My Anti-Intellectual Campus

Work hard, play hard--the unofficial motto of Duke University. The adage suggests a climate of dynamism, with engaging and interesting students comprising a thriving campus where academic, intellectual, social and recreational life blend together and are pursued with vigor, and where many avenues of campus life augment the growth and maturation of young minds. In a word, Duke was, and is, heavily advertised as collegial in the best sense of the word.

Yet, my experience betrays this vision. A striking portion of Duke students, while brilliant applicants, are not terribly interesting or dynamic in person. Inside the classroom, most seminars are lucky to have four out of 15 students willing to contribute regularly. Outside the classroom, a minority of students takes advantage of the rich cultural opportunities on campus, and even fewer carry on intellectual debate. The word "like" dominates conversations, many of which are held on cellular phones, and begin with, as I heard recently, "Dude, you were so wasted last night." As my time here draws to a close, I am increasingly convinced that intellectual life on campus is in a state of utter torpor and that a whole range of students, groups and departments actively promote anti-intellectualism.

The New York Times recently highlighted Duke's rampant problems with academic dishonesty, and survey data reveals a disgracefully high number of students do not consider the falsification of data, unauthorized collaboration or direct plagiarism to be serious cheating. Perhaps these trends are an indicator of just how pre-professional our school has become. When employment at Morgan Stanley or admittance to Harvard Law are the main measurements of success, it is no wonder that students care more about their GPA than their mental growth.

Numerous Chronicle articles expose Duke's greatest bastion of anti-intellectualism--the Athletics Department. Athletics Director Joe Alleva recently authored a statement, endorsed by President Nan Keohane, that calls for lower academic standards for athletes (semantic explanations aside), an increase in Athletics staff and salaries and the continued renovation of athletic facilities. This document superbly highlights the pervasive and parasitic effects the Athletics Department has on the academic environment and priorities of the University. Alleva calls for increased staff and salaries while Arts and Sciences has warned that reductions in its faculty or their compensation may occur if budget deficits are not eliminated.

Meanwhile, the campus has seen the fruit of the chair of our Board of Trustees' signature donation of $5.5 million to the new football center--a gift that nearly matches the projected peak deficit for Arts and Sciences of $6.1 million. Our performing arts venues are outdated, dysfunctional and inadequate while our sports facilities are under constant construction. Yet Athletics demands ever more of the University's attention and resources.

Athletics is not alone. Recently, our administration fashioned Curriculum 2000. This system dictates what students should think about, when and how. A broad range of shallow and manufactured knowledge is encouraged at the expense of in-depth exploration and genuine inquisitiveness. Education thus becomes a package rather than a process, and advising revolves around requirements. A less paternalistic approach to advising might pair students with insightful professors of varied experience--mentors who can offer us some vision of our future beyond the one portrayed at the Career Fair.

Don't get me wrong; I am not bitter about my Duke experience, and I love this school more each day. The opportunities for intellectual stimulation are out there, and I have gained much in my time here. Duke attracts fascinating professors and scholars of didactic merit. There is a group of students, renewed sparingly each year, who truly strive for the intellectual experience; you can find them in the libraries, at artistic events, sharing great thoughts over a few beers, and, yes, at the basketball games. However, intellectualism at Duke will never flourish if the majority of students, administrators, faculty and Trustees continue to ignore it.

What will Duke be when I return in 2013? The image is troubling, but not inevitable. It would be wonderful if Athletics were put back in its place as a division of Duke University. Let Coach K have his sphere, but leave some room for the thinking student as well. Admissions could raise the bar and admit students of the caliber they advertise, not students who need a prestigious name to match that of their family or the firm they hope to work for. We could also adopt the athletics policy of our supposed peer schools, admitting students solely on academic merit. Furthermore, those who live, work and play here can recommit themselves to intellectual growth. Rather than opting for public policy and economics, perhaps students will rediscover history, English, philosophy and the classics.