Academic Council discusses strategic plan in first meeting of the year

<p>The Academic Council held an executive session Thursday to&nbsp;discuss the process for approval of a Duke Kunshan University undergraduate program.</p>

The Academic Council held an executive session Thursday to discuss the process for approval of a Duke Kunshan University undergraduate program.

The Academic Council talked about the ongoing formation of a new strategic plan and approved members of the Faculty Hearing Committee Thursday.

Nan Jokerst, J. A. Jones distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering and chair of Academic Council, welcomed faculty to the first meeting of the 2016-17 academic year. She noted that faculty attending these meetings will have the opportunity to provide input for Duke’s future and work with the administration.

“Partnership, as last year, will be one of our themes again this year,” Jokerst said. “The tools of this partnership are transparency, discussion and refinement.”

To this end, Jokerst added that Provost Sally Kornbluth will provide documents “in the spirit of transparency” to all faculty before meetings. Faculty will be allowed to give feedback to the administration regarding proposals before voting.

Jokerst highlighted the development of the strategic plan and planning of an undergraduate program at Duke Kunshan University as major projects that the council will address this year.

Ideas for the strategic plan began circulating last Fall, and a Strategic Plan Steering Committee was formed December 2014. Kornbluth sent an email to all students last November with a six-page document outlining four goals for the University and its graduate and professional schools. The goals include “bolstering intellectual communities,” increasing diversity, connecting global and local involvement and leadership and supporting Duke faculty.

The strategic plan is set to be released this Fall and submitted to Academic Council and the Board of Trustees for approval in February 2017.

The Academic Council convened during an executive session closed to all individuals who are not faculty members to discuss the process for approval of a Duke Kunshan University undergraduate program. This proposal has been previously discussed in closed Academic Council sessions and will be voted on this semester.

“Significant changes to the plan have occurred due to discussion with Academic Council, and as we’ll hear today, with multiple faculty committees,” Jokerst said.

Five new members were unanimously approved to join the Faculty Hearing Committee, which is in charge of considering complaints from faculty regarding termination of employment, violations of academic freedom and allegations of harassment. These new members are Julie Edell, associate professor in the Fuqua School of Business, Thavolia Glymph, associate professor of history, professor of law Trina Jones, Doug Marchuk—James B. Duke professor and vice chair of Duke molecular genetics and microbiology—and Allison Vorderstrasse, associate professor in the School of Nursing.

Professor of law Tom Metzloff will serve as the chair of this committee this year.

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