DSG senators met Wednesday to hear a presentation given by Debbie Heida, interim associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, and give committee updates.
Filling the vacancy left by the departure of John Blackshear, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, Heida has over 35 years of experience working in higher education and is coming to Duke from her previous position as Berry College’s vice president emerita.
Heida discussed pressing issues for her new role, including increasing student awareness about the Academic Resource Center, improving resources for incoming international students, making student health more easily accessible on East Campus and addressing the complicated relationship between selective living groups and Duke’s new QuadEx program.
“I know, I'm not going to be able to accomplish everything that might be on someone's agenda, but we can start something,” Heida said. “We'll do as much as we can to make sure that we've ramped up things that need to be discussed with the next person [permanent dean].”
DSG senate committees gave updates on their previous projects, with many of them finalizing their project proposals.
The academic affairs committee has held talks with the Global Education Office to discuss changes to GEO programs in an attempt to make getting study abroad assignments more equitable. Students have expressed frustrations after the GEO placed 50-person caps on each study-abroad program, forcing students to choose programs that do not fit their academic needs and rush their study-abroad decisions.
The equity and outreach committee has finalized research on its laundry initiative and sent a memo on their findings to Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president of student affairs.
The Durham and community affairs committee proposed the idea of a rural students coalition.
In other business
Senators allocated $16,660 for DukeAFRICA’s Fake African Wedding event, $11,644.48 to Hoof n’ Horn for a January event, $1,560 to the Ciceronian Society as an reimbursement for an event held in November and $8,000 for line monitors’ tenting financial aid program.
First-years Maya Mishan Ezron and Bennett Gillespie were sworn in as associate justices of the DSG Judiciary. Cassie Ameen, a junior, was sworn in as chief justice.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Jeremiah Fang is a Trinity sophomore and a staff reporter for the news department.