At its first meeting of the academic year, the Board of Trustees' Executive Committee covered several routine procedures, including faculty and staff appointments.
The committee convened Friday afternoon with 12 of 13 members present. They approved faculty tenure appointments and degrees granted over the summer, in addition to appointing members to the DUMAC Board of Directors, University Secretary Richard Riddell said.
DUMAC is the professionally staffed investment group that manages the University's endowment. It is governed by an 11-member board of directors, which includes President Richard Brodhead, Executive Vice President Tallman Trask, Board of Trustees Chair David Rubenstein and various alumni. Changes to DUMAC's board require approval from Duke's trustees.
DUMAC will announce the departing board members and their replacements after the replacements are formally approved, Riddell said.
The committee also heard updates on several University projects, including Duke Kunshan University, campus construction and NCAA reforms.
Among the discussion topics was the Chapel's strategic plan, compiled by Chapel Dean Luke Powery.
The strategic plan details a future for the Chapel as an institution of education, community outreach and spiritual care, among other things. The plan considers the Chapel's place in a changing Christian community—one that is increasingly global and frequently interacts with other faiths.
"The Chapel is more than just a building; it is a church without walls," the plan reads.
The plan suggests that the Chapel increase its interdenominational work, as well as programming that unites people from different generations and backgrounds and that connects the University to the Durham community.
This Spring, the Chapel will close for a year in order to complete a restoration of the original 1932 structure. The ceiling will be rehabilitated and the roof will be replaced, and several stained glass windows and sections of woodwork will be restored.
The full Board of Trustees will meet the weekend of Sept. 19. The next executive committee meeting is Oct. 31.
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