A taste of Duke

Welcome back to campus and to another FDOC from Editorial Board! In addition to the second largest ever admitted class, this year brings a great deal of change to campus, and we are excited to critically examine the stories that unfold. For those who have taken their fingers off the pulse of campus news, today’s editorial presents a small selection of what lays ahead in addition to some summer events you may have missed.

In University leadership, several positions are in flux this year. The former dean of the Pratt School of Engineering, Tom Katsouleas, officially left his position two weeks ago to become the vice president and provost of the University of Virginia. Provost Sally Kornbluth noted she hopes that Pratt’s next dean has a focus on hiring faculty interested in collaborating across schools. On that note, administration announced in mid-May that Valerie Ashby would become the next dean of the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. Dean Ashby comes from the position of chair of the chemistry department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In related Duke-UNC news, both universities and their medical schools are being scrutinized for an alleged no-hire agreement regarding their faculty. The upcoming legal case has the potential to rock both the University and its Health System along with key administrators and others at UNC Chapel Hill. The class action lawsuit filed June 9 by Dr. Danielle Seaman, an assistant professor of radiology, on behalf of all faculty, physicians, nurses, and skilled medical employees who have worked at Duke and UNC since 2012. Both universities face what looks like a compelling body of evidence that raises questions about anti-trust laws, the relationship between the two university health systems and how such a no-hire agreement could have been allowed if it proves to be the case.

Moving to the academic world, the sociology department will begin offering its new minor in medical sociology this year. Introduced in June, the minor is intended to help pre-health students view medicine from a patient's perspective, giving them an often neglected view in pre-health curricula. Additionally, Curriculum 2000’s revision is entering its second exciting year, which focuses on faculty and discussion-driven drafting of concrete proposals after last year’s diagnostic work that reviewed the old curriculum.

Following up on the ADPhi case that developed in the Spring semester, the Durham Police Department has concluded its eight month investigation. Ultimately, the office of Durham’s District Attorney announced that no person subject to the investigation would be charged with any criminal offense. At Duke, the fraternity remains suspended, and with upcoming sexual assault policy revisions, we have to ask how our view of these cases will shift with policy. Close on the heels of the ADPhi case, the Interfraternity Council will establish a task force this year that will turn inwards to examine the role of Greek life in campus sexual assault, the results of which are sure to be interesting given that 46 percent of those who reported being sexually assaulted reported their assailant was Greek-affiliated.

We have only grazed the surface of recent campus happenings and much more lays ahead in terms of CAPS improvements, campus construction work, the Duke-UNC lawsuit, and sexual misconduct policy revisions. Good or bad, we welcome the opportunities for discussion those events will bring.