The Chronicle
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Students react to new alcohol policies Page 5
The independent news organization at Duke University
THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023
ONLINE DAILY AT DUKECHRONICLE.COM
ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 1
‘GROWING PAINS’
Grad union demands recognition
Here’s what housing at Duke’s peer institutions tells us about the future of QuadEx, Duke’s residential system implemented in fall 2022. By KATIE TAN
The Duke Graduate Students Union is holding its second unionization campaign, the first being in 2017.
April 23, 2023
As QuadEx approaches the end of its inaugural year, the new residential system has been met with mixed reviews from both firstyears and upperclassmen. While some believe QuadEx is a step in the right direction, others are frustrated at being caught in the transition. But mostly, students have speculated whether QuadEx will be the resounding success that administrators hope it will be. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we came back in 50 years and QuadEx was this whole big success,” first-year Harrison Kane said. “We’re the unlucky people who have to deal with the growing pains, you know?” The new living and learning initiative aims to move from a previous “culture of selectivity,” brought forth by Greek life and SLGs, to a “culture of belonging,” according to several administrators. Each dorm on East Campus, which incoming first-years are randomly assigned to, is now linked to a corresponding Quad on West Campus. The goal is to have each Quad build its “own identity, traditions and social events.” Students have noticed similarities between QuadEx to housing systems at other schools, and for good reason — as Duke looked to create QuadEx, it turned to schools like Harvard, Yale and Northwestern for inspiration, according to administrators.
“We want students to hear the quad names and immediately understand the kind of traditions that they’re about to become enmeshed in — in a way that’s really distinctly Duke.” gary bennett dean of trinity college
By AUDREY WANG Feb. 27, 2023
Each of the three schools’ housing systems has undergone similar changes as QuadEx in the last few decades, placing students in a single residence hall, college, or area for their undergraduate years with an emphasis on creating distinct communities. Yale adopted their current model in 1962, Harvard in 1996, and Northwestern in 2019. Each school’s challenges, traditions and student reception — from the fanfare of Harvard’s Housing Day to dorm t-shirts made by a Yale student — provide a glimpse into what QuadEx could look like at Duke in four, 30 and 60 years down the line. History of QuadEx and creating identity QuadEx was several years in the making. The Next Generation Living and Learning Task Force, which was active between 2018 and 2019, reviewed living and learning structures and spoke with leaders from 14 schools, according to Dean of Trinity College Gary Bennett, who co-chaired the task force, and Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president of student affairs, in an email to The Chronicle. These schools included Harvard, Yale, Northwestern, Rice and Brown.
MAY FU
McMahon tracked these schools’ efforts in renovations that foster community, incentives to enhance faculty-student interaction and student-led house councils. In November 2020, Duke announced it would move to a “residential community” system. The newly created Next Generation Living and Learning 2.0 Committee would aim to “build a joyful and intentional fouryear residential experience that promotes growth, meaningful inclusion, and health, and that is distinctly Duke,” administrators announced. It also stated it would not diminish or eliminate Greek life and selective living groups. According to McMahon, the committee was asked to make sure any new living and learning design intentionally preserved the core elements of Duke’s own student culture, which meant a “broader concept that encompasses all the ways that students talk about, perceive, and experience campus life.” So far, QuadEx has implemented several new initiatives that seek to do this. The Quad Identity Project was created and spearheaded the Quad See QUADEX on Page 12
Duke announces Climate Commitment By KARIANNA KLASSEN Sept. 30, 2022
Duke administrators and alumni gathered in Page Auditorium on Thursday evening to formally announce the Duke Climate Commitment, an initiative addressing climate change supported by $36 million in initial gifts. Thursday’s formal announcement featured Duke President Vincent Price and conversations with University alumni and climate leaders. Also featured were pre-recorded videos of prominent figures, including John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Fuqua ’88, Durham Deputy City Manager Bertha Johnson and Mike Krzyzewski, former head coach of Duke’s men’s basketball. The announcement for the Duke Climate Commitment focused on university-wide, national and international climate and sustainability challenges, emphasizing Duke’s commitment to addressing them.
“We’re developing Duke as a living laboratory to study and solve climate and sustainability challenges,” Price said. “And perhaps, most importantly, we are supporting environmental sustainability in the community and advancing our understanding of the critical impacts of climate on social and racial equity.” Duke aims to unite its education, research, operations and public service missions while addressing four focus areas: energy transformation, climate and community resilience, environmental and climate justice and data-driven climate solutions. Duke’s 2011 Sustainability Strategic Plan and 2009 Climate Action Plan previously laid out the University’s approach to climate change. The new commitment, according to the event’s speakers, aligns with previous plans. Giving at Duke, the University’s alumni donation organization, broke down Duke Climate Commitment’s $36 million donated initial funds. $5 million come from the Duke
Endowment, $25 million from the Nicholas family and over $6 million combined from five donor families. The event also featured three live alumni discussions, which touched on a variety of topics including bipartisan climate policy, the clean energy transitions, environmental justice and leveraging entrepreneurship and venture capital to solve the climate crisis. Krzyzewski, during his remarks, spoke about Duke’s “offensive” and “defensive” roles in addressing climate change and called for unification across “the whole Duke team.” “Together we have the opportunity today to chart a different course at Duke,” Price said during his closing remarks. “We have the talented students and staff. We have the global network of extraordinary alumni. And we have an obligation as an employer and history has prepared us for this moment. And that is why we must succeed and that is why we will succeed. Duke is in it together for life.”
The Duke Graduate Students Union held a rally demanding voluntary recognition from Duke administration Friday afternoon. According to Anita Simha, a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the biology department and a DGSU co-chair, the union has “around 1,300” cards signed by the current 2,471 students — this number is over 50% of all doctoral students and above the required 30% threshold to go forth with a National Labor Relations Board election. Since a majority of doctoral students indicated that they were in favor of a union, the University may also voluntarily recognize the union, thereby negating the need for a formal election. In an open letter addressed to President Vincent Price, the union is asking the University to “choose the path of collaboration” by March 3. If the University rejects the proposal, the union will file for an NLRBrecognized election. The drive for recognition The union crossed the halfway mark at least by Feb. 10, according to Simha. Although the 30% benchmark is not a requirement, Simha stated that the union aimed for a 50% benchmark to “give Duke the opportunity to voluntarily recognize [them].” This is not the first time the DGSU has pushed for NLRB recognition. In 2017, doctoral students held an election to be NLRB-certified, but ultimately withdrew their petition to be formally recognized after 502 ballots were challenged. The DGSU has since functioned as a direct-join union without official NLRB recognition. Without official recognition, the University is not legally required to bargain with or recognize the union. Union leaders have previously pointed to a lack of direct recognition paired with a pattern of indirect recognition through Graduate School responses to DGSU demands. In August, the DGSU demanded paid parking passes and the distribution of a $500 payment promised by The Graduate School. Five days See DGSU on Page 15
INSIDE ‘Not in this alone’ Black students reflect on the significance of the Mary Lou Williams Center as it prepares to reopen in fall 2023. PAGE 3
Duke’s postgrads Have you ever wondered where undergraduates end up after Duke? Read more about it in our data study. PAGE 6
Meet the next provost
Alec Gallimore looks to work “across the entire range of scholarship” as Duke’s incoming provost. PAGE 9