Need a Passport?
Duke hosts a passport drive for community members Nov. 16
Vance Fowler was in a passport pickle in September.
Fowler, a professor of medicine, had upcoming business trips to Chile and China, but he needed to resubmit his passport to the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. for a visa after the passport was denied for not having enough blank pages.
A colleague told Fowler to get in touch with Duke’s Global Administrative and Travel Support Office, which secured Fowler a second passport for his travels.
“They definitely saved the day,” Fowler said.
Duke’s Office of Global Affairs and the Global Administrative and Travel Support Office will host a passport drive for the Duke community from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 16 at Penn Pavilion. U.S. State Department officials will be at the event to accept passport applications and renewals. Local FedEx photographs will also be on-site to take passport photos. The event open to staff, faculty and students.
“This event is to show people it’s easy to do and not so overwhelming,” said Christy Michels, senior manager of global administrative policies and procedures.
Community members interested in services at the event should first visit the Duke Global Passport Drive website to download and fill out applications, review fees and learn what materials are needed before they arrive.
“Not everyone has easy access to a passport agency, so our goal is to bring the resources of a passport facility here to Duke," said Colette Watt, program coordinator for the Office of Global Affairs. "We want everyone to have the opportunity to travel abroad, and we hope the passport drive makes the process a little easier.”
The drive is part of International Education Week, which runs from Nov. 13-17. Other events include a Global Opportunities Fair on Nov. 13, a faculty Fulbright panel on Nov. 14, a discussion of U.S.-Cuban relations on Nov. 15 and films on student experiences abroad Nov. 17.