Academic Council Chair Josh Socolar talks with President Richard H. Brodhead prior to the annual meeting of the university faculty. Photo by Megan Morr/Duke University Photography.
I now have the opportunity to summarize for you my own view of the issues that we as a faculty should be following, and perhaps acting on. Actually, I want to start by emphasizing that you, members of the Council and faculty in general, have an important role to play here.
I would be happy to hear from more of you about issues that you would like to see on the Council agenda. And I want to remind you that you are also welcome to send me questions to pass on to the President, the Provost, or the Executive Vice President to be answered at a Council meeting. Peter [Provost Peter Lange] mentioned to ECAC yesterday that he actually enjoys those opportunities to speak directly to the faculty, and he will probably enjoy even more watching Sally [incoming Provost Sally Kornbluth] do it. So please feel free to send me written questions to pass, anonymously if you like, to the President, Provost, or Executive Vice President. I would also be happy to receive questions that I can pursue myself, with ECAC, or through consultation with the relevant people. (I only ask that you not bombard me with questions about parking. I assure you, they're working on it.)
Looking ahead to our April and May meetings, we will get updates from the chairs of several committees -- Academic Programs Committee, University Priorities Committee, Global Priorities Committee. As our faculty governance system has evolved over the past 25 years, these committees have become the primary channels for faculty contributions to policies concerning academic affairs at the university.
As far as I can tell, these committees are working well, largely thanks to Peter's interest in them and responsiveness to concerns raised in them. It is important, however, that the broader faculty be informed about the issues that have been raised. Though we cannot all obtain the depth and breadth of the perspective one gets from serving on these committees, a general awareness of the issues is crucial for our collective discernment of those that require greater attention both in the committee meetings and in the broader forum of this Council.
ECAC is still working to finalize agendas for the April and May meetings. The two items that appear most pressing to me at the moment are: first, to get a report from the Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility on their progress this year. You may recall that this committee was restructured this fall, thanks in large measure to the ideas brought forward by students involved in DukeOpen.
Second, the recent decision by the NLRB to classify football players at private institutions as employees emphasizes the importance of keeping up with goings on in Duke Athletics. We should here from the Athletics Council chair, Jim Coleman, who happens to be an expert on the legal implications of that decision.
Regarding the activity of ECAC and this Council since September, the three items that received the most attention, and also a number of faculty governance committees I serve on -- APC, UPC, GPC, BoT AA, CFC, LACC -- are
- The number, size, and purpose of Master's programs at Duke
- The tasks that must be completed as DKU opens its doors
- The importance of a diverse and inclusive professoriate and broader campus culture.
I don't feel the need to go over these developments in detail here. The minutes of the January and February Council meetings contain excellent discussions of the relevant points. Regarding the first two items, I will just note that questions raised within the Graduate School and here in Council have led Dean McClain to pursue a thorough study, now underway, of the implications of creating Master's programs and bringing more Master's students to campus.
And Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Bullock is actively seeking Duke faculty input on DKU matters ranging from curriculum design to faculty governance structures, and from research infrastructure to faculty recruitment. I would also say that I am comfortable with the plans for opening DKU in the fall. There are clearly major issues to be worked out over the coming few years, which will be critical for DKU's long-term success. But I think it is OK to begin without having every last detail fully determined. There will necessarily be a sense on the DKU campus in September that some creativity and improvisation is required, but this is a good thing. The spirit of cooperation and shared responsibility among administrators, faculty, and even students, will create an exciting environment and, I believe, a real sense of accomplishment as the year proceeds and new buildings and other infrastructure come online.
Regarding the third item: Early this past fall, conversations within ECAC identified the topic of diversity and inclusion as particularly deserving of faculty attention this year. Based on feedback we got from you through our Council Conversation and other communications, we brought a motion to this Council in February and you authorized the establishment of a faculty task force to work on a range of topics relevant to realizing the benefits of a diverse faculty and broader community. Our colleagues Maurice Wallace and Nan Jokerst, who will be rotating off of ECAC this summer, have agreed to chair the task force.
I'd like to close my remarks by turning to them to deliver a brief update.
Maurice Wallace
Thank you, Josh. First, I want to express, on behalf of Nan and me, how honored and pleased we are to co-chair this vital committee, and appreciate the trust of the Council as we go forward. We are especially inspired by the wide interest and support of the faculty from all parts of the university and the clear sign that the faculty is keen to take an ever more proactive approach to realizing the fullest potential for Duke excellence now and for years to come.
As you know, we have committed to this task force the responsibility of "articulating a vision of a diverse and inclusive Duke University ... examining our current position in relation to that vision and recommending action to move us toward it."
Helping ourselves as faculty chart a way forward will be the principle work of this task force, as we explore, through careful study and inclusive conversation, what the meaning and value of diversity and inclusion are to Duke. Although our work will be faculty-driven, we imagine getting on according to a broad vision of community and by a cooperative, if still independent, ethic. Our aim is for substantive and enduring outcomes, documented and practiced. Diversity's ongoing meaningfulness to the university globally is as of much interest as its potentially productive provocations to the research and study we do as teachers and scholars. In any case, the work of the task force, as we see it, is at bottom in the interest of the next 50 years of intellectual life and work of Duke.
Nan Jokerst
Our conversations on Diversity at Duke will inform the examination of Duke's current position, and the actions that we will formulate to attain our vision. We envision that our work will include assessing our position, examining national trends, exploring the climate at Duke, and recommending best practices and actions moving forward. We look forward to working with incoming Provost Sally Kornbluth, and Nancy Allen, Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Faculty Development, and the Faculty Diversity Committee, and with Ben Reese, the Vice President of the Office for Institutional Equity and the Staff of the Office of Institutional Equity, with whom we have had initial conversations where we have all expressed an interest in collaborating together.
We would like to thank the volunteers and nominators that have contacted us so far. Over 30 faculty volunteers have expressed strong interest in participating as members of the Task Force, and we have another 30 nominations in addition to our volunteers. Our goal is to formulate the structure and the membership of the Diversity Task Force by the end of April, and to have initial meetings before the end of the semester.
We would like to strongly encourage input on the part of every member of our community – faculty, administration, students, and staff. As a first step, we have established a dedicated email address: diversitytaskforce@duke.edu, that anyone can use to communicate with the Task Force.
We encourage you to share your thoughts with us via email, and we thank you in advance for your thoughtful participation.