New Normal: A Message from the Dean of Students

Dr. John Blackshear began as the new Dean of Students and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs on August 1st. Dean Blackshear has been part of the Duke community since 2001, serving in a wide range of support roles for students, including most recently as Dean of Academic Affairs for Trinity College of Arts & Sciences and Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. He will continue to hold the latter post during his time as Dean of Students. Read more about Dean Blackshear in the Duke Today announcement.

In the spirit of this new academic year, Dean Blackshear introduces himself and welcomes families to the "new normal" of this semester. Watch the video above.

Important Dates

September 19 • Fall 2020 tuition and fees due
October 16-18 • Virtual Family Weekend 2020
October 28 - November 9 • Spring 2021 class registration
October 30 • Last day to withdraw with W from Fall 2020 classes
November 16 • Undergraduate classes end
November 17-19 • Undergraduate reading period
November 20-24 • Final examinations
November 25 - January 19 • Winter Break

Student Spotlight

Avery Lythcott-Haims T’23 talks about her experience coming back to campus this semester. Reflecting on this time of transition, Avery emphasizes the role of the Duke community from her clubs and organizations to connecting with those she passes on her way to class. Hear more from Avery in this month’s Parent and Family Podcast.

Orientation Recap

Duke welcomed the Class of 2024 and new transfer students with a series of virtual events throughout July and August. The parents and families of new students also joined the Duke Family during Parent and Family Orientation sessions. Welcome to our new families!

Parent and Family Programs would like to extend a sincere thank you to all those who participated in various orientation events. For those who were not able to join us or would like to rewatch any of the previously recorded sessions, links can be found here.

Upcoming Events

Family Weekend

In accordance with the President's email on July 26th and Duke's no visitor policy, Family Weekend 2020 will occur virtually. While we wish we could meet in-person, it is essential for the health and safety of the campus community that families do not come to campus during Family Weekend.

More information will be shared soon about our virtual events, which will occur October 16th-18th.

DPAC Applications NOW OPEN!

The Duke Parents Advisory Council (DPAC) plays a crucial role within the University by providing feedback and support throughout the academic year. Family members wishing to join DPAC as a Class of 2024 or At-Large representative may apply now.

The 2020-2021 application can be found on the Parent and Family Programs webpage and is due by Monday, September 28th at 5pm EDT. Decisions will be communicated with parents the second week of October.

Virtual Career Fair

The Career Center is excited to host their most popular annual career fair in a virtual format Wednesday, September 23rd, 4:00pm-7:00pm EDT.

Using the best fair technology, students and employers will interact via chat and video in virtual booths. Students can access additional information on employers attending, virtual fair tutorials, and required CareerEco registration in CareerConnections. In addition, the Career Center will host drop-in Q&A hours for students leading up to the event to provide training and support. Dates and times are in CareerConnections.

Additional virtual career fairs this fall providing exposure to opportunities across a range of industries include TechConnect (September 22nd) and Healthcare & Life Sciences Fair (October 13th).

Virtual Wellness Activities

A variety of wellness activities are available for students regardless of whether they are in Durham or at home, in quarantine or not. This includes, but is not limited to:

DuWell sponsors Koru Meditation and other weekly Moments of Mindfulness programs

Duke Rec & P.E. is offering a digital membership to access online classes and their video library
DukeCreate organizes hands-on arts workshops designed to help students develop a variety of creative skills

In Case You Missed It

Campus Testing & Quarantine Efforts

As an additional safety measure, campus pool testing began during the first week of classes. Both on-campus and off-campus students who reside in Durham will be tested regularly throughout the semester. Learn more about pool testing—also called surveillance testing—here or meet the team powering Duke's testing efforts in this video.

Students with positive COVID tests or those identified through contact tracing who are thought to have been exposed are placed into quarantine or isolation (QI). Temporary QI facilities are provided for students living on campus, and these students are supported by the Isolation Care Team (ICT). Learn more about the QI experience and the role of the ICT in these FAQs.

Undergraduate Families Leadership Conversation

On Monday, August 24th President Vincent E. Price and Provost Sally Kornbluth led a conversation about Duke's response to the pandemic and the semester ahead. This special session for families was hosted by Gary Bennett, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, and Mary Pat McMahon, Vice Provost/Vice President for Student Affairs. Watch the recording here.

Wilson Recreation Center Reopening

Yesterday Duke Rec & P.E. announced expanded operations in coordination with North Carolina entering Phase 2.5 of the "Safer at Home" order. This includes Wilson Recreation Center beginning a phased reopening on Monday, September 14th. More information can be found in the Rec & P.E. FAQ.

Spring Planning & Housing

We know that families are eager to know more about Spring 2021 and in particular more about on-campus housing. At this time, we do not have additional information. All housing decisions will be tied to the University's larger planning for the spring. Once finalized, this information will be shared with our parent and family community.

Design Your Duke

Greg Victory, Assistant Vice President, Student Affairs &
Fannie Mitchell Executive Director, Career Center

Career Everywhere

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

To do this we will capitalize on Duke's career everywhere ecosystem. We know that students have career-related conversations with faculty, alumni, staff, families, and their peers every day. It is our commitment to amplify and support these conversations so that they benefit more students, connecting them to the best resources to ensure they can explore and reflect upon all of the career options open to them.

It is our hope that students see the Career Center as a place where they can test out ideas, reflect on experiences, build confidence in the competencies they have developed, and connect with future opportunities. Our team provides an impartial perspective to students through the entire career exploration and career readiness process. We know how they invest their time in and outside of the classroom leads to building a strong portfolio of competencies and developing a story that will allow them to secure the kinds of opportunities that they seek—whether that’s research, internships, or post-graduate experiences.

Keep an eye out for more about the Career Center in this monthly newsletter section, and stay informed to support your student as we encourage them to design their own Duke experience.

Testing Tracker

In an effort to keep the Durham and Duke communities informed, data about campus testing is published each Monday on Duke's Testing Tracker.