Dear members of the Duke community,
We are writing as the senior academic officials for the
university, Arts & Sciences and the Pratt School of Engineering to address issues
that were raised in an unpublished paper, authored by several Duke faculty members,
which provided an analysis and interpretation of data from the Campus Life and
Learning (CLL) project. While this is a
new study, and independent from the CLL, it uses data that were gathered from Duke
students between 2001 and 2007.
We're also writing as teachers and educators who share a
concern about students and majors in our university. We understand how the conclusions of the
research paper can be interpreted in ways that reinforce negative
stereotypes. At the same time, our goal
of academic success for all should not inhibit research and discussion to
clarify important issues of academic choice and achievement.
As a university committed to the liberal arts, we expect
students to explore different areas of knowledge and we provide them with an
array of opportunities to do so. Duke
admits students with a broad and diverse mix of skills, interests, aspirations
and backgrounds -- individuals who can contribute to and enhance our learning
community, and create the most exciting possible culture in the classroom and
beyond. Once at Duke, we encourage
students to follow their passions, pursue their interests, and select majors
they find challenging and fulfilling.
Hence, each student at Duke is here because of what we believe he or she
can take from, and contribute to, being at Duke and what each person can
achieve after leaving Duke.
We also want to be clear that there is no "easy" major
at Duke. The rigor of our curriculum and
the diversity of requirements in each major ensure that every student will face
academic challenges whether they concentrate on the humanities, social
sciences, natural sciences or engineering. While methods of grading may differ depending
on the nature of the material and the norms in the disciplines, all majors at
Duke will stretch the minds and test the capabilities of all our students.
The CLL project was conceived in 1999 as Duke's response to
the publication of "The Shape of the River," a landmark study of race in
higher education that identified areas of concern for all colleges and
universities. The CLL had two very
specific goals: first, to enable Duke to
better assure that all students succeed to their full potential. And second, to identify, and thereby help
Duke and other institutions reduce, barriers to achievement that might exist. A number of Duke faculty, administrators and
students were involved in the CLL, which was funded by the Mellon Foundation
and encompassed the entering classes of 2001 and 2002.
Gaining such a detailed portrait of the educational
and social experiences of Duke students helped us make critical and necessary
changes in a number of areas, from student life and housing to financial
aid. Of particular note is the
significant enhancement of our grant and loan programs in 2007, which made Duke's
financial aid packages competitive with our peer universities after years of
lagging behind and which made it possible for all Duke students to take full
advantage of our academic programs like study abroad and DukeEngage.
But among the most
important changes have been in the areas of science education and
advising. As a result of what we learned
through the CLL, Duke has undertaken a series of initiatives that benefit every
student on campus. Some of these
initiatives started many years ago, when the first results of the CLL were
known, and thus are now a part of the fabric of the university. Others are new, or about to be launched, and
continue to be assessed and adjusted as we learn more each year. They include:
- Reorganizing academic advising to provide all
students with a more intense connection to mentors before and after major
declaration, and instituting a detailed system to monitor academic progress and
performance so problems could be identified and addressed as soon as they arose. - Revamping the introductory Chemistry courses to
ensure that students can have a challenging and successful introduction to that
subject, and thus continue to a higher level of study, regardless of their high
school preparation. - Restructuring the course sequence of Chemistry
and Math so students could make a more seamless progression through the basic
requirements of a pre-health program. - Launching Science Advancement through Group
Engagement (SAGE), a small-group learning program that utilizes lab-like study
groups that are attached to regularly scheduled Chemistry classes. - Creating the Cardea Fellows Program for students
who are committed to the health care professions. The program emphasizes high-touch advising,
team work and mentoring. Already
47 Duke students have participated in the program. - Strengthening
the Academic Resource Center with numerous outreach programs to ensure that
students utilize these resources in an empowering, safe, and stigma-free
environment. - Sponsoring
in the Pratt School of Engineering what has become the largest minority National
Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in the
country. - Continuing
an ongoing initiative in which science, math and engineering faculty members
have joined with academic advisors to examine how Duke students navigate the
gateway science and math curricula and how to improve student learning
outcomes.
We believe that these programs have already had, and will
continue to have, a positive effect on the ability of all students to be successful
at Duke.
Duke is a place of great passion and ambition -- for ideas,
for causes, for diversity and for a sense of community. We believe that everyone here is invested in
the success of our students, and we invite you to bring your concerns and your
solutions to us. These issues are
important, and we share a collective commitment to finding new paths to action.
Sincerely,
Peter Lange, Provost
Steve Nowicki, Vice Provost and
Dean of Undergraduate Education
Laurie Patton, Dean of Arts and
Sciences
Tom Katsouleas, Dean of the
Pratt School of Engineering
Lee Baker, Dean
of Academic Affairs, Arts and Sciences and Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate
Education
Linda Franzoni, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education,
Pratt School of Engineering