Category: Academics

Will Duke open in the fall?  And what will the university look like ten years from now?  Those are some of the questions that will be addressed by two new interdisciplinary strategy teams that will advise the Duke’s leadership on navigating through the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Vincent E. Price announced Tuesday. 

“The Duke community has responded to this crisis in an extraordinary way, with creativity, commitment and courage,” Price said.  “Now as we move from emergency management to recovery, the fact is that we simply don’t know when we will be able to reopen, or in what form.  Even with that uncertainty, it is also clear that when we do get back to business, it will not be business as usual.”

Price added that the university’s leadership team has been meeting daily to both review current issues and begin planning for a range of academic, operational and financial options that may have to be implemented depending on local and national conditions.

The two new strategy groups – Team 2021 and Team 2030 – will devise a structure for addressing the shorter-term issues facing the university as it prepares for the traditional start of the new academic year in August, as well as longer-term challenges and opportunities that come about as a result of COVID-19.  Both teams will consult and coordinate with the President’s Cabinet, the Academic Council, standing university bodies like the Academic Programs Committee and the University Priorities Committee, faculty, staff and outside experts.

Team 2021 is charged with coordinating and synthesizing recommendations for essential changes in Duke’s academic programs and other activities that will be necessary to maintain core academic and research excellence in Fiscal Year 2020-21.  It will be chaired by Executive Vice Provost Jennifer Francis and Vice President for Administration Kyle Cavanaugh and has a coordinating committee made up of leaders from key Duke academic, program and support areas. 

The team will be responsible for developing a range of options for modifying practices, procedures and personnel under scenarios ranging from a complete return of students, faculty and staff with appropriate safety measures, to a delayed or staggered return, to a continued shutdown of all campus activity.

“I have specifically asked Team 2021 to recognize and seek to mitigate adverse impacts on low-income students, engage the faculty to the greatest extent possible and align with Duke’s overarching strategic framework, Toward our Second Century,” Price said, “as well as identify modifications that could be sustained or refined in the future.”  In a nod towards current realities, Team 2021 will also assume that, under any scenario, a majority of Duke’s international students may be unable to return campus in the near future.  The team will make a preliminary report by June 1 and deliver final recommendations by August 30.

Team 2030, meanwhile, will focus on identifying and recommending long-term strategic opportunities for Duke.  “We fully expect that the impact of this crisis will be broad and deep, not just for Duke, but indeed for all of higher education,” Price said.  “Thus, we need to ask – and answer – the question, what sort of institution do we wish to be?”

Provost Sally Kornbluth will chair Team 2030, whose coordinating committee will include the deans of Duke’s 10 schools, along with Kerry Haynie, Professor of Political Science and current chair of the Academic Council, Chancellor for Health Affairs Dr. A. Eugene Washington, and Executive Vice President Tallman Trask III.

“We will need to navigate unprecedented financial challenges thoughtfully and with firm resolve, both to secure for the future the resources needed to carry out our core academic, research and health care missions and to capitalize on Duke’s historic agility and innovative spirit to secure a true leadership role in defining higher education for the 21st century,” added Price

Price has directed Team 2030 to focus on identifying central areas of activity for Duke that warrant high priority for financial and other resources, those that might be ended or redirected, and novel areas of activity that stand to bring highest distinction in line with the university’s missions and values. 

Like Team 2021, Team 2030’s recommendations will be aligned with the university’s strategic framework, will assume that resources will be severely restricted, and will be grounded in a recognition of the centrality of Duke’s faculty to the academic mission, ongoing commitments to diversity and inclusion, and an increased need for student financial aid. 

Team 2030 will provide a preliminary update to Price by August 30 and will deliver a final report by December 31.

Dear Colleagues,

What sets Duke apart are our people and our purpose, and both have been tested over these past few weeks.  We have all lived through what for many has been the most tumultuous and unsettling period of our lives.  The combination of understandable concern for our health and safety, and those of our loved ones, with massive disruptions to society, education, business and even our ability freely move around our communities, is deeply unsettling.

But we have as a Duke community met these unprecedented challenges with an extraordinary outpouring of creativity, commitment and courage from thousands of people spanning the globe.  Each of you has contributed in your own way, through actions that have saved lives, supported our students, faculty, staff and patients, and ensured that our important work continues despite the challenges we confront every day.  Many of you have done so while balancing health concerns, caring for family members, and navigating the mental and emotional challenges of an uncertain and isolating time. 

Your extraordinary effort brings home the truth that we can only do great works through great people, and that ensuring the well-being of our people is critical to our purpose of seeking knowledge in the service of society.

Even as we confront present challenges, we must be clear that the pandemic will also produce profound and lasting effects, including severe and negative effects on our operations and finances.  Duke is not alone in this, of course: every business, government, nonprofit organization and family is now making difficult choices. While it is too soon to determine with precision the magnitude of disruption to our finances, it is clear that the impacts will be both severe and prolonged.  All of our formerly reliable sources of revenue – tuition, research grants, clinical revenue, private philanthropy and income from our investments and endowment – will almost certainly be significantly and adversely affected, even as we face increased expenses in our education, research and patient-care services. 

The responsible institutional course is to engage in a thoughtful, comprehensive, and strategic review of our operations and finances, and we are initiating exactly that.  In the meantime, we must also act responsibly now by taking immediate steps to mitigate our deepening financial challenges.  As a result, we are today either confirming (in the case of actions that were announced earlier) or implementing the following Duke University policies, which do not apply to the Duke University Health System:

Expenditures:  All schools, units, departments and programs will need to pause new non-salary expenditures, including (but not limited to): contracts, service or consulting agreements; computer, office and laboratory equipment; renovations; furniture; travel and entertainment; meetings and conferences. Any ongoing expenditure of university funds (including grant, gift and endowment funds) greater than $2,500 will continue to require pre-approval by the Executive Vice President, Provost or Chancellor for Health Affairs or their designees.  There will be additional guidance forthcoming regarding information technology services, including software licenses.

Hiring:  All staff hiring is paused until further notice.  Requests for exceptions for positions that are essential to the operation of the university can be made through the vacancy management process, which requires the approval of the Executive Vice President, Provost or Chancellor for Health Affairs, depending on the unit.  Subject to the approval of the appropriate dean, ongoing faculty searches may continue provided that all salary and startup funds are identified.  Likewise, searches for staff positions that are fully funded by external research grants that have already been received by the university may continue, subject to review through the vacancy management process.  

Salaries: For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, there will be no salary increase for University employees making more than $50,000 per year.  Employees earning up to $50,000 who earn satisfactory performance evaluations will receive a one-time, $1,000 payment.  The only exceptions to this policy will be certain academic promotions.   Positions covered under collective bargaining agreements will be governed by the terms of the contract.  This action also does not cover Duke University Health System (DUHS) employees.  DUHS administers compensation on a different calendar from the University, and guidance for the next year will be provided to DUHS employees at a later date.

Benefits: At this time, we do not anticipate making any changes in our insurance programs (health, dental, vision and disability).  We are reviewing our 403b program to determine whether adjustments are now appropriate.

Construction:  All new construction projects are on indefinite hold, except those related to safety, repairs, infrastructure, virus research and a small number of obligations to new faculty. 

As we adapt to this new reality, I pledge to you that Duke will never lose sight of our highest commitments, to our people and our purpose.  We remain firmly committed to meeting the financial aid needs of our students, which are likely to rise.  Our decisions will be guided by and aligned with Duke’s overarching strategic framework, Toward our Second Century.  We will be mindful of the needs of the most vulnerable among us and committed to the health, safety and security of our students, faculty and staff.  And we will be true to our shared values of respect, trust, inclusion, discovery and excellence.

We will get through this, together, by supporting one another and our shared mission as a university.  Thank you for all that you are doing for Duke. I am proud to call you colleagues.

Sincerely,

Vincent E. Price
President