Trustees Hold Fall Meeting, Re-Visit Strategic Task Forces

At its quarterly meeting, the Duke University Board of Trustees began a year-long program focused on the status of recommendations of previous Board of Trustees strategic task forces. Participants will re-visit the work of certain strategic task forces for the purpose of measuring progress and accomplishments, identifying work still needing to be done or any changes to course, and charting next steps.

The program of strategic engagement, which includes participation by students, faculty and administrators, is designed to allow participants to contribute their expertise and provide advice to senior leadership in planning for the future.

The September meeting focused on the Activating the Global Network Strategic Task Force of 2018-19, with updates provided and discussions led by the following university leaders:

  • Dave Kennedy, vice president for alumni engagement and development;
  • Yakut Gazi, vice provost for learning innovation and digital education (joined by Nelson Baker, interim dean for the division of lifetime learning at Georgia Institute of Technology);
  • Jenn Chambers, assistant vice president for lifelong learning and associate vice provost for learning innovations;
  • Scott Greenwood, associate vice president and interim chief engagement officer; and
  • Greg Victory, Fannie Mitchell executive director of career services and assistant vice president of student affairs.

Trustee and Chair of the AGN Task Force Katy Hollister and Trustee and Duke Alumni President Vikas Patel also moderated discussions.

In other business, the board:

  • Welcomed new trustees Thomas (Tom) Lister, Sharon Marcil, Gregory Palmer, David Taylor, Andrew (Andy) Dillon, Sydney Hunt and Warren Lattimore;
  • Welcomed new senior leaders and members of the President’s Cabinet, including Alec Gallimore, provost; Mary Klotman, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; Toddi Steelman, vice president and vice provost for climate and sustainability; and Frank Tramble, vice president for communications, marketing.  and public affairs;
  • Reviewed the annual report on Duke University’s endowment, which is managed by DUMAC;
  • Reviewed the university’s annual financial report;
  • Received updates on the experiences of Duke student-athletes, including curricular and co-curricular programs, campus life engagement, and mental health and wellbeing support; and
  • Approved recommendations from the board’s standing committees.