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m DUKE UNIVERSITY Ninety-Ninth Year, issue 98
APOLOGY TO DENG, READERS
DURHAM, N.C.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13,2004
WWW.CHRONICLE.DUKE.EDU
DEVILS DOWN DEMON DEACONS
The Chronicle made an egregious error in the Feb. 12, 2004, edition by printing a racially-insensitive phrase about freshman Luol Deng in the Duke-Virginia men’s basketball game story. We apologize to Deng and our readers. For a further explanation and a note from Chronicle Editor Alex Garinger, please turn to page 18.
by Cindy Yee THE CHRONICLE
Council hears C2K changes by
lan Crouch
THE CHRONICLE
The Aits and Sciences Council heard a presentation of proposed changes to Curriculum 2000 Thursday, in an extended meeting that also included further discussion of proposed amendments to the council’s by-laws—an issue that has been taken up in each of the council’s last three meetings. Biology professor Steve Nowicki, chair of the ad-hoc Curriculum 2000 committee, presented a list of recommendations, which represent both a easing of course requirements and a general clarification of “the matrix.” The committee’s recommendations were based on datareceived from the Registrar’s office, combined with surveys from faculty, pre-major advisors and students. ‘There was widespread concern that the curriculum was too constricting in some dimensions and perceived as being too complex,” Nowicki said. “Some of the problem was true constraints placed on students, but a lot of it was perceived complexity.” A reduction of required courses from 12 to 10 in the Areas ofKnowledge distinction is the most significant proposed change to the curriculum. The plan would create a new Area ofKnowledge, Quantitative Studies, adding a fifth designation in Areas of Knowledge, but would require only two courses in each of the five, lessening the overall requirement. Along with a reduction of required Areas of Knowledge courses, the plan would reduce the required number of courses fulfilling the various Modes of Inquiry designations to 11 to 13. Nowicki said the current requirement of 15 to 17 courses added both unnecessary complexity and a greater burden for students. The lAA classification in Modes of Inquiry would be dropped under the plan, a SEE C2K ON PAGE 4
University's impact on Durham hits $2.68
BROOKS FICKE/THE
CHRONICLE
Brittany Hunter blocks a shot by Wake Forest's Elizabeth Strunk during theBlue Devil's 80-55 victory. See story in Sports, page 11.
Officials discuss quad landscaping difficulties by
Issa Hanna
THE CHRONICLE
Campus Council devoted much of its attention last night to what they feel is a deterioration in landscaping quality in the quadrangles Duke students employ most. Two key administrators present at the meeting—Joseph Jackson, manager of grounds and sanitation at the Facilities Management Department, and Mark Hough, a landscape architect with the Office of the University Architect said they understand that the conditions of the grounds are not acceptable, and they cited a variety of limitations that hinder Duke’s floral potential. Problems include incompatibility between Duke’s various grass species and the volatility of Durham’s weather patterns, and the apathy of Duke’s most powerful administrators with regard to this situation, they said. However, the most —
“We can spend a lot of money, but there will have to be a commitment on the students’ part, some kind of stewardship.” Mark Hough controversial reason they offered was that students are not taking on responsibility for the preservation of the grounds. “We can spend a lot of money, but there will have to be a commitment on the students’ part, some kind of stewardship,” Hough said. Jackson echoed Hough’s sentiment, and noted that specific student activities must be reconsidered. SEE LANDSCAPING ON
PAGE 6
According to a new report from the Office of Public Affairs, the University’s total annual economic impact on the city and county of Durham is an estimated $2.6 billion. The study used government and other data and models from FY2002-03 to determine the financial impact, taking into account local spending by the University, its students and visitors. In all, the report reads, spending came to $1.3 billion—a figure that must be doubled to estimate the University’s total economic impact because each dollar spent initiates at least one more round of spending before it leaves the local economy. Economists from Duke and North Carolina State University, who advised the study, said the $2.6 billion estimate may even be too low, as a conservative multiplier was employed in calculations. “Duke University takes seriously the degree to which the University’s and the city’s fortunes are intertwined,” President Nan Keohane said in a statement. “This report provides further evidence that major research universities such as Duke are economic engines whose activities dramatically benefit their hometowns and regions.” Thomas White, president of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, said Duke was the “quintessential towngown partner.” “In my job, I couldn’t ask for a more wonderful institutional partner,” he said. “My job is to promote the community as a great place to work, raise a family and live, and in all respects Duke is a huge draw.” White noted that the new report itself could help attract new businesses to the area. “It catalogs and captures the kind of information that we can then package and send to investors that are representing corporate or non-profit interests,” he said. The University’s largest contribution by far was in wages and benefits. As the largest employer in Durham County, Duke paid $732 million in wages and benefits to 18,343 Durham residents, or 15 percent of the employed persons who reside in Durham County. The mean salary was $63,046 for employees paid monthly and $36,571 for employees paid hourly. The report also notes that a national study using U.S. Commerce Department data conservatively suggests that Duke’s $365 million in research funding in SEE IMPACT ON PAGE 6