Duke Streamlines Events & Activities Policies

To make the information more readily accessible, Duke has compiled its existing policies on events and activities, previously spread across multiple websites, on one easy-to-navigate platform.

The University Events and Activities Policies page combines in one place all the relevant policies for events on Duke’s campus – creating transparency and ease of access to information for anyone in the Duke community planning an event using campus indoor or outdoor spaces.  

Because protests and demonstrations are considered events, Duke’s Pickets, Protests, and Demonstrations (PPD) support team works with any group that is planning an event to provide a space for open expression in accordance with Duke’s Community Standard and Faculty Handbook.

“Our goal is to assure the university’s commitment to freedom of expression while also assuring the physical safety of each member of our community and the continuity of Duke’s core teaching, research and clinical operations,” said Daniel Ennis, executive vice president at Duke.

The PPD support team comprises more than 120 staff and faculty from across Duke’s diverse communities who have been trained to aid in deescalating tension during protests. The team partners with event organizers before and during events to maintain a safe and respectful environment.

“The PPD support team helps ensure participants and organizers in events can safely express their opinions in a way that promotes learning and constructive conversation,” said Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president of student affairs. “Student Affairs remains fully committed to fostering an environment where students can engage in discourse and expression as that’s fundamental to our mission here at Duke.”