Annual Report 2024
Vision
The Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) is committed to fostering an environment of curiosity as well as providing opportunities for students to develop connections with faculty, a sense of belonging, and the habits of a life-long learner. We support students as they forge their own intellectual paths with discernment.
Mission
The Office of Undergraduate Education leads Duke University’s effort to provide distinctive and transformative academic experiences for all of its undergraduates. We rely on evidence-based insights to ensure that we meet all students where they are, to anticipate ever-evolving challenges our students may encounter, and to develop innovative and systematic solutions.
• Our office promotes student development and elevates student skills, enabling them to achieve academic excellence;
• We partner with students, faculty, and staff to extend Duke’s learning environments beyond its Durham campus by building bridges to immersive curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities on- and off-campus;
• Our office creates avenues for faculty to connect with students in meaningful ways; and
• We amplify a culture that celebrates excellence in teaching and learning.
Values
The Office of Undergraduate Education excels in its mission and works toward its vision with a commitment to respect, integrity, transparency, collaboration, and creativity. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to fulfilling our mission. We prioritize the whole-person well-being of our students and members of our community.
I am pleased to present OUE’s first annual report. This year has been marked by significant achievements and progress toward our mission to support and enhance the undergraduate experience at Duke University.
OUE programs and initiatives are woven into the fabric of undergraduates’ academic life at Duke. As we look forward to the coming year, we are excited to build on these accomplishments and continue to innovate.
Thank you for your ongoing support and engagement with the Office of Undergraduate Education. Together, we will continue to create an environment where academic excellence and personal growth go hand in hand.
Warmly,
Candis Watts Smith, Ph.D. Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
Understanding
At OUE, we are data-driven in our support of Duke undergraduates.
In OUE Research, we take a scientifically rigorous approach to investigating the diverse processes that impact student success and well-being. We also provide leadership for research, assessment, and evaluation efforts in furtherance of OUE’s mission to cultivate transformative educational experiences for all undergraduates. A key aspect of our work is to collaborate with partners across campus to leverage research evidence to inform decision-making.
OUE Research provides a complement to the existing robust institutional research and assessment infrastructure at Duke, which includes the Office of Institutional Research, Trinity College Office of Assessment, the assessment team in Student Affairs, and the Registrar, among others. A distinctive feature of OUE Research is that we take a holistic view of undergraduate student success, focusing not only on learning and academic performance, but also the broader socioemotional and institutional context in which students are living, learning, and developing.
OUE Research Spotlights:
Student Connections to Advisors and Mentors
Supporting our Lower-Income Students
Navigational Self-Efficacy
Academic Engagement
Connecting
At OUE, we meet and support undergraduates wherever they are in their journey.
At OUE, we embrace the diversity of our student body, recognizing the richness that comes from varied socioeconomic backgrounds, learning preferences, cultural experiences, and unique experiences like those of student-athletes and entrepreneurs.
As we anticipate an even more diverse campus in the coming years, we are dedicated to providing robust academic support and fostering a vibrant intellectual community. We ensure that every student, regardless of their background or schedule, can fully access and benefit from all that Duke offers. Our efforts are centered around empowering students to thrive, experience transformative growth, and cultivate a lifelong passion for learning.
Learning Consultations
Duke students can meet one-on-one with one of the Academic Resource Center’s learning consultants at any point during their undergraduate career.
Learning consultants reviews ways students can improve time management, identify strategies to reduce stress, help discover learning preferences, teach how to approach the course content, enhance learning experience, and tackle motivation challenges.
981 learning consultations
“I learned how to use the resources Duke provides for learning assistance. Learning consultants helped me learn how to capitalize on other resources.”
— Duke Student
SAGE supported faculty across 41 courses
1,186
students participated in SAGE
“SAGE has been helpful for me because it is a smaller environment than help rooms for the course. This allows me to feel more comfortable voicing confusion and focusing on a topic for longer periods of time.”
-SAGE participant
STEM Advancement Through Group Education (SAGE)
SAGE, a learning community program, provides an opportunity for students to enhance their course experience, build community, and develop scholarship and leadership skills. Students work in small groups facilitated by a peer educator and have access to additional academic support services. Peer educators participate in a multi-semester professional development curriculum.
DukeLIFE
DukeLIFE enhances the academic experiences of undergraduates from firstgeneration and lowerincome backgrounds through programming and initiatives to holistically support their full participation in the university’s intellectual communities.
“I think I most enjoyed the relationships I built in the community. I had lots of great conversations and think that it built me as a community member. I also enjoyed getting to learn about different career opportunities and how passion turned into profession.”
— DukeLIFE sophomore speaking about the LIFE program
“My DukeLIFE mentor was an amazing outlet for me to go to when I was feeling overwhelmed, especially at the beginning of freshman year. She was great at answering questions and was always a friendly face around campus. It can be tough to go to a new school in a new state and not know anyone older than you when peers know plently of upperclassmen from their own high schools.”
1,106
students participated in DukeLIFE programs in the 2023-24 academic year.
ASCEND is a virtual summer program that prepares incoming first-year students for success in Duke’s gateway STEM classes.
94.1% of DukeLIFE students reported satisfaction with the Achieving Success through Community, Engagement, and Networking at Duke (ASCEND) program.
94.1%
— Madison Placencia, first-year DukeLIFE student
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Add subtitle, “ACE provides one-time funding for accepted Duke ACE student-athletes to participate in immersive summer service experiences with international community partners.”
Nationally Competitive Scholarships (NCS)
The Office of University Scholars and Fellows’ NCS team supports current Duke undergraduates and alumni in finding and applying for scholarships from external foundations. NCS advisors offer workshops and one-to-one advising sessions for potential applicants. This past year, fifty Duke students and alums received prestigious fellowships.
Barry Scholarship
Jacob Rosenweig
Rina Sclove
Beinecke Scholarship
Thang Lian
Boren Scholarship
Dena Levin
Quaid Sutherland
Critical Language Scholarship
Prisha Gulta
Michelle Shultze
Abigail Spiller
Samyuktha Sreeram
Taliyah Thomas
DAAD Scholarship
Harrison Branner
Rebecca Liu
Alexandra Masgras
Riya Mohan
Kajal Mukhopadhyay
Anna Smirnova
Grace Sorensen
Fulbright Grants
Makee Anderson
Sanjit Beriwal
Balraj Dhanoa
Andrew Greene
Eoin Gronningsater
Rebecca Liu
Andrew McCallum
Rose Naderi
Erica Neighbors
Alfredo Sanchez
Hira Shah
Grace Sorensen
Peyton Thompson
Emma Williams
Emily Zhao
Gaither Fellowship
Kristin Zhu
Goldwater Scholarship
Ayush Jain
Juliet Jiang
Michelle Si
Marie-Hélène Tomé
Knight-Hennessy Scholarship
Daniel Collins
Linda Zhang
Marshall Scholarship
Logan Glasstetter
Mitchell Scholarship
Chris Kuo
Rangel Fellowship
Manon Fuchs
Samvid Scholarship
Carlee Goldberg
Faraan Rahim
Schwarzman Scholarship
Sejal Mayer-Patel
Truman Scholarship
Yadira Paz-Martinez
Udall Scholarship
Coral Lin
Voyager Scholarship
Luna Abadia
Dylan Cawley
Henry Stephens IV
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AAC Student* Advising Interactions
AAC staff-advisee interactions 959 General, summer, and specialized 2,832
Academic Advising Center
AAC services are freely available to any Duke undergraduate student, in any year, studying in any discipline.
*Trinity pre-major students
2,800
310 students advised volunteer college advisors
“The academic advising office was super helpful and showed me some new ways to look for courses that weren’t obvious. The staff was fantastic, efficient, and overall super helpful for me when I was looking for the best courses to take.”
-Duke Student
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Add subtitle, “ACE provides one-time funding for accepted Duke ACE student-athletes to participate in immersive summer service experiences with international community partners.”
Faculty-in-Residence
The Faculty-in-Residence (FiR) Program houses professors in first-year residence halls on East Campus to encourage interaction between faculty members and undergraduate students beyond the classroom or lab.
FiR-coordinated events
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“Duke’s Testing Center provides a secure, comfortable, and minimally distractive testing environment for Duke undergraduates who require academic accommodation
Testing Center
Duke’s Testing Center provides a secure, comfortable, and minimallydistractive testing environment for Duke undergraduates who require academic accommodation.
faculty used the Testing Center to proctor their exams
The Testing Center supported a 31.8% increase in faculty exams from the 20222023 to the 2023-2024 academic year. 4,704 faculty exams where proctored by the Testing Center over the past year.
“The team at the testing center is outstanding. Frankly, I can’t imagine handling all the accommodation requests without their support. I deeply value their dedication and hard work!”
—
Faculty Member
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Boundless Learning
At OUE, we extend learning opportunities beyond the campus classroom.
At OUE, our goal is to inspire learning that extends far beyond the classroom. We are committed to creating an environment where intellectual curiosity thrives in every aspect of student life—on campus, off-campus, during internships, abroad, and even in their residence halls. By fostering deep connections with faculty outside the classroom, we help students develop critical skills such as cultural awareness, civic engagement, confidencebuilding, curiosity, resilience, and executive functioning. We want every student to immerse themselves in meaningful conversations and experiences, gaining the tools to navigate the world with confidence. Our aim is to instill a lifelong love of learning and to expand each student’s sense of what is possible, ensuring their education at Duke is transformative and empowering in every way.
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FLUNCH
The FLUNCH (faculty + lunch) program is designed to encourage student-faculty interaction outside the classroom.
1,764
836 students FLUNCHed faculty members this year
Duke Conversations
Duke Conversations organized 24 catered dinners between faculty and undergraduate students at professors’ homes throughout the academic year. Student and faculty participation is free.
Specialized Advising
The AAC offers specialized advising for Duke undergraduates from all class years and majors in four specialized areas: Arts & Humanities, Natural & Quantitative Sciences, Social Sciences, and Global, Civic, and Cross-Disciplinary opportunities. The Directors of Academic Engagement (DAEs) can help students map a 4-year, 3-summer plan—helping them make the most out of their time at Duke.
4
full-time specialized advisors offered specialized disciplinaryspecific advising to
662
Data point, “Specialized advising provided disciplinaryspecific advising to 662 Trinity College and Pratt School of Engineering students with the support of 4 full-time professional staff in 2023-2024.
students at Trinity College and Pratt School of Engineering
Directors of Academic Engagement
offer a distinctively unique advising resource to students in both Trinity College and Pratt School of Engineering, providing robust support for students across their four years at Duke.
Baldwin Scholars
The Alice M. Baldwin Scholars Program inspires and supports female-identified undergraduate students to become engaged, confident, and connected leaders in the Duke community and beyond.
“One lesson that has stood out to me, in particular, is that we are all always growing. When a fellow Baldwin accomplishes something, I feel empowered, not intimidated. I think this is because of the candid conversations we have in the program about how we’re all evolving as people and combating impostor syndrome.”
— Cyan DeVeaux, Baldwin alum
Office of University Scholars and Fellows (OUSF)
The Office of University Scholars and Fellows awards scholarship funding to students with immense potential, provides enrichment funding for extraordinary research and experiential projects, brings distinguished guests to campus, and develops opportunities for faculty mentorship of students. OUSF coordinates the Merit Scholars programs, Nationally Competitive Scholarships, and encourages intellectual community with affiliate programs across campus like the Baldwin Scholars, Mellon May Fellowship, and Phi Beta Kappa.
“It has been inspirational to go through my first year as faculty director. The program staff has not simply been astoundingly supportive, I have seen in them a deep desire to create an atmosphere of success for the students, going above and beyond basic job expectations. The students benefit from this academically and personally. They see the opportunity to improve themselves and the world around them and do so in creative personally challenging ways. They aren’t afraid to take some risks in order to grow. It is beautiful to see.”
- Ken Rogerson Faculty Director, B.N. Duke Scholarship
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF)
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship is a long-term effort to help remedy the problem of underrepresentation in the faculty ranks of higher education. MMUF works to achieve its mission by identifying and supporting students of great promise and helping them to become scholars of the highest distinction.
The Mellon Mays grant provides students with four forms of support:
• faculty mentoring;
• modest term-time compensation for research activities;
• stipend support for summer research activities and room and board for four weeks in Summer Session I; and
• repayment of undergraduate and/or graduate loans of up to $10,000 if fellows pursue doctoral study in one of the specified fields.
Global Education Office (GEO)
The Duke Global Education Office offers international and U.S.-based study away opportunities granting academic credit towards graduation for students.
1,073
Duke-students participated in study away
988
Duke-students studied abroad
85
Duke-students studied away on domestic programs
Office of Global Health and Safety (OGHS)
Duke University supports and promotes the health, safety, security, and preparedness of Duke programs and students in the field. OGHS also assesses travel risks and provides trainings for faculty and staff.
1,700+
students involved in academic-related travel away from Duke had their health, safety, and security coordinated by OGHS
“I truly believe that choosing to do the Duke in Glasgow program was one of the best decisions I’ve made throughout my life. Throughout the experience, I definitely feel that I gained numerous skills that will help me throughout my life (both in my professional and personal life). Beyond these experiences, I have made some extremely close friends.”
— Duke in Glasgow participant
Duke Immerse
Duke Immerse offers a fundamentally different learning environment, bringing faculty and students together to explore a significant global challenge, in the field and in the classroom, through a multidisciplinary lens.
“I enjoyed being a part of a small group learning environment where everyone was passionate about marine science and global health.”
— Duke Immerse student
Duke Immerse Programs
• Civil Discourse and Democracy
Durham, NC & London/Oxford, England
• Sustainability: Ocean-Based Solutions (SOS)
Duke Marine Lab (Beaufort, NC); France/Belgium/Faroe Islands (Denmark)
• Caste, Class, and Race: Inequality and Reparations in the US and India
Durham, NC and New Delhi, India
“Overall, the three weeks in Cape Town truly changed me as an individual. It helped shape my perspectives about other cultures and communities, allowed me to cherish the things I am fortunate enough to call my own, showed me how rewarding it is to help others and build connections, and strengthened my ability to adapt in certain situations.”
— Macy Szukics, Duke Field
Hockey
ACE Programs
• ACE in Panama - 1-week program
• ACE in Costa Rica - 2-week program
• ACE in South Africa -3-week program
Rubenstein StudentAthlete Civic Engagement Program (ACE)
ACE provides support for some of the most time-constrained and committed students: student-athletes. This summer more studentathletes from a more diverse array of sports than ever were able to engage in a study away experience. ACE student-athletes contributed over 1,698 hours of service 2024.
Celebration
At OUE, we celebrate exceptional teaching and create platforms for mentoring.
At OUE, our faculty are the heart of the intellectual community, and we recognize the extraordinary impact they have on shaping the undergraduate experience. We see the brilliance, passion, and creativity our faculty bring to their pedagogy, research, and mentorship. Their dedication is invaluable, and we understand the demands on their time and energy. Our aim is to celebrate and support them by fostering stronger connections with our undergraduate students. By facilitating these connections, we strive to empower Duke’s great educators as they continue to inspire the next generation of thinkers, leaders, and innovators.
Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis met students after a public lecture. Dr. Chavis was the inaugural Environmental Justice and Racial Equity Fellow. He co-taught University 101, “Communicating and Addressing the Lived Experience of Race and Racism” with Dr. Jay Pearson in the Spring 2024.
Judith Deckers Prize
This award illuminates and celebrates teaching excellence at Duke—in and outside of the classroom.
This year marked the inaugural nomination cycle of the Judith Deckers Prize for excellence in undergraduate teaching. The award will grant three faculty members a prestigious honor along with a monetary prize of $35,000 each. Duke’s first Deckers Prize winners will be announced in January 2025.
19 Staff
129 Alumni
“Rewarding transformative pedagogy is one of the most important investments we can make in higher education. I look forward to recognizing exemplars of excellent undergraduate teaching with this new award [the Judith Decker Prize].”
— Provost Alec Gallimore
314 Students Nominator Duke Affiliation*
58 Faculty
120
520 faculty members nominated nominations from faculty, students, alums, & staff
Bass Society of Fellows
Four exceptional faculty members received the prestigious Bass Chairs, marking their induction into the Bass Society of Fellows. This honor recognizes their contributions to undergraduate teaching and research. Members of the society receive financial support to hold a named chair for a five-year term, along with lifelong recognition as fellows.
2024 Bass Chairs
Henry Pfister
Jeffrey N. Vinik Chair (Pratt)
Emily Derbyshire
Eads Family Chair (Trinity)
Craig Rawlings
Fuchsberg-Levine Family Chair (Trinity)
Aarthi Vadde
E. Blake Byrne Chair (Trinity)
Bass Society Seminar on Teaching Excellence
Combining Teaching and Research
Extending the Classroom
Controversy in the Classroom
Duke Provost Alec Gallimore and Duke President Vincent Price with two of the faculty named 2024 chairs, Aarthi Vadde and Craig Rawlings
Student-Faculty Engagement Office
Subtitle, “Offering some of the most popular and sustained faculty and student engagement opportunities such as FLUNCH, Duke Conversations, and Muser, the Student-Faculty Engagement Office curates and maintains programs that foster relationship building for faculty and students.”
Offering some of the most popular and sustained faculty and student engagement opportunities such as FLUNCH, Duke Conversations, and Muser, the Student-Faculty Engagement Office curates and maintains programs that foster relationship-building for faculty and students.
FacPass
is a new collaboration with Athletics that last year supported faculty and studentathlete engagement by providing complimentary tickets for 23 faculty to attend 33 Duke athletic events.
Muser
matched 543 undergraduates with on-campus research opportunities. In collaboration with campus partners, the Undergraduate Research Summit organized panels and seminars for 52 students aimed at supporting student research efforts.
Spring Breakthrough
facilitated eight faculty and staff designed hands-on learning experiences for five courses enrolling 52 students on topics including climate change, app development, Durham history, Triangle trails and museums, and the NC coast.
“I loved this experience! It was an amazing use of spring break! It genuinely taught me a new skill and made me feel more confident at Duke! I feel like the App Dev course could be very popular because most of my friends didn't know about it and said they would've liked to do it too!”
—
Spring Breakthrough Participant
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Collaboration
At OUE, we make it easy for faculty to connect with students.
Faculty Supports
OUE provides robust administrative support to ensure faculty can focus on what they do best—teaching and mentoring students. Through our Finance and Operations team, Office of Global Health and Safety, Student-Faculty Engagement Office, and Marketing and Communications teams we handle the logistics and details that power programs like GEO, DukeEngage, and Immerse. From processing program receipts and business expenses to hiring Teaching Assistants as needed, we streamline the entire process. We are committed to making administrative tasks easy and efficient, so faculty can stay focused on their academic and research priorities.
Program coordinators and managers around OUE facilitate the logistics for the smooth production of countless faculty events, programs, and classes both here at Duke and around the world.
Over 30 TAs, sitecoordinators, and other facultysupporting staff hired this year.
More than 10,000 travel and program expenses cleared for faculty.
The Syllabus Language Menu edited and distributed to over 1,800 undergraduate faculty.
“I liked including Maslow’s hierarchy and group development theory. The health and safety checklist was great.”
— Faculty participant in Office of Global Health and Safety training
Office of Global Health & Safety Trainings:
• Assessing Risk in Program Development
• Compassionate Responses: Addressing Sexual Misconduct in Experiential Education Programs
• Navigating Group Dynamics
• Managing Challenging Student Interactions
• Scaffolding Memorable Pre-Departure Experiences: Strategies for Diverse Programs and Durations
• Supporting Student Mental Health
• Swift Response: Crisis Management Training
Faculty Programs and Opportunities
Faculty members at Duke University have many opportunities to partner with OUE to enhance the undergraduate experience. Faculty collaborating with OUE contribute to intellectual communities, partner with experts to improve student outcomes, and lead academic and co-curricular programs. They can also serve as mentors, provide research opportunities, and engage in teaching innovations that align with OUE’s goals. Additionally, OUE offers resources and workshops to assist faculty in improving their teaching strategies and understanding student needs.
Academic Advising Center (AAC)
Collaborate with the AAC to guide students in their academic journeys, offering advising, support, and resources for effective pre-major planning.
Academic Resource Center (ARC)
Partner with the ARC to build community and aid students with tutoring, time management, and ADHD/LD support.
Duke Conversations
Duke Immerse
Expand the classroom and host Duke students in your home for dinner and engaging conversations.
Partner with other faculty to tackle a global topic from different disciplinary angles with four courses taught to a cohort of Duke Immerse students over a semester.
FacPass
Faculty Fellows
Get free tickets to see your student-athlete in an upcoming Duke athletic event.
Ignite academic exploration beyond the classroom through shared meals and conversations on West Campus.
Faculty-in-Residence (FIR)
FLUNCH
Global Education Office (GEO)
Merit Scholars Programs
Muser
Nationally Competitive Scholars
Office of Global Health & Safety (OGHS)
Student-Faculty Engagement Office
Live on East campus in the first-year residence halls encouraging interactions between faculty members and undergraduate students beyond the classroom or lab.
Connect with the students in your classes over a free lunch on campus.
Develop and lead study away programs across the world.
Guide and work with the Merit Scholar communities as a faculty director.
Utilize Muser to recruit undergraduate student research assistants with work study funding.
Assist in preparing Duke undergraduates for Nationally Competitive awards.
Connect with OGHS to enhance safeguards in your offcampus endeavors with students.
Build connections to foster learning between students and faculty. Testing Center
Partner with the Testing Center to proctor exams for students who have been approved for academic accommodations.
Student Programs
OUE programs support self-reflection, mentorship, and academic and career planning. Students who participate in OUE programs have the opportunity to hone their skills in written and verbal communication, critical thinking, research, problem-solving, collaboration, and cross-cultural competencies.
Academic Guides Programs
Integrate academic coaching and whole-student support into the fabric of the Duke campus residential experience.
Duke Conversations
Participate in free, catered dinners at faculty homes with a small group of 5-12 students.
Duke Immerse
Duke Summer Experiences
Enroll in a semester-long program with four courses designed by Duke faculty around a central theme.
DukeLIFE
Search the Duke Summer Experience database to find all the programs Duke supports for undergraduates.
Connect with DukeLIFE to enhance the undergraduate experience of first-generation and lower-income students.
Faculty Fellows
Connect with the West Campus Quads Faculty Fellows.
Faculty-in-Residence (FIR)
Interact with faculty members who live on East Campus. FLUNCH
Dine for free to encourage student-faculty interaction outside the classroom.
Page 43 Student programs (please make a grid like the faculty programs: name, description) but with different color top row. (moved from page 35 of Catherine’s draft)
Global Education Programs
Merit Scholarship Program
Enroll in a study away program and earn credits beyond Duke’s campus. There are over 145 program options.
Check out the undergraduate scholarships administered by Duke.
Muser
Nationally Competitive Scholars
Search the Muser job board to apply for research opportunities on campus.
Partner with NCS for support in applying for prestigious scholarships beyond Duke.
Peer Tutoring
Peer Success Leaders
Rubenstein StudentAthlete Civic Engagement Program (ACE)
Engage with small groups of 2-5 students in the same course who meet weekly with a Peer Tutor.
Connect with student academic leaders on campus who help expose students to all that Duke offers.
Apply to this opportunity for student-athletes to immerse in international summer service experiences.
SAGE Learning Communities
Spring Breakthrough
Engage with a learning communities to work with 6-10 students in the same STEM course who meet with a Peer Educator.
Enroll in spring break programs offering Duke students new learning opportunities, free of grades or prerequisites.
