The Academic Council spent the majority of its Thursday meeting in a closed executive session to discuss Duke Kunshan University.
The Council goes into executive session at least once each year to decide on honorary degree candidates. Apart from that, the Council can enter an executive session to discuss matters it wishes not be part of a public forum, said Joshua Socolar, Council Chair and professor of physics. Formally, the decision to go into executive session is made by the Chair of the Council in consultation with the executive committee.
President Richard Brodhead and Provost Sally Kornbluth were also consulted in the decision regarding Thursday's meeting, Socolar said.
"The provost wanted to talk about many things that are uncertain at the moment," Socolar said, noting that the conversation involved discussion on several of Duke's Chinese counterparts—Wuhan University, the city of Kunshan and the Chinese Ministry of Education. "It was decided it would be better if the comments were not reported out in a way that could be misunderstood."
DKU opened its doors last Fall after several years of planning that at times sparked controversy among the faculty. Construction on the campus faced several obstacles over the years—including lengthy delays, management issues and poor weather. The school currently offers three graduate degree programs and an undergraduate semester program.
"There's lots of moving parts and lots of complicated interrelations in the provost's domain here," Socolar said.
In other business:
Nan Jokerst was announced as the next Chair of the Council, serving a two-year term that will begin July 1. Jokerst, the J.A. Jones distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering, is the second Chair to come from the Pratt School of Engineering in the Council's history.
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