Dear President Price

The Board of Trustees has bestowed a great responsibility and honor upon you. Hundreds of thousands of Duke students, faculty, staff and alumni are now looking to see what direction you will set for this institution. We hope you will use the trust you have been given to support, enrich and broaden the community that you now join.

Duke is uniquely positioned to thrive. As you noted during your time on campus last week, Duke has risen rapidly to the top echelon of academic institutions. The last several years have also seen a proliferation of innovative new programs and opportunities which will allow members of the University community to seek knowledge and serve the world in ways that were inconceivable just a few years ago.

You have an opportunity now to do great things as a result of Duke’s position. Just because we have gone so far does not mean that we have no further to go. There are new opportunities to explore, both here in Durham and across the world. But there are also concerns that you will need to address, from programs with an uncertain future to students who feel they are not at home here. We hope you will focus both on the opportunities and the problems during your time here.

In particular, we look forward to your support as we continue our mission of making Duke as transparent and accountable as possible for those who depend on it. A university with a multi-billion dollar endowment and programs reaching hundreds of places around the world can be an opaque and intimidating place at times. That is a problem which we seek to remedy every day. Ask the tough questions and be open to the honest answers.

We also believe strongly that every person who is part of Duke has a right to expect that this institution will constantly work to earn their trust, and we hope you agree. You are not just accountable to the Board of Trustees, but to the thousands of students, faculty, staff and alumni who center their lives around this place.

We want to welcome you to Durham. You will find that it is a vibrant and dynamic city that seeks to be a model in the South. As the leader of one of Durham’s largest institutions, please respect the enormous responsibility to the community that comes with running this University. Duke has not always been a model for positive community relations, and many locals, particularly from marginalized communities, still maintain a wariness toward us.

We hope you will find membership in this community to be as engaging and rewarding as we have. We wish you every success in the years to come, and look forward to seeing—and reporting on—the great things you will accomplish during your tenure here.

Sincerely,