Aside from having to balance both a DukeCard and a UNC access card and learning how to fit into two distinct university cultures, inaugural members of the Robertson Scholars Program say the joint undergraduate initiative has proceeded smoothly.
The program, which began last year, provides full tuition and board to 15 students at both Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As part of the scholarship, the scholars spend their second semester sophomore year living and taking classes at the other school.
Many members of the program's first class said they were excited about changing schools this coming January. Duke sophomore Christopher Paul said that in particular, he was looking forward to meeting different people. "Although Duke feels more like home, since this is where I've been staying for the past year, I'm very excited to be part of the more exciting social scene in Chapel Hill at UNC," he said.
Other students said that although it might be difficult to adjust to another campus with new faces and a different flavor, they were confident in the administrative support they have received.
"I have the support from mentors and advisors at two of the best schools in the world," said Duke sophomore Crystal Sanders.
Many students said that among the highlights of the program were a summer weekend retreat outside of Chapel Hill with all 30 scholars and monthly dinners that alternate between the two locations. Students also look forward to a required internship abroad after their sophomore year.
As the Robertson Scholars Program enters its second year, administrators at both Duke and the UNC are finding new ways to accommodate the scholars-in a manner that is bringing both schools closer together.
Starting next fall, said program director Eric Mlyn, UNC will move its semester so that classes begin just one day after Duke's classes start Aug. 25 and the two schools' semesters will end just four days apart in December.
The change may make for smoother transitions between the schools, but some of the students said that they were wary of the differences between the universities' courses of study. "It's hard to find classes that fit into the Duke curriculum because UNC has a [wider] variety," said Duke sophomore Tyler McCormick.
Mlyn said that because UNC offers courses that do not fit neatly into Curriculum 2000's matrix, deans at both schools must approve classes in similar fields.
Another detail that program administrators may still encounter is scholars who want to major in a field that is not offered at their home school.
If a Duke student, for example, studied at UNC and hoped to major in Peace, War and Defense, a popular UNC undergraduate major, Mlyn said that student would not be able to switch schools. He added, however, that he and other administrators would work out solutions as situations arise.
"UNC cannot accept a student, and then send them to Duke or vice-versa," he said. "It's up to the home institution to decide whether to accept the credits or not, not the program."
Overall, however, both administrators and scholars had little but praise for the infant program.
Judith Ruderman, a member of the Robertson Committee and Duke's vice provost for academics and administration, said the program forces scholars to cross boundaries, to work and live in different places.
"I am honored to be part of the program. It has more then fulfilled our expectations," Ruderman said.
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