The independent news organization of Duke University
In a typical year, the beginning of fall semester is characterized by a mad rush to join various selective clubs and organizations on campus. This year, however, is hardly typical.
Duke’s social media team hopped on the “how it started/how it’s going” Twitter meme trend the morning of Oct. 16, intending to make a joke about the University's growth. But the @DukeU tweet was criticized for its racially insensitive content and sparked heated dialogue regarding the University’s history.
In one day, “Library Takeout” went from around 20,000 views to more than 400,000.
With registration for spring 2021 classes beginning this week, The Chronicle has compiled a list of interesting courses across a range of disciplines that are offered in the upcoming semester.
There were 21 new positive coronavirus tests at Duke between Oct. 17 and Oct. 23, out of 15,378 total tests, according to data released Monday on the University’s COVID-19 testing tracker.
The students living in Hollows Quad are no strangers to looking outside and noticing passersby taking photos of their dorm room windows—but they can’t put whatever they want there. Hollows A Residence Coordinator Briana Enty told residents in a Sept. 28 email obtained by The Chronicle that although there have not been any issues so far with the windows, there is an expectation that “all signs or flags posted in windows should be approved by the RC before posting.”
For those pining for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading, keep your fingers crossed: It may be easier to get one of those stress-relieving S’s in the spring in the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, with details depending on the department.
Vice President of Administration Kyle Cavanaugh wrote in an email that several million dollars “is the most accurate estimate we have at this point.” He added that at the start of the academic year, the University had “rough cost estimates,” and current expenses “are running within those estimates.”
Manal Abdelmalek, a tenured professor of medicine and Duke Medical Center physician, filed suit in July 2019 after allegedly being “subjected to discrimination on the basis of her gender and race/national origin,” according to the complaint. The case was settled by Aug. 13, 2020, after a mediated settlement conference in early August, according to case documents.
As if online classes weren’t strange enough, many Duke students are studying in different time zones this semester. Some remote students said that although professors have been generous and accommodating, Zoom interactions with classmates have been disappointing.
Duke Student Government heard a presentation from the assistant vice president for intercultural programs Wednesday night.
The Office of University Scholars and Fellows released a new strategic plan for excellence, diversity, inclusion and equity Oct. 12.
The organization decided against rechartering this fall because of ideological tensions within the group and the broader Republican Party, a former member said.
Duke’s endowment took a hit this year even as other top universities saw gains. Unlike its similarly ranked private school counterparts, Duke’s endowment fell by nearly 1.2%—from $8.6 billion to $8.5 billion—despite a 0.7% investment return. Rachel Satterfield, Duke’s interim vice president for finance, explained that Duke’s endowment is calculated based on a number of factors.
Duke has named its newest engineering building after a family of donors to the school.
In an open letter sent to Duke administrators in late September, student groups called on the University to divest from a variety of industries—this time as part of an ACC-wide coalition. The letter was co-signed by 20 groups at Duke and backs other demands by student advocacy groups, including Duke's Black Coalition Against Policing.
There were 20 new positive coronavirus tests reported at Duke between Oct. 10 and Oct. 16, out of 15,143 total tests, according to data released Monday on the University’s COVID-19 testing tracker.
Duke identified its first student COVID-19 cluster, in the Solis Brightleaf apartment complex in Durham.
From Title IX to personal data, policy changes were the main topic of discussion for the Academic Council this week.
There is a new computer science class offered this fall, and it’s not like any other course in its department.
