: Potential New Member Orientation

Embark: Potential New Member Orientation is a program designed for any student interested in joining a fraternity or sorority at Duke. The program aims to help students clarify what is important to them and how to find those things in a fraternity or sorority chapter before students go through recruitment or intake processes. Participation is required prior to joining a Greek organization. The Fall 2019 dates are:

October 20, 10am-12pm, Penn Pavilion
November 2, 10am-12pm, Penn Pavilion
November 2, 1pm-3pm, Penn Pavilion

First-year students received an email on October 5th with information about Embark. If a student has any questions regarding the program, the student may email leadership@duke.edu.

Duke Datathon

On November 2-3, Duke will host the second-annual Duke Datathon, where students have the opportunity to attack real data in real time! Data is released in the early morning and students work in collaborative teams throughout the day. Companies and local business are encouraged to come and talk to our students throughout the weekend. Students submit code, a written report, and a small presentation, which is reviewed by a board of undergraduate students. The top teams present to a panel of faculty judges and are presented with awards (gift cards). Student applications for participation are due on Friday, October 25.

Thanksgiving Break Travel Shuttle

Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) operates free shuttle service to and from RDU International Airport for Thanksgiving break. For dates and times, please visit their website. Reservations are required. Seats are limited. Note: PTS does not offer this shuttle service at the beginning or end of semesters.

Design Your Duke

Bill Wright-Swadel - Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Fannie Mitchell Executive Director of the Duke University Career Center

The Career Center is poised to train students to maximize their Duke experience, to empower them to develop the competencies that are necessary in order to thrive, and to stay engaged in their academic career, while also taking advantage of all the professional development opportunities Duke has to offer.

Intentional professional development is the Career Center’s goal for each of our students. We support students in making effective decisions around how they invest their academic, co-curricular, and experiential time, so that these choices lead to building the portfolio and developing the story that will allow them to secure the kinds of opportunities that they want—whether that’s research, internships, or post-graduate opportunities.

Keep an eye out for this monthly newsletter section to stay informed about the Career Center and support your student as they Design their Duke.

LiveSafe App

To promote safety on campus, we encourage all members of the Duke community to download the LiveSafe app. The app provides easy ways to quickly contact emergency numbers, share safety concerns, and access additional safety resources.

The app also includes the popular “SafeWalk” feature, which allows Duke community members to be virtually accompanied to a destination using GPS-enabled location technology.

The app is available in both Apple and Google Play app stores.

In Case You Missed It

Duke Puppy Kindergarten Admits New Class

The Duke Canine Cognition Center has officially welcomed seven puppies to campus. The puppies are part of a long-term study designed to assess the effects that different rearing strategies have on the behavior and cognitive development of assistance dogs. The goal: to increase the supply of assistance dogs. Luckily, there are lots of ways for students to get involved with this fun program.

Global Engagement Program Accepting Applications

Duke International House (IHouse), in collaboration with the Career Center, has developed the Global Engagement Program (GEP) to provide domestic students beneficial interactions with international students and scholars at Duke as a way to prepare them to be true global citizens. Applications are open through November 4, 2019.