<p>I remember last summer whenever I told someone that I went to Duke the response was either "Do you play lacrosse?" or "Were you at that party?" or simply "I think they're innocent" without any prompt (I guess if they thought they were guilty they didn't just come out and say that to me).</p>
<p>However, from about fall break onward I didn't get the same responses as the case unraveled and wasn't the lead story on every sports and news station (well at least with lesser frequency). As someone who absolutely loves Duke, I am optimistic that the dip was only temporary. Time will tell.</p>
<p>I say good riddance to those that "scratched Duke off their lists" because of a party reputation. If they make these kinds of decisions based on "Duke is known as a party school" then they obviously cannot be bothered to think and find out for themselves. Either way Duke is definitely not the place for them.</p>
<p>I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. I remember back to when I was in high school looking at colleges and how overwhelming it was to learn about so many schools. Even though you try to remain as unbiased as possible, it is sometimes very difficult to not factor in perception. I hope that in the coming months, Duke students and faculty and admissions people will do what I know we are capable of doing and represent our school well. I hope that we will highlight why this university is great and talk truthfully about what needs improvement and the entire situation surrounding the lacrosse incident from our perspectives.</p>
<p>I don't mean the people who earnestly tried to do their research or remain unbiased but were overwhelmed. I'm not even condemning those who made snap judgments in the lax case. What I meant is the people who heard about the party reputation and read about the news and immediately crossed Duke off their list without bothering to ascertain the validity behind the claims. I'm not at all sorry to see them go.</p>
<p>While perception plays an important role, I'm decrying the people for whom perception is all that matters.</p>
<p>I'm sorry but that article was absolutely pathetic.</p>
<p>Gotcha, SBR.</p>
<p>
[quote]
It was one of only two schools to sustain a decline among those ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News and World Report magazine.
[/quote]
Why would Yale see a drop? At least we have the lacrosse scandal as an excuse...</p>
<p>
[quote]
surveys showing that 20 percent of Duke students studied at least 20 hours a week, compared with 29 percent at comparable institutions, while 14 percent spent 11 or more hours a week partying, compared with 9 percent of peers.
[/quote]
Both numbers seem optimistic to me, to be blunt. I wonder what comparable instutitions they're talking about? While I don't know much about, say, Harvard or Yale, I'd be shocked if we're considerably worse than Penn. I'll be absolutely floored if we're even a little bit worse than Stanford. (I grew up in the Bay Area, so I'm peripherally familiar with the schools there.)</p>
<p>BDM - (sarcasm alert) Yale saw a drop because of President Brodhead's having come from there, natch (/sarcasm).</p>
<p>Given the spotlight that the university, its faculty and students, and its community have been in the last year, I'm not surprised admissions are down. All things being equal, others in our peer group didn't get dragged through various mudpuddles. Beyond that, there really is a bit of Schadenfreude when it comes to Duke, and the "piling on" that happened last April still goes on. The Bloomberg article is just a poorly written example. I certainly don't see this being a long term problem.</p>
<p>As an aside - those "surveys" drive me crazy, because we haven't been allowed to see the survey, or the schools that were also given the survey, or the number of students who took it, or anything like that. If the amount of student representation on the CCI Committee is any indication of what a "representative sample" is, the survey was given to 15 people who were, at the time, tenting, and 12 of them said they hadn't studied 20 hours that week.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, public perception is not always the reality. However, the negative commentary that permeated the press and television reports kept the issue alive. The name of "Duke University" essentially became synonymous with "the lacrosse scandal." Parents of prospective students were seriously concerned about the incident, especially in light of stories that suggested Durham law enforcement targeted Duke students for simple infractions of the law. A change in venue for a prospective trial even cited the hostile atmosphere in Durham including the ad placed by the Group of 88.</p>
<p>If you were a parent and your student (especially if your child was a male athlete) you might think twice about sending your child off to Durham after reading or hearing things like this. </p>
<p>So, think about it from the parents' perspective. It's no wonder many parents reading these articles and hearing the stories steered their students away from Duke. The lacrosse scandal was front page news for literally months - remember the front cover of Newsweek? And those months were the ones when high school seniors began to compose their final list of where to apply. </p>
<p>The Rolling Stones article did not help. It was a scandalous piece better suited for the gossip mags by the grocery checkout. </p>
<p>Recent articles about the campus culture initiative found in the Duke Chronicle also indicate a disconnect between students and faculty (at least the faculty members of the CCI). I, personally, found it appalling that there was so little inclusion of student opinion. Articles outside of Duke have focused on the fraternity blocked housing (non Dukies, obviously, as no mention of other groups that block) and drinking. Again, two words that start the parent radar working.</p>
<p>I totally agreed with Westcoastmom about her opinion in Duke. I have nothing against Duke which to me is still a great institution to choose. However, Duke should start asking themselves why they had recently received so much negative publicity. In other words, some self-doubt and soul searching has to be done in order to improve. Blindlessly defending Duke's reputation without analyzing their current shortfall is definetly not the right approach. I said it only for the sake of Duke.</p>
<p>
[quote]
University officials say the school will weather the storm and they expect enrollment to rebound.
[/quote]
I think "storm" might be a slight hyperbole considering that...
[quote]
Applicants to Duke's freshman class fell 1.1 percent
[/quote]
</p>
<p>As for the girl who didn't want a party school so chose Emory- thanks for the LOL! :D</p>
<p>Eh, last year was a record year for applicants. Even if Duke's applicant pool drops slightly this year, it's still the second largest pool on record. I say we have nothing to worry about.</p>
<p>It is tough to get rid of certain stereotypes, unfortunately...</p>
<p>How many Duke students does it take to change a lightbulb?
A whole frat-- but only one of them is sober enough to do get the bulb out of the socket....</p>
<p>There's also another lightbulb joke-
How many Duke students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Two: one to screw it in and one to take the old bulb and save it for throwing during the next UNC-Duke game.</p>
<p>
[quote]
surveys showing that 20 percent of Duke students studied at least 20 hours a week, compared with 29 percent at comparable institutions, while 14 percent spent 11 or more hours a week partying, compared with 9 percent of peers.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
Both numbers seem optimistic to me, to be blunt. I wonder what comparable instutitions they're talking about? While I don't know much about, say, Harvard or Yale, I'd be shocked if we're considerably worse than Penn. I'll be absolutely floored if we're even a little bit worse than Stanford. (I grew up in the Bay Area, so I'm peripherally familiar with the schools there.)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>bluedevilmike,</p>
<p>Duke requires only 34 courses to graduate. That's actually on the low side. Stanford requires 180 credit hours to graduate and courses there typically worth 3-5 units.</p>
<p>I sent the authors an e-mail presenting my disappointment with the article, particular on their selection of biased quotes. Here's my e-mail and Chris Burrit's reply:</p>
<p>Dear Mr. Burritt and Ms. Credeur,</p>
<p>I wanted to express my disappointment at reading your recent article "Duke's Image Faces More Polishing as Applications Sag," which gave readers an extremely biased and untrue portrayal of Duke. Although I'll give you some credit as you did actually provide some positive quotes via Duke administrators, so the article was not completely one-sided a la "Sex & Scandal at Duke" by Rolling Stone. However, I want to address several key points that I feel are terribly misguided:</p>
<p>1.) "It's not the magnet it used to be." Yes, record applications the last seven out of eight years really indicates it is slipping majorly. This 1.1% drop is so significant; much moreso than Yale's 9.7% decrease, which you fail to mention by number. The quality of applicants this year also are stellar - I don't think many schools can claim they reject 57% of high school valedictorians. And it's still the second-most applications in Duke history with a 19.7% acceptance rate. Duke has the 5th most Rhodes Scholars among private schools in the country - most of whom have come since 1990. Yep, Duke is really bringing in pathetic students now.</p>
<p>2.) "Fresh scandal" "Tarnished Image" "Alcohol Abuse" "Breaking Up Fraternities" - nice buzz words so that more people read your article. Alcohol abuse is rampant on all college campuses - Duke is not known as having major problems. Just look at the Princeton Review studies you cited. Is it even listed among the top 20 for alcohol or drugs? No, not even close. You say 37 freshman went to the hospital for alcohol-related incidents? Wow, a whopping 2% of the freshman class! Also, the title of "breaking up fraternities" makes it seem like the administration is actually planning on that; while, if you took the effort to ask anybody on campus what's actually going on, they'd tell you that students and administration alike think the report has some very premature recommendations, and that particular recommendation is not going to happen. The report also recommended breaking up the Wellness Center - a group of about 30 vegetarians who promise not to drink alcohol in college...very useful report, who only used 2 references - one of which was the Rolling Stones article, an article with one of the lowest journalist integrities I have ever read.</p>
<p>3.) Nice selection of biased quotes. "extra blow" "reputation has been tarnished" "negativity on campus" "known as a party school" Couldn't find anybody not in the Duke administration who actually likes Duke? And the cheating scandal, I believe, has shown the strength of Duke's honor code in that the system ultimately worked. The administration dealt with the issue swiftly and is handing down harsh penalties instead of sweeping it under the rug - yet, of course, no praise for that. I can tell you that the majority of people are extremely positive on campus and do not see it as a party school. Yes, according to a recent survey released in April 2007, a whopping 10% of students hooked up with two or more people in the last 12 months, while 33% hadn't at all in the last 12 months. Clearly, there are crazy, wild, rampant, uncontrolled parties going on all the time at Duke with numbers like those.</p>
<p>4.) "academics have to come first" - As I said before, a school whose students routinely pick up Rhodes, Fulbright, Truman, and Goldwater Scholarships, and that was ranked 6th in the WSJ Feeder Rankings clearly demonstrates the vast majority of students have the mindset that academics come first.</p>
<p>You also take the word of the accuser (who said they were drunk, etc) despite the fact that her entire story was declared false by the Attorney General of North Carolina. I don't understand what it takes. The Attorney General stated that she was either "drunk" or very "impaired," while having taken 3 different prescription medications and consuming alcohol. And you still take her word, and feel it is pertinent to include it?</p>
<p>There were many things misleading about this article, and I hope you try to rectify them in the future by giving a more accurate portrayal of your subject.</p>
<p>Best regards,</p>
<hr>
<p>Eric, We were surprised how difficult it was to get Duke administrators to
comment. We attempted unsuccesfully to attend some of President Brodhead's conversations with alumni and to interview him. Both requests were turned down. That said, I understand the points you make and appreciate your msg. I understand it's exam week for students so best of luck on those and best of luck as you move on from Duke. Chris</p>
<p>This may be off the topic, but I thought it fits the tone of this thread:</p>
<p>Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead Tuesday announced two major changes to his senior leadership team: the appointment of Durham Technical Community Colleges outgoing president to a new position overseeing Dukes interactions with Durham and the local region, and the retirement of a long-time institutional leader who has served as university secretary for two decades.</p>
<p>Phail Wynn will become Dukes new vice president for Durham and regional affairs when he retires from Durham Tech on December 31. Allison Haltom will step down as university secretary and vice president at the same time.</p>
<p>The first African-American to serve as president of a community college in North Carolina, Wynn has led Durham Tech since 1980. During these years, Durham Tech has emerged as a national leader in providing customized high-tech training programs, serving most of the firms in nearby Research Triangle Park (RTP).</p>
<p>Wynn holds degrees from the University of Oklahoma, North Carolina State University and the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a former chair of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, a founding member of the Greater Triangle Regional Council and a member of the boards of directors of the Triangle Community Foundation, the Research Triangle Institute and SunTrust Banks, Inc. He is a founding trustee of the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science at N.C. State. Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. awarded him The Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2000.</p>
<p>Dr. Wynn knows Durham, the Research Triangle Park and our region as few others do, Brodhead said. His community and regional leadership include many of the most active and important educational, business, government and nonprofit organizations in our community. Duke is committed to being an active and constructive citizen, and Phail Wynn is the ideal person to carry this partnership to the next level. I will be pleased to add his wisdom and experience to Dukes leadership team.</p>
<p>Wynns new position at Duke will cover a wide range of activities involving Durham and the local region. He will work with city officials to accelerate economic renewal in areas close to Dukes campus, such as on Ninth Street and downtown, and promote new collaborations between Duke and RTP. He also will advance sustainability efforts and play an active role in Dukes interactions with local partners such as the Durham Public Schools, North Carolina Central University and Durham Tech.</p>
<p>In addition, Wynn will work with colleagues at Duke Medicine to address local health care issues, promote workforce education programs for Duke employees and help secure new permanent funding for the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership.</p>
<p>My 30 years at Durham Tech have allowed me to focus on areas that I care passionately about; education and training, and economic development and community development, Wynn said. This new opportunity will allow me to continue this professional focus through assisting Duke University in its ongoing efforts to be an advocate and partner for economic and community development in Durham and the region.</p>
<p>In announcing Wynns appointment, Brodhead praised Senior Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations John Burness, who has led many of Dukes programs with Durham and been the guiding force behind the nationally recognized partnership. John will continue to be responsible for our federal and state relations programs and will focus his energies on strengthening Dukes communications programs to help ensure public appreciation of Dukes excellence, Brodhead said. Burness and Wynn will work closely over the next several months to effect a smooth transition to the new position, Brodhead said.</p>
<p>Haltom has served for 36 years under four presidents in roles of increasing responsibility at Duke. A 1972 alumna of the previous Womans College at Duke, she was the first woman to serve as head of Duke's Annual Fund. She became university secretary in 1986 and was named vice president in 2001. She coordinates the activities of the board of trustees, oversees university ceremonies such as commencement and manages the hiring and review processes for senior university officials.</p>
<p>Including my undergraduate years, Duke and Durham have been my home for four decades, Haltom said. I have had the privilege of working with many people who care deeply about making Duke a better place for students, faculty and employees. I feel that I have been part of something special in higher education.</p>
<p>Praising Haltom for her intelligence, warmth, savvy and commitment, Brodhead noted how her leadership has extended beyond Duke to the development of national programs for board professionals and service on the boards of UNC-Asheville, the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Hill Center of Durham.</p>
<p>My predecessors and I, as well as the board chairs she has served, have benefited from Allisons wise counsel and support, Brodhead said. I am especially grateful for her assistance in managing my transition to Duke, which she handled with expert care.</p>
<p>All I can say to Chris Burrit is: Nice dodge!</p>
<p>There are many articles similar to Chris Burrit's. NPR has an article dated March 25, 2007 titled "Duke University Calls for an Attitude Adjustment". The article mixes the Lacrosse case with the CCI report and just feeds the media more gossipy quotes they could use including one from Brodhead.</p>
<p>In the meantime, the school is moving toward toughening its student conduct standards, and Brodhead says he's committed to expanding social options on campus. He told the faculty that many students crave a social life that — in his words — isn't modeled on John Belushi.</p>
<p>If President Brodhead actually made the John Belushi analogy than I am extremely disappointed.</p>