We know that Duke students often struggle with always being and doing the best, a product of the high-caliber of students attending Duke combined with the rigorous academic environment. Our hope in Student Affairs is that Duke students can achieve a healthy strive for excellence – not perfectionism. One path to realizing this goal is to nurture self-compassion within our students. Every aspect of the Student Wellness Center was intentionally built to encourage self-compassion and self-care, from the expansive windows allowing natural light to the various textures and natural elements used in the construction.

Read the full reflection on wellness, perfectionism, and self-compassion from Tom Szigethy, Associate Dean of Students & Director of DuWell.

December 7  •  Last Day of Fall Classes
December 8-11  •  Reading Period
December 12-17  •  Final Exams
December 18  •  Residence Halls Close
January 2  •  Deadline to Renew 2019-2020 Financial Aid 
January 5  •  Residence Halls Open  
January 6-8  •  Undergraduate Winter Forum*
January 7  •  Spring Tuition Bills Due
January 7 or 9  •  Selective Living Group Recruitment Begins** 
January 8  •  IFC Fraternity Recruitment Begins
January 9  •  Spring Semester Classes Begin
January 11  •  Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment Begins
January 21  •  No Classes (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Holiday)
February 6-8  •  2019 Housing Application Open

* For students already accepted into the Forum
** Start date varies by SLG

Spring 2019 tuition is due Monday, January 7. Due to a hardware upgrade completed this semester, family members must be regranted access to view their student’s tuition bills. If your student has not recently invited you to renew your proxy access, please have them follow the steps detailed here. We appreciate your support in Duke’s ongoing effort to ensure the most secure approach possible to protecting student information.

January will mark the beginning of the recruitment and intake process for Duke University Greek organizations. Join professional staff members from Fraternity & Sorority Life (FSL) and Parent & Family Programs to learn more about the recruitment/intake process, new member education, risk management, and more. The live webinar can be accessed here on Monday, December 10 at 4:00pm EST by entering the password “DukeGreek.” A recorded video of the webinar will be posted on the Duke Parent & Family website by the close of business on Wednesday, December 12.

Duke Summer Session provides a variety of life-changing opportunities for high school students. Our summer programs are hosted on Duke’s campus and include three programs each with their own focus and dates: Summer College, Summer Academy, and Accelerated STEM Academy. Applications for Duke Summer Session are now open!

The Duke Admissions Office has announced the launch of the Duke Gap Year Program, which allows students to apply for funding to take a gap year program that may not have otherwise been affordable. A brief application will be available in early 2019 where students can describe their intended gap year program, their personal goals for the year, and the benefit they will receive from the funding. Click here to learn more about the new Gap Year Program.

On November 19, President Vincent E. Price responded to an instance of anti-Semitism on Duke's campus. President Price's email to the Duke community described his commitment to convening a meeting of leaders from Duke, the local community, and public officials in order to create an action plan to confront this issue.