Want to know what to look out for as Duke enters the new year? Take a look below for some storylines to keep an eye on.
Strategic planning: Eight years after the University launched its last strategic plan, Duke kicked off "pre-planning" for a new edition in 2014. This Spring will see continued work toward developing general themes and a structure, and the Fall will see the beginning of the actual planning process. Overseen by Provost Sally Kornbluth in her first year on the job, the new strategic plan is set to be completed by Spring 2016 and will set Duke's goals for advancing educationally, physically and otherwise in the years to follow.
Kornbluth has said the strategic plan will center on academics—working with Duke's schools, centers and institutes. Exactly how areas such as student affairs, admissions and athletics will be incorporated is yet to be decided.
A successor for Victor Dzau: After a decade as the CEO and president of Duke University Health System and chancellor for health affairs, Dr. Victor Dzau stepped down in the summer of 2014. As Duke searches for a replacement, the job has been split between Dr. Nancy Andrews, dean of the School of Medicine and vice chancellor for academic affairs, and Dr. William Fulkerson, executive vice president of DUHS.
But a successor for Dzau is on the horizon—an announcement should be made sometime in early 2015. A search committee has narrowed the pool of candidates from an initial group of more than 250 people, University Secretary Richard Riddell, an ex officio member of the committee, told The Chronicle in December.
Though an announcement should be made relatively soon, it is possible that the new chancellor may not assume the role until the summer, if he or she is unable to come to Duke immediately, Riddell noted. The position requires the individual in question be able to govern DUHS both as a hospital and research center, paying particular attention to ensuring that the health system is adaptable to changes in the healthcare industry brought on by diminishing federal research funding and the Affordable Care Act, among other factors.
A new dean for Trinity: By the end of the Spring, the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences will know who its new dean will be. In her fourth year at the helm of the school, Laurie Patton announced this Fall that she would leave the position after the 2014-15 academic year to become the president of Middlebury College in Vermont. With a search committee of faculty and administrators working on finding her successor, a decision should be made before the Spring semester ends.
The new dean will see Trinity through its most significant curriculum update in more than a decade—the "big tweak" of the current Curriculum 2000, intended to make the curriculum more applicable in an environment where interdisciplinary learning is more important and experiences outside of the traditional classroom are becoming more common. Trinity's finances will also likely be an area of particular focus for the new dean, as the school is currently in the green for the first time after several years in the red following the financial downturn.
Construction continues: Renovations, restorations and refurbishments will continue to be the name of the game for campus in 2015—and students and faculty will begin to reap the benefits of the projects. The current work on the West Union will push forward, with an estimated completion of early 2016, while work will begin on the Chapel in the Spring and continue throughout the year.
A number of other projects, however, will wrap up before the end of the 2015 calendar year. The first phase of upgrades to Wallace Wade Stadium, which began immediately following the 2014 football season, will be completed in time for the Blue Devils to take the field in August—treating fans to more seating by removing the stadium's track. Work on a new press box and concourse level will continue throughout 2015, but should be ready before the 2016 season. Meanwhile, Bostock Library will kick off 2015 with the grand opening of "The Edge," a research space on the first floor, later this month. Rubenstein Library will reopen in Summer 2015 after two and a half years of work, offering a completely revamped space for rare books and manuscripts—and the end of the mulch path that currently leads students through the academic quad to Perkins Library's side entrance while the main entrance is closed due to the construction.
The Bryan Center will also debut a new front entrance in 2015, following work in the Spring semester. The work on Page Auditorium is additionally scheduled to wrap up in time for the 2015-16 school year, with new seating and greater accessibility for those with disabilities.
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