August, 2006 Working@Duke

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WORKING@DUKE

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NAVIGATING CHALLENGING DIALOGUES

Workshops by the Office for Institutional Equity offer conversation tips.

N E WS YO U CA N U S E

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A PIECE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

Duke partners with local organizations that offer affordable homeownership for employees.

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Vo l u m e 1 , I s s u e 5

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BUILDING A STRONGER DURHAM Tallman Trask III, Executive Vice President, discusses Duke’s role in helping revitalize Durham.

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New Duke Benefit Expands Professional Development Opportunities the current benefit, which wen Rogers has only covers courses at Duke, accumulated fewer than 300 employees thousands of received more than $1.6 mildollars in student lion for tuition expenses in loans while working on a 2004. business technology degree Clint Davidson, vice at North Carolina Central president for Human Resources, University. said the new program, which A staff assistant in consolidates the pilot and Women’s Studies at Duke, current Educational Assistance she’ll be the first in her Program, is more than an immediate family to earn addition to Duke’s benefits a four-year college degree. package; it helps support Duke’s “You have to give long-term staffing strategy. something up to get some“We want to invest in our thing,” said Rogers, who is own people in ways that help 42. “I’ve given up several them grow and develop but years of my life for this. I’ve also prepare them to fill critical missed family gatherings, staffing needs at Duke,” he movies with friends, going said. “This program can help out to dinner or going enhance job satisfaction shopping because I’ve had among staff, while expanding to study or write a paper for the internal pool of talent school. But today, without available for the future.” an education, you are not Rogers, who has worked going to get very far.” Gwen Rogers, staff assistant in Duke Women’s Studies, will graduate from North Carolina Central University next December. She sits on NCCU’s campus next to a statue of NCCU founder James Edward Shepard. at Duke for nearly 20 years, With a year and a half believes her education will only of classes left, Rogers hopes help her continued success at Duke. She to limit her future debt by tapping into a new tuition assistance program for If someone is going to pay for your tuition, was at the front of the line for the pilot program after her supervisor, Lillian Duke employees. you’d be a fool not to take it.” Spiller, brought it to her attention. Spiller Beginning in January 2007, the new —Gwen Rogers has supported Rogers’ education by Employee Tuition Assistance Program using flexible work arrangements to will reimburse staff up to $5,000 per enable her to leave early or come in late year for tuition related to an employee’s for classes. job or continued career growth at Duke. DUKE EMPLOYEE TUITION The benefit can be used for up to two “I got an e-mail about a pilot program ASSISTANCE PROGRAM classes per semester or quarter at any with limited funding,” Spiller said. “So, • Provides tuition reimbursement up to $2,500 for two higher education institution in North I told Gwen to call right now because I classes per semester ($5,000 annual maximum) Carolina that is accredited by the didn’t know how much was available.” • Classes must be related to job or continued career growth Southern Association of Colleges Duke provided $100,000 for the at Duke and Schools – not just Duke. pilot, but because of its popularity, the • Classes can be at any North Carolina school accredited The new benefit program evolved available funds were committed in about by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – from the 2003 recommendations of three weeks. At the end of the pilot, including Duke the Women’s Initiative, which called for more than 120 Duke employees received • Must receive “C” or better for reimbursement greater opportunities for professional financial support for classes at Durham • Two or more years of service required to be eligible development. It is designed to provide Technical Community College, NCCU, • More information is available at <www.hr.duke.edu/ more employees with an opportunity for UNC-Chapel Hill, and N.C. State, benefits/education> or call (919) 684-5600 professional development by offering among others. access to classes not offered at Duke Rogers received $468 through the or courses at local community or state pilot, and she was thrilled to learn that it colleges with lower tuition. will return in January 2007. If approved, tuition for two of her classes each A pilot program was launched in November 2004 to assess interest semester – up to $2,500 – could be covered completely by Duke. in a new benefit that provided tuition reimbursement for courses outside SEE BACK TO SCHOOL, BACK PAGE Duke. The pilot results suggested broad interest in such a benefit. Under

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August, 2006 Working@Duke by Working Duke - Issuu