Filling a gap left by the recent departure of Vice Provost George Wright, Provost John Strohbehn has appointed two women with extensive experience in equal opportunity matters to lead the way in the University's ongoing effort to recruit black faculty.
Myrna Adams, vice president for institutional equity, and Dr. Brenda Armstrong, associate professor of pediatric cardiology, have been chosen by the provost to head up the Strategic Plan for Black Faculty Development, a resolution passed by the Academic Council in January 1994 emphasizing the importance of recruitment and retention of black faculty during the next 10 years. Wright, who had been responsible for the recruitment initiative, is currently on a leave of absence to serve as executive vice president and provost at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Strohbehn said he was pleased with the appointments and the experience that Adams and Armstrong will bring to their positions. "Myrna Adams has long experience in affirmative-action programs and would be able to move forward reasonably quickly," he said. "Dr. Armstrong is a long-standing faculty member in the Medical Center and will be able to bring a deep knowledge of the culture and practices in the Medical Center, which are important to doing this job effectively."
Adams, who arrived at the University in early September to fill her newly-created position as vice president, said she looks forward to working on black faculty recruitment and does not think those responsibilities will interfere with her duties as vice president. She added that her experience as director of affirmative action programs at the University of Illinois at Chicago will be useful when dealing with the issues and details of black faculty recruitment.
Armstrong, who could not be reached for comment, has been heavily involved with minority issues at the University as both a student and faculty member. In 1969, she participated in the takeover of the Allen Building by black students protesting discrimination at the University. She has also been active in issues of black faculty recruitment and equal opportunity throughout the Medical Center and the University.
Some have criticized the black faculty initiative as setting unrealistic goals for recruitment, given the small pool of available black Ph.D.'s, especially in fields such as the sciences.
Adams, however, disputed this characterization. "I think [the goals] are very realistic. And we have specified the level at which we'll do the recruitment," she said. "The one thing that I realize is that we're probably going to be going after people who are currently at other places, because they will have established a track record that will make them interesting to Duke departments."
To assist in these efforts, a $500,000 Black Faculty Recruitment Fund was established in 1994 by the President and the Provost. The fund allows departments to be more flexible in their recruiting efforts for black faculty, Strohbehn said in an interview last June.
If particular departments are not receptive to recruitment efforts, Adams said that she would have few qualms about focusing her efforts on departments that wanted to work with the strategic plan. "If there is a sense of a feeling that some departments aren't going to provide a welcoming environment, but instead will provide a hostile environment, then I think I wouldn't want to recruit for that kind of situation," she said.
"I think we have enough departments that have faculty in them who would welcome colleagues from any background who are able to contribute to the academic enterprise, and I want to work with those departments. I want to provide that kind of collegial atmosphere in which good, quality people are going to work. We don't have to subject them to any form of disrespect, and I wouldn't want to participate in any initiative that was going to do that," Adams said.
Trinity senior April Preyar, president of the Black Student Alliance, expressed concern last May that Wright's departure would hinder recruitment efforts, but said in a recent interview that she was confident Adams and Armstrong would keep the momentum of the initiative going.
"I think it's definitely in the right hands," she said. "I'm not worried about the program faltering at all now." Preyar said she was confident that Adams' background would be serve her well as co-coordinator of the strategic plan, and added, "Brenda Armstrong's record speaks for itself."
There are currently 41 tenured or tenure-track black faculty at the University, according to Strohbehn. This represents 2.5 percent of the University's 1,661 faculty members on those levels.
1almost done-still need some more 2Capel uotes] After a disastrous 31994-95 season, the men's basketball 4team finds itself facing strange ques 5tions. Gone is the banter that nor 6mally surrounds a Blue Devil.
7Forgotten are the prognostications 8of potential Final Four match-ups. 9Now the questions are not about 10ital if ital the team will win 12 or 11games in the Atlantic Coast Confer 12ence, but rather ital can ital they 13win more than last year's total of 14two?
15For the first time in nearly a 16decade, the Blue Devils must face 17the hard questions that result from 18a season-long exercise in futility. 19"We have more question marks than 20we normally do," head coach Mike 21Krzyzewski said. "I think that's easy 22to see. One of the exciting things 23about questions is do you have an 24swers? Let's give these kids an op 25portunity to provide answers and, 26hopefully, they'll be good answers."
27Krzyzewski's comments come 28after a season in which Duke lost 29more games than it had in a decade 30and after the team's first absence 31from the NCAA tournament since 32the 1982-83 season, Krzyzewski's 33third at the helm.
34"I do think there are some things 35that we have to rebuild," Krzyzews 36ki said. "You don't go through last 37year, record-wise or whatever, and 38not have your confidence shaken 39some. That's going to happen. It's 40strange that for nine years we had 41all the positives and to suddenly 42have the other extreme."
43Since the team's loss to Wake For 44est in the ACC tournament, the pro 45gram has witnessed several shake-46ups, most notably two major coach 47ing changes.
48Former assistant coach Mike 49Brey stepped down on April 12 to ac 50cept the head coaching position at 51the University of Delaware. Pete 52Gaudet, who acted as head coach 53last year while Krzyzewski was side 54lined with back problems, also re 55moved himself from the coaching 56staff. Gaudet cited the NCAA salary 57cap on restricted-earnings coaches, 58not the Blue Devils' troubles on the 59court last year, as the motivation be 60hind his retirement. Only assistant 61coach Tommy Amaker remains on 62Krzyzewski's staff .63In June, Krzyzewski announced 64his replacements for Brey and 65Gaudet--coaches who had been the 66backbone of Duke's success over the 67past decade. Quin Snyder, a former 68player for Krzyzewski from 1986-89 69and an administrative intern last 70season, was named an assistant on 71June 1. In the following week, Tim 72O'Toole was named to assume 73Gaudet's restricted-earnings posi 74tion. O'Toole had served under Jim 75Boeheim at Syracuse for the past 76four seasons.
77"After being on board for a month, 78I'm happy with my new staff," 79Krzyzewski said. Aside from ques 80tions about the future of the new 81Blue Devil coaching staff, Krzyzews 82ki must also deal with a host of other 83problems: a roster full of untested 84young players, a player on academic 85probation, and a gaping hole in the 86middle, created by the loss of last 87year's co-MVPs--Erik Meek and 88Cherokee Parks--to.
89This summer, several of the 90younger players on the team are 91playing on the U.S. junior team. 92Sophomores Trajan Langdon and 93Steve Wojciechowski and incoming 94freshman Taymon Domzalski are 95playing in Greece on the junior 96team. Sophomore Ricky Price will 97play in the Olympic festival in Den 98ver in late July.
99"I have confidence that they can 100be good players," Krzyzewski said. 101"We have to create a system that 102will use their skills wisely.
103"I'm trying not to go into next 104season with any preconceived no 105tions that okay, my perimeter has 106to be Jeff, Ricky and Trajan. I want 107to look at what they've done over 108the summer and see how we can 109best use their skills."
110Some other Blue Devils have 111spent their summers in Durham, 112not on any organized teams. Car 113men Wallace and Tony Moore fin 114ished the first summer school se 115mester, and Jeff Capel, Tony Moore 116and Greg Newton are currently in 117the second semester of summer 118school.
119"I feel like there's a good chance 120we're going to have everybody with 121us next year," Krzyzewski said. 122"Greg has to do well in his summer
123Newton, who is serving a, could 124prove to be a valuable member of 125the 1995-96 squad. With Meek and 126Parks lost to graduation, Newton is 127the natural successor to their post 128position. But whether he will be el 129igible to play next fall is still uncer 130tain. He must pass both of his sum 131mer school courses in order to qual 132ify for the
133"He's motivated and we're keep 134ing daily contact with him," 135Krzyzewski said. ``I'd be very disap 136pointed for him if it doesn't hap 137pen." And with seldom-used Stan 138Brunson expected back in August 139from an injured ankle, the Blue 140Devils may be able to field a com 141plete team. Last year, several play 142ers were limited by injury, includ 143ing senior Chris Collins and Price.
144"My main concern is that we 145have everybody back," Krzyzewski 146said. "If we have everybody back, 147we have the opportunity to become 148a good basketball team. If we be149come a good one, we might be 150come a very good one. But we won't 151become a very good one unless we 152take the first step."
153Who will fill the void left by 154Parks and Meek? Can this team go 155in the conference? Will the return 156of Krzyzewski be enough to propel 157this team back into the top-25?
158"I don't think we started some of 159those Final Four years saying we're 160definitely going to be a regional 161championship team," Krzyzewski 162said. "But we can expect a 100% ef 163fort and a together effort everytime 164we play. That's all I asked of those 165other teams, except that they may 166have had a little bit more talent 167that pushed them into a champi 168onship level of play."
169[almost done-still need some 170Capel quotes] After a disastrous 171 season, the men's basketball team 172finds itself facing strange ques 173tions. Gone is the banter that nor 174mally surrounds a Blue Devil pre 175season.
176Forgotten are the prognostica 177tions of potential Final Four 178match-ups. Now the questions are 179not about ital--if--ital the team 180will win 12 or 14 games in the At 181lantic Coast Conference, but rather 182ital--can--ital they win more than 183last year's total of two?
184For the first time in nearly a 185decade, the Blue Devils must face 186the hard questions that result from 187a season-long exercise in futility. 188"We have more question marks 189than we normally do," head coach 190Mike Krzyzewski said. "I think 191that's easy to see. One of the excit 192ing things about questions is do you 193have answers? Let's give these kids 194an opportunity to provide answers 195and, hopefully, they'll be good an 196swers."
197Krzyzewski's comments come 198after a season in which Duke lost 199more games than it had in a decade 200and after the team's first absence 201from the NCAA tournament since 202the 1982-83 season, Krzyzewski's 203third at the helm.
204"I do think there are some things 205that we have to rebuild," Krzyzews 206ki said. "You don't go through last 207year, record-wise or whatever, and 208not have your confidence shaken 209some. That's going to happen. It's 210strange that for nine years we had 211all the positives and to suddenly 212have the other extreme."
213Since the team's loss to Wake 214Forest in the ACC tournament, the 215program has witnessed several 216shake-ups, most notably two major 217coaching changes.
218Former assistant coach Mike 219Brey stepped down on April 12 to 220accept the head coaching position 221at the University of Delaware. Pete 222Gaudet, who acted as head coach 223last year while Krzyzewski was 224sidelined with back problems, also 225removed himself from the coaching 226staff. Gaudet cited the NCAA 227salary cap on restricted-earnings 228coaches, not the Blue Devils' trou 229bles on the court last year, as the 230motivation behind his retirement. 231Only assistant coach Tommy 232Amaker remains on Krzyzewski's 233staff from last season.
234In June, Krzyzewski announced 235his replacements for Brey and 236Gaudet--coaches who had been the 237backbone of Duke's success over the 238past decade. Quin Snyder, a former 239player for Krzyzewski from 1986-240and an administrative intern last 241season, was named an assistant on 242June 1. In the following week, Tim 243 was named to assume Gaudet's re 244stricted-earnings position. O'Toole 245had served under Jim Boeheim at 246Syracuse for the past four seasons.
247"After being on board for a 248month, I'm happy with my new 249staff," Krzyzewski said. Aside from 250questions about the future of the 251new Blue Devil coaching staff, 252Krzyzewski must also deal with a 253host of other problems: a roster full 254of untested young players, a player 255on academic probation, and a gap 256ing hole in the middle, created by 257the loss of last year's co-MVPs--258Erik Meek and Cherokee Park.
259This summer, several of the 260younger players on the team are 261playing on the U.S. junior team. 262Sophomores Trajan Langdon and 263Steve Wojciechowski and incoming 264freshman Taymon Domzalski are 265playing in Greece on the junior 266team. Sophomore Ricky Price will 267play in the Olympic festival in Den 268ver in late July.
269"I have confidence that they can 270be good players," Krzyzewski said. 271"We have to create a system that 272will use their skills wisely.
273"I'm trying not to go into next 274season with any preconceived no 275tions that okay, my perimeter has 276to be Jeff, Ricky and Trajan. I want 277to look at what they've done over 278the summer and see how we can 279best use their skills."
280Some other Blue Devils have 281spent their summers in Durham, 282not on any organized teams. Car 283men Wallace and Tony Moore fin 284ished the first summer school se 285mester, and Jeff Capel, Tony Moore 286and Greg Newton are currently in 287the second semester of summer 288school.
289"I feel like there's a good chance 290we're going to have everybody with 291us next year," Krzyzewski said. 292"Greg has to do well in his summer 293school session."
294Newton, who is serving a ***, 295could prove to be a valuable mem 296ber of the 1995-96 squad. With 297Meek and Parks lost to graduation, 298Newton is the natural successor to 299their post position. But whether he 300will be eligible to play next fall is 301still uncertain. He must pass both 302of his summer school courses in 303order to qualify for.
304"He's motivated and we're keep 305ing daily contact with him," 306Krzyzewski said. ``I'd be very disap 307pointed for him if it doesn't hap 308pen." And with seldom-used Stan 309Brunson expected back in August 310from an injured ankle, the Blue 311Devils may be able to field a com 312plete team. Last year, several play 313ers were limited by injury, includ 314ing senior Chris Collins and Price.
315"My main concern is that we 316have everybody back," Krzyzewski 317said. "If we have everybody back, 318we have the opportunity to become 319a good basketball team. If we be 320come a good one, we might become 321a very good one. But we won't be 322come a very good one unless we 323take the first step."
324Who will fill the void left by 325Parks and Meek? Can this team go 326 in the conference? Will the return 327of Krzyzewski be enough to propel 328this team back into the top-25?
329"I don't think we started some of 330those Final Four years saying we're 331definitely going to be a regional 332championship team," Krzyzewski 333said. "But we can expect a 100% ef 334fort and a together effort everytime 335we play. That's all I asked of those 336other teams, except that they may 337have had a little bit more talent 338that pushed them into a champi 339onship level of play."
340[almost done-still need some 341Capel quotes] After a disastrous 342 season, the men's basketball team 343finds itself facing strange ques 344tions. Gone is the banter that nor 345mally surrounds a Blue Devil pre 346season.
347Forgotten are the prognostica 348tions of potential Final Four 349match-ups. Now the questions are 350not about ital--if--ital the team 351will win 12 or 14 games in the At 352lantic Coast Conference, but rather
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