The passing of ceremonial gifts marked the Academic Council’s final meeting of the year Thursday with a transition to new leadership and presentations from two of the council’s subcommittees as well as the Athletic Council.
Outgoing Academic Council Chair Craig Henriquez, a professor of biomedical engineering, ceremonially passed a wooden name plate to Susan Lozier, incoming chair and professor of physical oceanography and chair of the Earth and Ocean Sciences Division at the Nicholas School. Lozier was officially elected as chair in February, (http://dukechronicle.com/article/sciences-lacking-minority-and-female-faculty) and her term officially begins July 1.
In the absence of Laura Edwards, the Academic Programs Committee chair and professor of history, Henriquez presented a summary of the subcommittee’s activities during the past year.
In addition to reviewing six programs and departments at Duke, the council approved the new Master's of Management Studies degree at the Fuqua School of Business.
Warren Grill, chair of the University Priorities Committee and Addy professor of biomedical engineering, also gave a presentation on the primary budgetary challenges his subcommittee believes are facing the University. In addition to the need for an appropriate allocation for faculty salaries and benefits, Grill said the committee members are concerned about the increasing cost of audit and compliance policies, the cost of postponing the maintenance of academic and residential buildings and the growing budget for athletics.
“At a time when we are restrained and when athletics is still receiving a substantial or declining subsidy, it’s not clear that [it’s budget] should grow at twice the rate of a core academic unit,” Grill said.
Athletic Council Chair James Coleman, the John S. Bradway professor of law, also addressed concerns over an April 25 article in the New York Times, which claimed that the University reports male practice players on the women’s basketball team as female athletes in order to comply with Title IX.
“Duke was not manipulating figures,” Coleman said. “It was simply complying with the Department of Education regulations.”
Coleman deferred to Lee Baker, dean of academic affairs, to report on the academic status of Duke’s student-athletes. Baker noted that Duke’s athletic graduation rate was second in the United States.
Some Academic Council members also questioned the proposed athletic budget in light of the financial crisis, which caused faculty salary raises to be frozen in the last three years.
“We’re operating in a strategic plan that was drawn up before the crash,” said Kerry Haynie, and Academic Council member and associate professor of political science. “The sacrifice has not been equitably shared [between academic departments and athletics].”
President Richard Brodhead replied and noted that the University subsidy for athletics has been decreased during the last two years. Brodhead added that the administration intends to raise money for an athletic endowment during their next fundraising campaign.
In other business:
The council formally submitted the names of all candidates to earn degrees at commencement Sunday.
At the meeting’s conclusion the council concluded its session by going into a closed-door executive session to vote on candidates to receive honorary degrees at Duke’s 2012 commencement.
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