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Trustees Receive Updates on Strategic Initiatives

The trustees also pay tribute to Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz, a Duke professor of medicine, pathology and biochemistry who was a co-winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in chemistry

The Duke University Board of Trustees this weekend were presented with strategic reviews of Duke's School of Nursing by nursing school Dean Catherine Gilliss and of the Athletics Department by Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White.

Since 2004, the School of Nursing has grown considerably -- doubling the number of degree programs from two to four, increasing its student enrollment from 440 to 772 and expanding the school's faculty from 33 to 77.

In 2006, the school moved into a state-of the-art, 59,000-square-foot building. In October of this year, ground was broken on a 45,000-square-foot addition that is expected to be completed in 2014.

The school's reputation has also grown in that time, moving from 21st in the U.S. News & Report rankings for nursing schools in 2004 to seventh in 2011.

In October, as part of the university's fundraising campaign, Duke Forward, the Athletics Department unveiled ambitious plans to renovate and expand Wallace Wade Stadium, upgrade Cameron Indoor Stadium and tackle a number of other projects. The department also announced plans to shore up its financial base.

White said in October that people will soon see an increased level of commitment "relative to not just football, but also college basketball and the Olympic sports. The facilities upgrade plan will touch every student-athlete in every sport in a pretty significant way."

The trustees also received updates on Duke's progress with online courses, Duke Kunshan University in China and Duke's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative, including news about the recent appointment of Eric Toone to head up the initiative.

Earlier this month, Duke announced it is joining a consortium with nine other institutions that will each provide online courses for credit for students at all 10 institutions. Earlier this year, Duke entered into an online venture with Coursera, a company that provides a platform to deliver free courses without formal academic credit to anyone in the world who chooses to enroll.

In other business, the trustees:

-- approved a resolution of tribute for Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz, a Duke professor of medicine, pathology and biochemistry who was a co-winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

-- approved the construction of a chilled water project to cool the buildings on East Campus, at an estimated cost of about $10 million.