Years of graduating students' classwork came to a close on commencement weekend, but before students received their diplomas, administrators got their own seals of approval from the Board of Trustees.
From building projects to two new doctoral programs, several long-planned administrative initiatives gained final approval Friday and Saturday at the Board's quarterly meeting. The Trustees also discussed the future of Duke football, approved next year's budget and heard a capital campaign update.
The Board gave final approval for the construction of a $97 million engineering and medical complex on Science Drive. The 320,000-square-foot Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences will house the Pratt School of Engineering's new Fitzpatrick Center for Photonics and Communications Systems, as well as biomedical engineering and materials sciences laboratories.
Trustees gave preliminary approval to three projects, including an $80 million multidisciplinary sciences building to be constructed next to the Biological Sciences Building. The Board also approved a $25-30 million addition to the Washington Duke Inn and a $12 million, 27,000-square-foot addition to the Sanford Institute of Public Policy.
"The key thing is that the funding comes through for all of them, and it looks like it will," said Board Chair Harold "Spike" Yoh.
Seeking to advance the University's efforts in genomics, the Trustees approved two new doctoral programs. The program in bioinformatics and genome technology arose from a postdoctoral program and a graduate certificate program. The Trustees also approved the merger of the genetics and microbiology departments into the new Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, a move spawned by a desire to enhance research as well as by a critical external review of microbiology.
President Nan Keohane said Trustees discussed administrative thoughts on the football program's future and on barriers to athletes' academic success. She said they discussed possible changes, including increasing coaching pay and improving facilities for the football team, which is currently in the midst of a 23-game losing streak.
"Our goal is to produce a vision statement for athletics at Duke sometime in the next academic year, and this discussion was one of several steps along the way," Keohane wrote in an e-mail.
Yoh said the Trustees are interested in the details of what can prevent an athlete from succeeding in the same way as a non-athlete, adding that having a competitive athletics program remains a priority.
The capital campaign continues on pace to meet its $2 billion goal by December 2003, but the gap between donors' pledges and what they have actually given is growing, reported John Piva, senior vice president for alumni affairs and development. The engineering school is closest to meeting its goal, with 99.6 percent of funds pledged, and the library system remains farthest behind at 81.7 percent.
Trustees approved a $1.221 billion budget for the 2003 fiscal year, a 4.4 percent increase over the current year. Non-payroll operating and administrative expenses received no increases, as administrators attempted to increase funding for academic priorities.
Several outgoing campus leaders gave farewell addresses to the Board.
Academic Council Chair Peter Burian, a professor of classical studies, warned that the recent elimination of supplemental retirement benefits for new Duke University Health System employees is a sign of a troubling cleft growing between campus employees and DUHS employees.
Graduate and Professional Student Council President Elayne Heisler discussed student social life and parking. Duke Student Government President C.J. Walsh also spoke on several issues, and emphasized that campus life has become less "carefree" since he arrived.
The Board established a new loan program for graduate and professional students. Partnering with Sallie Mae, a national loan provider, the University will begin offering educational loans to such students.
The Board also re-elected its current officers for the next year: Yoh, chair; Peter Nicholas, vice chair; Robert Steel, vice chair; and Allison Haltom, secretary.
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