We hope your student is settling into their new rhythm and preparing well for their first round of midterms, which are right around the corner.

The spring semester always brings new opportunities for students to connect with on-campus resources and plan for the future. As your student continues to explore, we hope these emails will provide you with some basic information about how you might support them this semester. 

One of the highlights of the spring semester is the New Student and Family Programs (NSFP) Spring Webinar Series. Each month, we will host a webinar for parents and families. Topics will vary. Some of our webinars will focus on resources, while others will highlight campus administrators and leaders. We hope this series will help you feel more connected to the Duke family.

Thanks for all you do to support your student!

GO DUKE!

New Student and Family Programs

Join us Tuesday, January 28th, at 6:00pm ET for our January Parent & Family Webinar: A Discussion with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). In this webinar, we will discuss how students and families can navigate the "second-semester blues" and how the spring semester can be different than the first. The discussion covers topics ranging from common student experiences, managing emotional wellbeing and stress, how proactive support and wellness can help students perform optimally, and how families can partner to support their students.

Click here to register today.

If you cannot attend or wish to revisit the content, we will record and post the webinar online. Please allow 48 hours after the webinar airs for us to post the content on the Parent and Family webpage.

Is your student planning to live off-campus for their final year? Making the move from on-campus housing to independent living is an exciting milestone, but it can also be overwhelming.

To support this transition, the Office of Off-Campus and Community Life and Student Affairs have introduced a dedicated resource designed to help students thrive in the Durham community. This new platform serves as a one-stop shop for all things related to off-campus living.

Key features of the new Duke University Off-Campus Housing Website include:

Map-based housing search with a variety of tools, including filters for proximity to campus, price range, shared housing versus entire units, lease type, pet policy, parking options, neighborhoods, and a comprehensive list of amenities.

Detailed property listings featuring photos, floor plans, virtual tours, contact information, a commute planning tool, and more.

Valuable insights on tenant rights and responsibilities.

Local resources to help students settle into life in Durham, including guidance on getting around town, discovering local activities, accessing community information, setting up utilities, and staying connected on campus.

Roommate finder tool, where students can create profiles and connect with fellow Blue Devils based on social and lifestyle habits, housing timelines/preferences, graduation year, program, and more.

Sublet listing feature, allowing students, faculty, and staff to create and post a property listing at no cost.

Click here to visit the Off-Campus Housing Website >

Parents and family members can register for a guest account and contact properties directly.

Students can register here using their Duke NetID login to contact property managers, use the roommate finder, and share a sublet listing.

This message was shared with students. We ask for your support in reiterating these safety measures:

Celebrating Duke Basketball home victories with a bonfire is a beloved Blue Devil tradition. Pending a Duke win over UNC and safe weather conditions, the bonfire will take place following Saturday’s game, February 1st. Students are expected to review the guidelines below, established by the Durham Fire Marshal and Duke University officials, to ensure everyone’s safety:

On-Campus Watch Parties

Want to watch Saturday’s game on campus? Join the excitement starting at 4:30 p.m. at Devil’s Krafthouse, Crown Commons, or Gothic Grill. Please note that no outside beverages or furniture are allowed at the watch parties.

Internship Funding Program

The Duke Career Center is excited to announce that the application cycle for the Internship Funding Program is now open. Please share the following with your students:
 
The Internship Funding Program awards summer stipends to undergraduate students who are pursuing unpaid or low-paying internship opportunities. Through the generosity of corporate and private donors, the Career Center is able to offer $4000 in grants to students who are pursuing these types of summer experiences. The grants are intended to be used towards living expenses and are not compensation for the work being performed by the students in their internships. 

Students eligible for funding include first-year, sophomores, juniors, and first-semester seniors from all undergraduate academic majors. Students do not need a confirmed internship offer to apply for funding.
 
For additional information about the Internship Funding Program, including application deadlines, eligibility criteria, and selection process, please visit the program page on Career Hub.

To the Duke Community:  

Welcome back to a new semester. I hope you found time for rest and revitalization over the winter break, and I hope you look forward, as I do, to this new term with its promise for new learning, new connections and new opportunities. It’s exciting to see our classrooms, labs and dining halls already alive with the exchange of ideas. 

In this new semester, I want to reiterate Duke’s enduring commitment to open and respectful discourse. Duke is stronger because of the vibrant diversity of our backgrounds and our beliefs. As we share our insights and views within our university community, let’s strive for productive engagement. Last fall, I launched the Provost’s Initiative on Free Inquiry, Pluralism, and Belonging, a university-wide effort to support open and candid discussion, both in the classroom and across the campus. In a variety of settings, Duke is working to promote civil discourse and create spaces for conversations that foster shared learning and greater understanding. The ability to listen and debate with respect for different viewpoints is an important skill that all members of our community should have the opportunity to learn. Focusing on productive engagement will enrich our everyday interactions with each other. 

I’m proud to be a part of Duke’s academic community, and I value the unique contribution that each member of the faculty, staff and student body makes to this university. Thank you for bringing your best to Duke and for being willing to listen, learn and grow. I wish you a semester filled with curiosity, discovery and joy.

Sincerely,

Alec D. Gallimore, Ph.D.

Provost

Alfred J. Hooks E '68 Distinguished Professor